If you have your Bibles, you can turn
to James chapter 5, James chapter 5, and
it's been about three weeks, so I'm going
to read where we left off.
James chapter 5 verse 1, it's a real
comforting scripture here to those who are wealthy,
and actually it's not, but let's read it
again.
Come now you rich, weep and howl for
your miseries that are coming upon you.
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are
moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver are corroded, and their
corrosion will be a witness against you, and
will eat your flesh like fire.
You have heaped up treasure in the last
days, and deed the wages of the laborers
who mowed your fields, which you kept back
by fraud.
Cry out, and the cries of the reapers
have reached the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth.
You have lived on the earth in pleasure
and luxury.
You have fattened your hearts, meaning with pride,
and as in the day of slaughter, you
have condemned, you have murdered the just, and
he does not resist you.
Now that's a hard passage, but as we
talked about before, the Bible talks to both
the sinner and the saint.
Charles Spurgeon said many years ago that when
we preach, we actually encourage the saint, but
warn the sinner, and it's hard to find
that balance, and that's what James is doing.
He's writing to wealthy, rich Jewish believers during
the time when this was written.
These Jewish believers mainly have become fat, meaning
prideful and arrogant in their hearts and their
wealth.
They're taking pride in their wealth, and it
was consuming them, and Matthew Henry, he's a
commentator, I think it was probably in the
1600s or so, it was said that George
Whitefield, a famous evangelist, would carry the Bible
and a copy of Matthew Henry's commentaries.
That's all he did when he traveled on
horseback.
Matthew Henry is probably one of the most
prolific commentators I've read.
It's hard because it's sometimes the old English,
but very insightful.
He said, public calamities are most grievous to
rich people who live in pleasure and are
secure and sensual, and therefore they shall weep
and howl more than other people for their
miseries that shall come upon them.
Isn't that true?
The richer a person becomes, the more they
are not ready for death, the more they're
not ready for losing that wealth.
The more they gain, it becomes a curse.
That's one thing we have to remember.
Wealth and money in and of itself isn't
bad.
It's the love of money that is bad.
As we begin to build and build and
build, if we love it, it becomes idolatry.
Then we start to make decisions based on
wealth.
We put wealth first and money first, and
it becomes our God.
That can happen, obviously, to unbelievers.
That's a given, but believers can allow money
to creep in.
We say, Lord, bless me, give me this
job, and finances start coming in.
I would say, probably more than anything else,
I've seen people drift from God, either because
they became very successful or because they lost
a great deal.
One or the other, they lose things, they
lost their job, they're losing this, God, how
could you?
They become bitter at God, and they begin
to drift from God.
Or, wealth comes in, and now they're making
a lot of money, and I've got to
work, I can't go to church, I can't
spend time.
They don't need God as much anymore because
now they're making a lot of money, and
that can pull them away.
It's a hard area because money is needed.
Have you discovered that yet?
If you look at Abraham, you look at
Job, you look at David, you look at
a lot of people that God has blessed,
they weren't always poor.
God blessed them with prosperity, and riches, and
wealth, not to necessarily hoard, but to be
a blessing to others, and to give to
others.
One good gauge that you can look at
is, when you look at this aspect of
money, how much do you give away?
How much do you hoard, or how much
do you save, and how much are you
freely giving away?
I know there's a pastor that's well known,
if I said his name, many of you
would know him, but I don't want to
say it, just in case I don't want
to endorse him, per se, but supposedly he
gives back 90% and lives off 10%.
He's very wealthy because he's got his best
selling books and doesn't take an income from
any other area, but he actually lives on
10% and gives away 90%.
To me, that says a lot about the
person's character.
It says a lot about who he is
and what he stands for.
I've watched men, maybe you have as well,
throughout my life, a lot of preachers I
look up to, Chuck Swindoll, out in Texas,
and Charles Stanley, of course John MacArthur, David
Jeremiah, a lot of the people we listen
to on the radio, I listen to on
the radio as well, and I've noticed that
a lot of those guys live very humble
lives.
They've shown pictures though, for example, of Joel
Steen's house, and that's not a very humble
house, I think it's 12,000 square feet,
so that's why it gives people a bad
name, regardless of what they choose to do
with their money, but it will send a
certain message.
If how we live this lifestyle and we
let others know about this great wealth that
we may or may not have, it does
send a message.
So James is writing to rich people, many
of them not believers, but also believers, to
be careful for this snare.
And that's why Jesus said it's easier for
a rich man to what?
Go through the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man to enter heaven.
So it's easier for a rich man to
go through an eye of a needle, I'm
sorry, let me back up, some of you
are going, wait a minute, you missed that
verse.
