Fruit of the Spirit: Patience | Eric Mtimkulu

Well, good morning everyone. It is so good to see you all

this morning and I would please encourage you to please pray for

the Global Conference on the 10th to the 13th.

And then I know that on the 13th the young people will also

gather at New Gen. in Somerset West.

In fact, on from Wednesday and Friday, the lead couples in the

Western Cape gathered, I mean, Emmanus with a wonderful time of

prayer and input and simply just building relationships with

other leaders across the Western Cape.

It was such a wonderful time we had together.

And also we had Teddy Burger with us.

As you know Teddy is such a wonderful man of God and had

worked with the Lord for many years and I was the founder of

New Frontiers International. So we really had a wonderful

time together as leaders. And the week before, I was at 1

Hope last week Saturday at Gareth's Church, and I had been

asked to speak on loving your neighbor as well as diversity.

And we also had a wonderful time there with Stephen Ryan.

And yeah, just thankful for the Lord, for his faithfulness to us

as a church. If you have your Bibles, please

turn with me to the book of Galatians Chapter 5.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

Galatians chapter 5. You'll find it in the New

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

Testament Galatians chapter 5. We will read verse 22, verse 23.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

But the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

self-control. Against such things, there is no

law. I was reminded in preparing for

this message, which I'm going to walk through on the subject of

patience, the fruit of the spirit.

I was reminded that within the African context, and not to

stereotype, but I use this example within my own context

that one of the reasons that I have sort of one of the things

that I've made peace with within my context is that you are never

to expect the bride to be on time.

So when you get a wedding invite from Eric and Tim cool to

somewhere in Cape Town, and I said to you, the wedding starts

at 10. I actually mean at 12.

I don't mean at 10 AM. So if if you're there at 10, I

know that you're Ryan, but but we don't start at 10.

So you sort of know that is going to start at 12.

The only thing that start on time is the funeral that we make

sure starts on time the funeral but not the wedding.

So three years ago my wife and I attended a wedding of our

friend, a good friends of ours and the bride was very late and

and the husband was quite annoyed.

It's quite upset. In fact very hard to see someone

upsetting their own wedding. You hardly see that.

But he was quite upset that his bride was late and keep he kept

on folding and they ignored him. They were no longer taking his

calls. By the way, says where are you?

I thought, what do I say to him now?

I said to him, buddy, you must remember that you know this,

this is, this is your day and this is her day.

And in fact, the bride is always meant to make the grand

entrance. Your job is simply to wait.

So chill and cool down. She'll, she'll come and, and in

fact, she did come and she arrived 2 1/2 hours, but she was

there. But I think the Lord also taught

him something about patience, that he had to wait.

And I kid you not, that as she was walking down the aisle, the

way he was weeping and so happy. It didn't look like that man who

was so upset for his wife, for his bride being late at the

wedding. And at times it is we may find

ourselves as well having to wait on the Lord.

And so as we consider together this subject of patience and

having to work to wait upon the Lord.

And I, I found myself having reading about patience, that

when you read different biblical translations, you find that this

word is translated differently. So if you are using an an old

English Bible like the King James, the go Yee type of

Bibles, you'll find that it is translated long term, long

tempered. If you're using the other

translations, it will not say patience, it will say

long-suffering. But if you're reading the modern

translation, they translated as forbearance.

So you find that this word is translated in different ways and

in different translations. But before we delve into the

message, I want to in fact, just share with you what patience

means as the fruit of the spirit.

So I want you to have this in your own mind as we're going to

walk through this. The first thing I think the

slide should come up is that patience is the ability to

endure for a long time whatever opposition and suffering will

come our way, and to show perseverance without wanting

retaliation or revenge. Secondly, patience is the

ability to put up with the weaknesses and flaws of others,

including other believers, and to show forbearance towards them

without getting quickly irritated or angry enough to

want to fight back. That's hard, right?

That to me it is an indication that patience is a tough word.

It demands maturity. It demands stamina.

It demands strength. Patience is not easy.

Patience is hard and that is why this is a fruit of the Spirit,

because you cannot do it on your own.

You need the power of the Spirit in order to be patient.

The Lord needs to grow this inside of us.

The Tyndale Bible provides another another definition of

patience. They define it this way.

It is the ability to take a great deal of punishment from

evil people or circumstances without losing 1's temper,

without becoming irritated or angry, or without taking

vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear

pain or trials without complaint, the ability to for

bear under severe provocation, and the self-control that keeps

one from acting rashly, even those suffering opposition or

adversity. Patience is hard, but I think

the best example for patience is God himself.

