Stand and lift up your bible and repeat after me.
This is my Bible.
I am what it says I am.
I can do what it says I can do.
I am going to learn how to be what it says I can be.
Today I will learn more of the word of God.
The indestructible, never ending, living word Of God.
I will never be the same.
I will never be the same.
In Jesus Name
Patience
Would you take out God’s Word, and turn to James, chapter 1. Now, James is one of the most upfront guys in the entire Bible. If you want to know what James is thinking, then he’ll be very happy to tell you. James is going to teach us about patience, and I want share with to you about the purpose and power of patience that I have learned
James 1:1-2: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptation. knowing this, that the trying of your faith brings patience.”
Now, that’s James, chapter 1. Turn to the last chapter of James, now—James, chapter 5. James begins this work on testing and trial by talking about patience, and he ends it talking about patience. Now, I begin in James, chapter 5, and verse 7: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.”
I really believe, if you don’t learn patience, you probably will learn very little of anything else. If you don’t learn patience, you probably will not learn much of anything else.
For example, you certainly wouldn’t learn to play the piano, organ, or guitar without patience, could you? There was a time long ago when I took organ lessons. And, there was a time when my mom who was my teacher spoke to me and said listen to me.. you don’t have patience and she was right. You can’t learn to play the organ without patience. You can’t learn anything without a certain amount of patience. Anything worth learning, really, it seems to talk of patience.
Now, patience—when we use the word patience—we kind of think of the idea, to do tedious things—and what’s involved. But actually, the Bible word patience, and the word that I’m using here from the Book of James, means “to be able to bear up under great pressure.” “To bear up under great pressure”—that’s what the Greek word means—“to bear up under.” Literally, it means, “to endure.” And, it just might be better, rather than translating it patience, if we translated it endurance.
I found this little article once and I would like to read it you. It blessed me so much that I just thought I would read it to you, because many of you think that one of these days you’re going to come to some great trial in life, and then, you’re going to have to have patience.
Listen to this: “Most of us dream of becoming rich, or famous, or doing great things for the Lord. We thought life would be meaningful and exciting, but instead, our lives are routine. Our daily work seems of no consequence or, even worse, we’re unemployed, ill, or aged. Others do exciting things and tell of their successes, while day-by-day-by-day, we seem to go unnoticed. But God knows. He saw the poor woman throw two coins in the collection plate. He knew that Moses was tending sheep for 40 years. Jesus often used the services of ordinary people on His way to do great things: the boy with his five loaves and his two fish, Mary and her perfume, Simon to carry the cross. Jesus knows about the car that broke down, the poor marks at school, the bad temper of the boss, the constant headache, the dull job, the stubborn children, and the ailing relative. If it concerns you, then it concerns Christ.”
If it concerns you, then it concerns Christ. Why? Because we’re a part of Him. We’re members of His Body. 1st Corinthians 12: 18, says: “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them.”
It has pleased God to put you where you are. He is watching to see if you are faithful in the monotony as well as in trouble, or persecution, or prosperity. Now, it’s one thing to be faithful in trouble. It’s another thing to be faithful in persecution. It’s one thing to be faithful in prosperity. Hey folks, it’s something else to be faithful in monotony, huh? In monotony—I mean, in the same old life. God calls most of us to do only the ordinary, and sometimes, the menial tasks of life. We probably cannot see His purposes, but we must not refuse to meet the needs that He puts before us. Do not despise the day of small things. We may not see the effects of our efforts, but we can leave the outcome to God. When Peter asked what would happen to John, Jesus told him that it was not Peter’s problem. Jesus told him, “Follow Me”
And, that is our task—to follow Jesus.
Now, here is the beautiful part—listen to this: It takes more grace to care for a handicapped person than to be a wealthy president of a corporation. Now, most of us get impatient waiting for what it is we desire..
A man once said, “My problem is that I’m in a hurry, and God isn’t.”
That’s the way we live. Many of us ought to just pray, “Lord, give me patience.”
Now, James, here, talks about patience doing her perfect work. Now, I want to talk to you about patience’s perfect work. I want to talk to you about things patience will do for you, and really, in the course of this, how to have this patience.
Patience is necessary for maturity. Let’s look at verse 2: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations”
Now, the word for temptations here means “trials.” It means “tests.” Now, the word temptation, in the Book of James, is used in two senses. And, I want to tell you this, because if I don’t tell you this, then you’ll get hopelessly confused in James. Sometimes, the word temptation means “a trial” or “a testing.” Sometimes, it means “an inducement to do evil.” For example, in verse 2, he says, “Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.”
But, look in verse 13: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does He tempt any man”
Well, that seems almost contradictory if you don’t understand that the word temptation here is used in two ways. There’s the temptation which is a test from God, and there’s the temptation which is an inducement to evil that comes from the devil. The temptation that comes from the devil—the temptation to sin—is sent by the devil to cause us to stumble. The temptations—the trials—of life are sent by God to cause us to stand. The devil wants us to sin, so that we might stumble. God wants us to overcome, that we might stand.
Now, these trials are there. God sends trials—this kind of testing—for one purpose. God allows us to have trouble. As a matter of fact, God manufactures trouble for us. I mean, God says, “Just rejoice when it comes, because I have a purpose in it.” Trials are going to come.