It's easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to enter, because I'm thinking, how
is a rich man going to get through
the eye of a needle, I'm missing something
here.
But the point was, that doesn't happen, and
the reason is because wealth draws a person
away from God.
Now I don't know what your theology is,
if you believe it's called election, where God
elects certain people to salvation, or there's like
Arminianism, where a person has to choose or
reject.
The bottom line is, when I look at
that scripture that it's hard for a rich
man to enter heaven, tells me that something
is clouding his decision making process, something is
prohibiting him from fully repenting.
And it's an interesting thing, that this area
of money, most people you'll see who come
to the Lord, come to the Lord when
things are challenging.
I haven't seen too many wealthy people when
things are going great, you know what, I
just might repent today, and turn my life
over to the Lord.
Now it does happen, I'm sure, I'm sure,
I'll get an email on it.
My cousin Sam, he was a millionaire, okay
it happens, but the majority, that's why I
was telling Craig earlier today, this evening, that
we've had over 80 people come to know
the Lord through the hospital homes in two
and a half years.
That's more people have come to the Lord
than many churches have led to the Lord.
The reason is, they're very receptive.
I actually have to leave here tonight and
go to one of them, because there's a
person dying, not doing good, and they're already
believers, they just need encouragement, but many times
when you go and you tell the gospel,
you present the gospel to these people, they're
hungry because they've been broken.
And money buys medicine, buys doctors, buys health
many times, and we begin to trust in
our wealth and not God.
That's why it's a double edged sword, it's
a wonderful blessing.
Here's the thing about money, always remember this,
it's a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.
When you switch those over, and it becomes
your master and not your servant, that's when
you begin to cross a dangerous line.
I've shared this before, and I'll share it
again and not to say me and my
wife are perfect, because this is a hard
area for most people, but when we purchased
our home, when we did our bills, we
made sure that we'd be able to give
to the church right off the top, just
like a normal large chunk, just right off
the top, and then everything else would come
underneath that.
And it was funny when we went to
the bank to get a loan three years
ago, they were like, oh you don't have
to worry about that bill, that's not a
bill, the bank doesn't look at it as
a bill, you can qualify for a house
$100,000 more than that, let me show
you some.
And we're thinking, well wait a minute, maybe
God's opening this, I mean if we could
barely squeeze here, and barely do this, and
we're trying to, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, you need to live below your
means so money doesn't control you and become
your master.
And it's funny how loan companies will not
notice or look at when you give to
benevolence, or when you give to non-profits
or anything like that, they don't consider that
a bill.
And having a background in real estate I
saw a lot of people, I would say
the majority of buyers compromise in this area.
They would say you qualify for $300,000,
they go great, let's go find $305,000.
Versus why don't you find a $200,000
and live well below your means and don't
let money control you.
So money's hard because it comes into play
in so many different areas, so make it
a servant and never a master.
So the title of the message is what
is trying your patience?
What is trying your patience?
Does anything try your patience or is it
just me?
Irritability, long lines, people not getting back to
you, doesn't happen here, but other places.
Just things irritate and James is going to
talk about patience.
Verse 7, 5 verse 7, therefore be patient
brethren until the coming of the Lord.
Now this is a weird transition to some
people.
He just slammed these rich people.
You have fattened your hearts as in the
day of slaughter.
You have condemned, you have murdered the just.
He does not resist you, meaning the just
person does not resist him.
Therefore be patient brethren.
It's like he just transitions from this severe
rebuke to rich people.
But therefore is obviously, why do we wonder
what that word is therefore?
You look why it's there and it goes
back to this whole point.
Therefore here's what you need to do.
Be patient brethren until the coming of the
Lord.
Here's what we need to do.
See how the farmer waits for the precious
fruit of the earth without grumbling and complaining.
It doesn't say that in your Bible, but
I'm adding that in there.
That's what the whole point he's going to
get to in a minute.
See how the farmer waits for the precious
fruit of the earth without grumbling and complaining.
And he's giving an imagery there.
You plant a corn seed.
What farmer is going to go sit on
his porch and the next day start getting
mad at that seed for not growing?
Like why haven't you sprouted yet?
I need that corn by tomorrow.
And grumbling and complaining.
The farmer doesn't do that.
They know.
I planted it.
I'll come back and gosh when are they
planting?
Probably October in this area.
A latter rains, former rains and then harvest
you know six months, seven months later.
It's a waiting time, a process.
So wait patiently for it until it receives
the early and latter rain.
So let me read the whole thing.