When we read the Old Testament we are often find as though God

is angry in the Old Testament, or God is killing people in the

Old Testament or God is killing his own people in the Old

Testament. God of course judges sin and we

see that throughout the Old Testament, but also God is

loving and merciful in the Old Testament.

In Exodus 34, verse 60 says the Lord, the Lord is the

compassionate and gracious God who is slow in anger and

abounding in love and faithfulness.

God is slow in anger. Think about the story, for

example, of Moses at Mount Sinai with the Israelis, Moses being

up on the mountain for 40 days and as it comes down we see the

people of God in idolatry with the golden calf.

At that moment God wants to destroy His own people, and

Moses intercedes for God's people, and God spares them.

And so in the old time we can almost see that God, even though

God punishes his own people, but also God, is patient with His

people. The psalmist puts you this way

in Psalm 103. The Lord is compassionate and

gracious, slow in anger and abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will you harbor His anger

forever. He does not treat us as our sins

deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

God is always gracious, abounding in love, not treating

us as our sin deserves, because our sin deserves the the wrath

of God, and yet God in His mercy spares us.

We see this throughout the Old Testament as the people of God

would constantly rebel against God over and over again, and yet

God will continue to be merciful to His people.

Not only that, God would be slow in anger and the Israelites in

Hosea for example, that when the people of God have gone astray,

we hear this word from the prophet.

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called

my son. But the more they were called,

the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the bows and

they burned. Incest of images.

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms,

but they did not realise I was I who healed them.

I LED them with codes of human kindness, with ties of love to

them. I was like the one who lifts a

little child to the cheek and I burned down to feed them.

What a wonderful image of God's patience, that even though God

should destroy his people, the judgment should fall on his

people. God says, no, I did not do that,

rather I loved my people. Often God is patient with us.

He does not give us what we deserve.

Rather often as you read the Old Testament, you find that even

the prophets where, where, where like why is God not judging the

evil people? And God says not now.

I will not judge my people now. My hope is that they would

repent and come back to me. These are the pictures of the

Old Testament of a God who does not instantly at times judge his

own people, but rather is patient for them to come to him

in repentance. And so keeping that in mind, I

want to suggest to you three ways till we can be patient as

we consider God who is patient. The first thing I want to

suggest to you this morning is patience in prayer.

It may. It was said before and I say it

again, perhaps God gives us 3 answers to prayer.

It is often yes, no, or wait. All of us to some extent and

know about yes and no. But if we are true to ourselves,

we do not like when God says wait.

It is hard to wait when we are going through financial

challenges. It is hard to wait when a loved

one is sick and conventional medicine is not working.

It is hard to wake when the cupboards are empty and there is

no food and you have to wait. It is hard to wait when you are

single and burning and wanting to get married and you see these

notifications on Facebook of another friend getting married

and you wish it was you. Those moments are hard.

We know about yes. We know about no.

But it is often hard to wait because waiting at times awaken

a sense of confusion to us. And if in our response to

waiting at times, maybe at times unbiblical and so often God

asked us to wait in our prayers. Consider with me Abraham.

God told him that listen, there is a promised son that I'm going

to give you. I want you to, to, to wait.

The sun is coming and Abraham is thinking, listen God, biology

and logic are not on my side. Let me rather do this myself.

And it goes ahead of God and has a son with a slave girl.

That son is not the promised son, it is Ishmael.

God had promised him that just I'm going to give you Isaac as

the promised son and Abraham goes ahead and both.

That story communicates to us both patience and impatience.

Maybe at times we are to like an Abraham when we are not, to

walking by faith when we know God has promised something, but

we think let us run ahead of him and do it anyway.

At times our own impatience may make us to be entitled that I

deserve something. It is my right to have this.

And when we do that, we walk ahead instead of waiting.

There is a call to Christians to pray, but also to wait.

Prayer and patience go together. Perhaps let me remind you that

time spent waiting for God is not wasted time.

God uses that time of waiting and praying to conform us to the

image of His Son. Don't run ahead of God.

Wait upon the Lord. Pray and wait upon the Lord.

The posture of waiting is to wait with the right attitude,

knowing fully well that the God of heaven has heard your prayer.

Therefore, it is not my role to run ahead of him.

Rather, it is to wait. And in my waiting I'm waiting

with the right attitude of prayer.

The psalmist puts it this way. I wait for the Lord.

My soul awaits, and in His word I hope my soul.

I waits for the Lord. More than Watchmen for the

morning, more than Watchmen for the morning, but my soul waits

for the Lord. My encouragement to you is

patience in prayer. Wait upon the Lord #2 it is

patience in trials. So patience in prayer and

patience in trials. James one verse 2 to verse 4

says this. The count it all joy, my

brothers, when you meet trials of various kind.