Notice, in verse 2: “My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations” not if, but when.
Everybody here is in one of three categories: you’re just getting out of trouble, you’re in trouble, or you’re just fixing to get into trouble. I mean, just count it all joy when you fall into divers temptation. These trials produce the patience that we need.
Look in verse 3: “Knowing this, that the trying”—the testing—“of your faith produces patience”
Now, you know what you’re asking for when you ask for patience? Ha, let me show you another verse. Just keep your finger there, and turn back to Romans, 5:3. That makes it even more plain. When you pray for patience, let me just show you what you’re really praying for: “And not only so, but we glory in our sufferings also: knowing that suffering produces patience”
Go back again to James, chapter 1, and verse 3: “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.” Now, when you pray for patience, you can expect trials. But now, remember this about trials: Trials work for you, not against you. Count it all joy when they come. Trials, to the Christian, are not obstacles; they’re opportunities. And, they are there for our maturity, for our completion. Now, look at it again—verse 4: “But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect”
Now, when the Bible says that you may be perfect, the Bible does not mean that you may be sinless. No one can live above sin unless they have a room over a pool hall. That isn’t what he means when he says, “Be perfect.” The word perfect means “mature.”
Now, I say, “That is a perfect flower.” I don’t mean, “That’s a sinless flower.” I mean, “That’s a perfect flower.” We look at a baby and say, “Well, that’s a perfect baby”—perfectly-formed. Sin is not—that’s not—what James is talking about. He’s not saying that you may be sinless. He’s saying that you may be mature. Now, one of the perfect works of patience is maturity.
God wants to bring you to maturity. For example, an oak is the perfection of an acorn—an oak tree, if that’s a mature acorn. “When you are discouraged, and feeling a little blue, take a look at a mighty oak, and see what a nut can do.” You see, an oak tree is the perfection of an acorn. Now, what God is saying is this: “You have faith, but I’m going to mature that faith.” And, the only way—listen—the only way that your faith can be mature is by endurance; it matures under stress.
With patience.
I would like to tell you another story.
He studied insects was a biologist. He found a cocoon of an emperor moth, and he kept it. And, he wanted to watch that emperor moth come out of the cocoon. And, he saw the cocoon as it began to split, and that beautiful gorgeous moth, as it begin to emerge, the moth was just straining, and straining, and straining, trying to rip that cocoon—to come out of that cocoon. And, the man thought he would help the moth, and he took a sharp razor, and he slit the cocoon. And, he helped the moth to emerge, and the moth just sort of flopped out, and flapped its wings feebly, and then fell, in exhaustion and death, to the ground.
Now, that man thought he was doing that moth a favor; but, you see, God had built into that moth the need to exercise those wings, and to exercise itself, and to build that strength, before it ever came out of that cocoon. It was necessary. It was meant to gain strength by striving. Just like us.
Sometimes, we don’t do people a favor, when we take away the trial. Now, most of us, when we have some sort of a trial, what do we do? What do we pray? “Lord, take it away,” isn’t that right? I mean, I want to be honest. That’s what I pray most of the time: “Lord, just take it away. Lord, I don’t want it.” But, you know what we ought to pray? Look, here’s what James says we ought to do. In verse 4, he says, (James 1:4–5).
What you do when you have a trial is to pray for wisdom; that’s what you do—pray for wisdom. Find out what God wants to do in this thing. First of all, rejoice; and then, just simply pray for wisdom. We ought to say, “Lord, give me wisdom, so I’ll not fail this test.”
The word trial and the word test are related. Now, if God gives you a test, and you skip the test, then He’s going to give it to you again.
And again.
And again.
He doesn’t stop giving the test. He just keeps on every time you fail, and He gives you the test again. So, why don’t you just study for the test? Why don’t you just say, “Lord, give me wisdom, so I’ll know how to pass this test. What is it that You’re trying to build in me? What proclivity—what spiritual ability—do You want to build in me?” So, what is the purpose of patience?
What is patience’s perfect work? Maturity—that you may be perfect, entire, wanting nothing. God doesn’t want you to be a spiritual cream puff.
The second purpose of patience: is not only maturity, but also victory. Let’s continue to read here. Look, if you will, Now, don’t get the idea that the crown of life is something that we get when we meet Jesus—that He says, “Well done, now, good and faithful servant,” and He puts a crown on our head. There are crowns that are going to be crowns of rewards, but that’s not what the crown of life is. The crown of life is what you have now. What he’s saying is that you may be able to live as a king—that you may be able to live victoriously right now. He’s not talking about a future crown, but victory, right now.
Folks, if you and I will continue to learn, and not dodge this matter of endurance and patience, we’re going to find out that we’re going to have the three things that most of us need tomorrow morning. You and I are going to have maturity. You and I are going to have victories. You and I are going to have peace. You and I can save a lot of time by waiting on God. And, what we can’t control, we just learn to endure.
The Apostle Paul said in: Philippians 4:11 ”I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. “
You and I can save a lot of time by just waiting on God. You see, in the life we’ve got, we have to learn this: that there are some things we cannot control. You and I can’t control most things. You and I can’t control the weather. You and I can’t control sports scores, and can’t control whether our take out order is going to be right.
But you and I can control how much time we spend with God.
Let us pray..