Therefore be patient brethren us until the coming
of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious
fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and the latter
rain.
You also be patient.
Establish your hearts for the coming of the
Lord is at hand.
So trying, God's timing versus our timing.
Timing tries our patience, doesn't it?
My timing versus God's timing we're usually not
on the same page.
Very rarely are me and God on the
same page with timing because we want to
move forward quickly.
He says no patiently wait and wait and
wait.
Now timing, the early rain, the farmers if
they would plant say in October, the early
rain would be October, November in Israel there
and then the latter rain would be closer
to April and May.
You know May flowers, April showers bring me
flowers.
That's the latter rain.
So the farmer waits for the first rain,
the water soaked wet and then it gets
rain again and then the harvest.
So growth is a cycle as is God's
timing.
Timing tries our patience because we're in a
hurry.
But when God grows us or grows a
church, it's always in His timing not ours
or grows you or grows your character or
grows your children.
It's a process that takes time.
So be patient in this area.
My timing versus God's perfect timing leads to
impatience.
When I forget that God is in control
and I want to do things my way,
I get impatient and it tries my patience.
Come on God, hurry up.
We have this picture I think of Him
being in heaven sleeping.
Wake up, come on, wake up.
Let's get this thing going.
Let's get moving.
But He knows what would happen if that
seed started to sprout early on.
It wouldn't handle the weight.
An apple tree that's just planted can't bear
abundant fruit.
There's no root system that would hold the
tree.
It's impossible.
So timing is very important.
Also the wrong focus tries our patience.
The wrong focus, self-focus and a hurried
focus leads to impatience.
So James is saying here, get your focus
off of riches, get your focus off of
yourself.
Don't be in a hurry, be patient and
wait on God till the day of the
Lord comes.
Also listening to the wrong voice tries our
patience or it can make us very irritable.
Are you listening to the wrong voice?
Think about this for a minute.
God leads us.
God's leading calms our heart but the devil
wants us to rush.
God leads but Satan pushes.
God encourages but Satan discourages.
God reassures us but Satan frightens us.
God enlightens us and Satan confuses us.
What I mean by enlightened is shows us
through His word, shows us through His nature.
He makes it clear.
He gives us wisdom but the devil confuses
us.
God convicts us and Satan condemns us.
So that's how you hear two voices and
if you listen to the wrong voice we
become very impatient as well and frustrated.
Patience is the result of making wise decisions
that correspond with God's word.
Disobedience leads to disappointment.
So ask, is God truly guiding me before
making a very important decision?
Furthermore if you're not in the word, the
word will not be in you.
One of the best ways to know if
God is truly guiding you is to pray,
stay and obey.
Stay in His word, obey His principles and
ask for direction.
I like what J.I. Packard said here,
God is more likely to direct me through
wise teaching than through inner voices.
Wise teaching through His word.
Now this aspect of stay, pray and obey,
this is how you get through, how you
work on patience.
If I'm waiting for something and God's not
moving quickly enough, I stay in His word,
obey His principles and pray for direction.
God never gets upset at that.
Sometimes I think God gets mad if we
begin to obey Him and just wait on
Him.
Like Shane, why aren't you moving quicker?
I told you to move quicker.
Now there are times to move quicker, don't
misunderstand.
But the majority of the time our problem
is rushing ahead and not waiting on God.
So he says hold on, stay, pray and
obey.
That's what James says, focus on the end
of the age when the Lord is coming
again.
Establish your hearts.
Establish your hearts, that we just read, solid
footing, it's like a foundation.
So James says establish your hearts, build a
foundation, a solid foundation on which to build
your lives and the coming of the Lord
can occur at any moment.
We live in the imminence of Christ, we're
always waiting for His return.
He can return any minute, any week, any
month, any year.
Depending on what your theology is, most people,
most Christians believe that He can return at
any moment.
So that's what we focus on.
See if you remember Jesus is coming, I'm
going to live as if He's coming soon
and I'm going to be patient and wait
on God.
It will change everything.
You're not going to be as frustrated at
work because it's God's timing.
You're not going to be as frustrated in
your marriage because it's God's timing to just
grow and develop.
You're not going to be as frustrated with
your children, that's a hard one.
But they're growing just like we were and
we have to be patient in that area.
And patient people do not grumble and complain
as often.
Because James is going to talk right here
next about grumbling and complaining.
I know it won't apply to anybody in
this room, but this is a biggie for
most Christians, isn't it?
Grumbling, you know what that is?
I know this cartoon with that little dog.
That's all right, it's walking around and grumbling
and complaining about everything.
That is not a good quality of somebody
who is filled with the Spirit of God.