For you know that the testing of your faith produces

steadfastness, and that steadfastness have its full

effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in

nothing. The Bible is clear that those

who believe in Christ will will face hostility and difficulties

in this world. Christ Himself is an example of

the one who suffered and faced hostility in this world.

Therefore, brethren, we too are going to face hostility in this

world. Notice this passage does not say

if it says when there is a trial that has your name and it has my

name, but it is simply a matter of time.

Be reminded, therefore, of these implications as we think about

suffering and waiting. Number one for the believer,

Suffering should be no surprise. We have been warned by Jesus and

the apostles over and over again that we ought to expect trials

of various kind, and they are not nice and they're quite hard.

But the Bible says expect this. In fact, it's first Peter

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 that reminds that we ought not to be surprised about

the present's suffering as though something strange was

happening to us. Is no expect trials.

Expect that life is going to be difficult and hard at times #2

the Bible reminds us that we ought not only just expect

suffering. But as a believer, we are not to

retaliate. We are to follow the example of

Christ who did not fight back, not even in words.

Believers must be reminded that the attitude of Christ to

suffering was not that of fighting, was not that of

violence, was not that of speaking back, but it was the

one of humility. It is easy time to feel like I

want to retaliate, I want to speak back, I want to fight.

But the posture of the believer is not to retaliate, it is to

follow the example of Christ in humility.

And I know you have the strength and the power to fight.

But may I say to you, let us follow the great example of

Christ and humble ourselves even when we know that we have the

resources and the tools to be able to fight back #3 the

posture of suffering is to be reminded that when believers

suffer, they are not to quit. We are not to, but rather and

doing, brothers and sisters, we are going to fit hatred,

discrimination. Some people in countries are

even facing imprisonment. People in countries are being a

horrendous way because of their faith in Christ Jesus.

To them this is not just a theory.

To them, it's and we too, as we wait upon the Lord, we should

pray for that very same courage that the Lord would help us to

patiently endure. We do not plan when we're going

to get cancer. We do not plan when our son and

our daughter is going to rebel. We do not plan when their

husband or wife taps out of marriage to say I'm I don't want

this anymore. No one plans that.

It just happens. Trials meet us on the way.

Be reminded of Job, for example, that when tragedy strike him, he

lost his children, he lost his wealth, he lost his livestock,

he even lost his health. His relationship with his wife

was affected and his friends said to him, repent, but what

have you done to God? He lost everything in an

instant. And Satan is saying to God, you

have a transactional relationship with Job, Take away

everything from him and then we'll see if he'll still serve

you faithfully. Job loses everything and he

still says my Redeemer lives in spite of losing everything.

This sometimes is life. But even in this moment of

suffering, we ought to be patient as these things happen.

And therefore, how do we then respond?

The text gives us an answer as to how we ought to respond to

this child. You said respond with joy.

Stefan spoke about that last week.

We respond with joy. And the other answer it gives,

it says, it says that that steadfastness have its full

impact. In fact, when you check the root

word of steadfastness, it actually means patience,

endurance, being patient under immense pressure.

So can I ask you this morning, is there anyone in this room who

is under immense pressure and suffering and difficulties and

you're just going through difficult trials?

Is there anyone like that this morning?

I'm sure there are many. Thank you for raising up your

hands because life at times can simply be difficult.

And church, let's let's be reminded when we go through

trials, we must never deny that our trials are painful.

We are never to to simply try to fake this.

Whenever I try to say everything is going well, when we know

things are not going listen, at times things are just not going

well. That's it.

Life is just hard at times. We never to deny that that

trials can be painful as they painful as they are.

They can also be profitable because they they, they sanctify

us in one sense, conforming us to the image of the sun.

But yes they are difficult in the hard.

I remember my my brother's wife's uncle had a had an

accident few years ago and man who was fed running and had a

good job had a car accident and in that accident it paralysed

him completely until he could not do anything by himself.

Nothing was working. He needed 24 hour care.

In an instant his life changed. Life can be hard and you would

visit him in hospital and he would be crying all the time

because he just realized that I'll never be able to do

anything for myself again. Life at times can be difficult

when we are not to deny that, but also often the trials will

also bring us to perfection through patients.

Patients in prayer, Patient in trials #3 Patients in community.

The Cyprian of of of cottage said the the following.