So verse 9, once he says be patient,
establish your hearts, trust in God, Jesus is
coming again.
Verse 9, therefore do not grumble against one
another, brethren, lest you be condemned.
Behold, the judge is standing at the door.
My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in
the name of the Lord as an example
of suffering and patience.
Indeed, we count them blessed who endure.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job
and seen the end intended by the Lord,
that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
So the whole point of this is do
not grumble and complain against each other.
We can put people down.
You can murder with your mouth.
You can pull people down.
It's a good test.
Are we building each other up?
And I honestly, that's one thing I'm excited
about West Side Christian Fellowship.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't hear
a lot of this.
Obviously it exists, but I don't hear a
lot of people pulling themselves down or others
down and gossip just going crazy.
It's people who love the Lord and they'll
struggle in this area, but grumbling and complaining
is not a good thing because it says
you will be condemned.
By the same words you use, God will
use those to judge you.
The judge is standing at the door.
My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in
the name of the Lord as an example
of suffering and patience.
And it's interesting.
I came across something where it says one
another.
Do not grumble against one another.
Does the Bible say how to treat one
another a couple more times throughout the scriptures?
I don't know if that kind of jumped
out at you, but it did to me
and I did a little research and there
are 59 one another verses.
I don't want to go through these all.
We'd be here an hour, right?
But there are 59 one another verses how
we should treat one another.
That would be a good sermon titled one
another because how we treat others really reflects
what God is doing in your heart.
It says how can you love the Lord
and disdain your brother?
Here's just a few.
Mark 9, live at peace with each other.
John 13, a new commandment I give you,
love one another as I have loved you
so you must love one another.
John 13 again, 35, by this all men
will know that you are my disciples if
you have a Ph.D. in theology.
They'll know that you're my disciples if you
read through the Bible every year.
How does a person really know that a
person is a follower of Christ?
If they love one another.
John 15, my commandment is this, love each
other as I have loved you.
Encourage each other in the faith.
Romans 1, Romans 12, be devoted to one
another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourself.
Romans 12, live in harmony with one another.
Romans 13, let no debt remain outstanding except
continuing the debt to love one another.
What's Paul's problem here?
What's Jesus' problem here?
It just keeps going on, one another, how
we treat one another.
Because my vertical relationship with God should flow
horizontally.
If I'm truly loving God, then I should
horizontally, that should flow out into other people.
If not, then we have to wonder what's
going on in our heart.
Because Christ's love for us is shed abroad
in our hearts to others.
Let me just, a few more that stood
out.
Colossians 3, 16, let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly as you teach and
admonish one another with all wisdom as you
sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with
gratitude.
First Thessalonians, therefore encourage each other with these
words.
And it just goes on and on.
Encourage, embrace, take care of, watch out for.
So there's so many different things that the
Bible talks about how we should treat others
and how that filters into our own lives.
As we all know, God is not happy
when we pull others down.
What comes out of our mouth?
Do we hurt?
Do we harm?
Do we encourage?
Do we build others up?
This is the best way to stop grumbling
and complaining immediately, is we stop hurting others.
We stop shooting them.
And we're basically shooting them with our words.
We're putting them down.
We're hurting them.
And then he talks about the endurance of
Job.
Endurance is a wonderful quality.
Going through a difficult season with integrity and
not giving up.
That's what endurance means.
Endurance is a wonderful quality.
Here's why the Bible tells us to endure.
What's the opposite of enduring?
If I don't endure, I quit.
So I either have to endure in the
faith or I quit, I give up.
And God says endure, the definition of endurance,
going through a difficult season with integrity and
not giving up.
Endurance always has to do with a difficult
thing.
If it's not difficult, it wouldn't be called
endurance.
It would be called just going through life.
This is easy.
This isn't challenging.
But when it gets challenging, that's when endurance
kicks in.
So as a believer, the one thing a
lot of churches haven't taught, I think, in
the past, and it's really dumbed down a
lot of discipleship and different things, is the
Bible calls us to persevere, to be self
-disciplined, to be men and women of integrity,
to fight the good fight.
We see these words that are challenging their
heart.
Who wants to persevere?
Who wants to pick up the cross and
follow Jesus?
But that's what discipleship is.
It's dying to self.
And then verse 12, but above all, my
brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or
by earth or with any other oath, but
let your yes be yes and your no
be no, unless you fall into judgment.
Now this is interesting.
Do not swear, because when I read that,
what are you thinking of?
Cuss words.
Now it does mean that, but a couple
different things.
What it could mean as well, do not
make a solemn declaration while appealing to God
for the truth of what is affirmed.