He cannot have God for his father who does not have the

church for his mother. To simplify what he's saying,

there is simply this. There's nothing as individual

Christianity. Those who are saved, they become

part of God's unified church. That's all he's saying and

therefore church, we must be reminded that even community

patience is needed. We are born into a community,

into the family of God and most of our Christian experiences in

the life of the local church. Since this is the case, loving

God and hating one another or loving God and through to the

message of Jesus Christ in community.

Ephesians forces one verse 123 says they say therefore a

prisoner of the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the

calling which you have been called with all humility and

gentleness with patience, bearing with one another in

love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond

of peace. The phrase one another speaks to

community. It also means, in fact,

forbearance with one another. Church test.

Let me slow down here. As a community and as a church,

we must be able to put up with things other people do or don't

do. It means as a church, we must

make an effort to bear with others, even those who annoy you

or irritate you. Can I repeat that?

Bear with those who annoy you or irritate you, Bear with them.

Forbearance actually means that I'm not only bearing with other

people, but also I am choosing to forgive other people.

That word also means I'm I will not hold a grudge against

another in the community, but at times I am choosing to overlook

something unkind that they have said rather than fighting back

with harsh words. For parents is learning to be

patient with others because you are aware of your own

shortcomings and your own weaknesses.

You too have weaknesses. You too people have to be

patient with you. Therefore, be patient with

others as well, including those you may not get along with as

well. As we gather in the community,

be reminded that the church at times will face conflict.

In fact, we see that in Acts chapter 6 when the Hellenistic

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Jews feel like their widows are not being looked after by the

Hebrew Jews and the apostle says, OK, guys, we need to do

something. Let's get this man.

That we're going to help that ministry as deacons.

First conflict that we are seeing there in that particular

gathering. So conflict is inevitable.

Sometimes it will happen that they strive in the church.

These things we are not exception because there's

people, but we are called even in those moments, to be patient

with one another. We live in a world of social

media where you can simply comment and speak your mind, no

matter how harmful your words are.

It is seems, though, in our culture that the virtue of

patience is missing. We are so impatient, and perhaps

we are impatient with ourselves. We are impatient with our

friends, we are impatient with our kids, we have patience with

our husbands or wives, we're impatient with our colleagues,

and we may be even impatient with our employees.

And you quickly get annoyed. We need the help of the Holy

Spirit. This is the fruit of the Spirit.

Our patience will always be tested in the context of the

local church, but not just what the writer says in Colossians 3

Colossians 3:3

verse 3 bearing with one another and if anyone has a complaint

against another forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgave

you, so you must also forgive. We live in a fallen world.

The devil there is the flesh, and so often we must be reminded

that because of that we will sometimes be impatient with one

another. Can I even say more strongly,

will at times might even sin against one another.

But can I ask you this morning to heed the words of the Apostle

Paul that even when we sin against one another, that we

maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace?

In other words, when we are impatient with one another, we

disturb our unity in the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, be patient with one another.

Can I tell you why we ought to be patient with others?

And for bear with others is because God has been patient

with you and I God did not treat us as our sin deserve.

And God has not stopped. He is impatient with us even

when we sin against Him, God is still a patient with us.

Maybe you've been asking God for forgiveness on the same issue

over and over and over. And yet God has been patient

with you, forgiving you, receiving you, loving you.

Therefore, do the same to others.

I close with these three questions that I'd like you to

consider for yourself. Number one, in what ways has God

been patient with you in your Christian experience #2 in what

ways do other people have to be patient with you #3 in what

situations make you most likely to be impatient with others at

such times? How can you show the fruit of

the Spirit in your life in patience?

My praise that you'll reflect on these questions and ponder on

these questions. My praise that the Holy Spirit

would help you to bear with others.

Therefore, church, be patient in prayer, be patient in trial, but

also be patient in community. Father, we thank you this

morning to be reminded of patience.

That patience is hard, Lord, it is not easy because it caused us

not to retaliate. Patience caused us not to fight

back. But patience caused us to lean

in, Lord, to trust in You that when we feel like speaking up

harshly to others, that we may be reminded in those moments

that this is not the fruit of the Spirit.

Rather, we ought to bear with others.

We ought to be forgiving to others.

We ought to be loving to others. We ought to be merciful to

others. Help us, Lord Jesus, even in our

homes. That's that.

This becomes practical in our homes and our families, even in

our marriages, in our workplaces, in our community

here as a church, to be those who are patient with one

another, because you are patient with us.

Therefore, Lord, help us to follow your example of patience.

Help us, Lord, to follow in your footsteps as the one who was

humble, the one who was spat on and yet never spoke a bad word.

And so, Lord, we please ask you help us.

May the Holy Spirit help us. We ask this Lord, in your name,

Amen.