In other words, when they say, I swear
to God that I will do that and
I will fix your car, and I swear
to God, and you pull down God to
validate what you're saying.
He's saying, don't do that, just say yes
or no.
Just say yes or no.
I think that's a wonderful lesson for Christians
today, because we're getting really bad in this
area.
We say yes just to make somebody feel
better, and we plan on counseling later.
Our yes and our no's are not yeses
and no's.
They're like, well person, can you be at
this event?
Yes I can.
And then a week later, no I can't,
something came up.
He's saying, don't do that, don't be double
-minded, let your yes be yes.
See I remember also when I was growing
up, I was 12, 13, 14, I don't
even think in construction there are now, but
there weren't too many contracts.
You know what the contract was?
Jim, you agree to do this price for
$1,000.
That was it, let your yes be yes.
I mean my dad, I don't remember signing
very many contracts until later in his business.
He would just tell them what the price
was, you stood by that price even if
you lost money.
We've lost that.
Now you've got to have all these paperwork
drawn up and all these little loopholes, and
just in case there's a loophole, I didn't
really say that, I didn't really mean that.
We've dumbed down what our word used to
mean.
When a person said something, they were bound
by that to perform it.
And guess what, you spoke a lot less,
and you thought things through a lot more
efficiently before you committed to something.
And it's good to go back to that.
If you can't do something, just say no,
I won't be able to do that.
And if you say yes, I can do
that, I can volunteer, and we see this
a lot.
Yes, I can volunteer for children's ministry for
example, right?
Ambrosia, you'll know this.
People say yes, I want to volunteer, and
then it comes time to volunteer, and they're
like I don't want to volunteer, I'm tired,
I want to sleep in.
Well let your yes be yes, and your
no be no.
It's real easy to say yes, but when
it comes time to do it, that's when
it becomes hard.
And now we've got all the excuses, I
don't feel good today, I'm sick, I ran
into this, there's traffic, and we have all
this, we have a suitcase full of excuses.
But get back to let your yes be
yes, and your no be no.
If you say something, perform it.
If you commit to something, see it through.
Or at least say I'll get back to
you, let me think about it, what's it
involve?
It's okay to get more information.
So that's what he's saying here.
Do not swear by heaven or by earth
or by any other oath.
So they would say I swear by the
temple.
I swear by the gold in the temple
that I will not do it.
And they had to beef up their words
because their commitment, their integrity was lacking.
And James is saying don't turn into that
person.
Also, do not swear could mean to make
a promise or an oath.
I promise to do this.
I make an oath, and sometimes they can't
fulfill that oath.
And you have to be careful in that
area as well.
We are bound by our commitment and our
words.
So think of that next time.
The next time you say yes or no,
you are bound by that.
You are bound by a yes or a
no, and perform it.
Now it does mean to be profane, which
means disrespectful.
So if I'm profane, I'm disrespectful, and I'm
feeling a certain thing in my heart, and
now the abundance of the heart, the mouth
is going to speak, so my heart's feeling
a certain way, and I'm going to speak
it, that's swearing.
And that's why people take Jesus' name in
vain or God's name in vain.
It's that volcano inside that's getting ready to
erupt, and they swear out, and they make
this accusation or they say these things that
they're going to regret later.
So James is saying do not do this.
When people or circumstances, try our patience.
Here's what we need to do.
This could be a good tip.
It'll help some of you tomorrow morning, if
not tonight.
So on this area of patience, be quick
to listen, and slow to speak.
Your flesh is going to feel the opposite.
You're going to feel like, I can't wait
for them to be quiet, I'm going to
just let them have it.
Are you the type of person who you're
preparing what you're going to say as they're
speaking, so you're not even listening to what
they're going to say.
Got it?
Okay, as soon as you're done, I'm going
to let you have it.
The machine gun approach.
But we learned earlier in our study that
be quick to listen, listen, and then slow
to speak, because what happens is you're listening,
you're listening, and then you're slowing your words,
you're thinking them through.
And I can't tell you how many times
I've been quick to quick to say something.
And once I let a person just speak,
and sometimes in counseling, sometimes at the hospital
homes, and an hour would go by or
a half hour, how I responded was not
even close to what I was initially going
to say.
It's like, I'm so glad I didn't open
my mouth, because I didn't hear the whole
story.
The person's been abused, molested, been discarded, and
I start to listen.
And then my advice, well here's what the
Bible says that I was going to just
write Adam, after I listened, then I was
able to weigh my words carefully and respond
instead of react.
Now I wish I could tell you I
do that all the time.
Doesn't happen.
That's why it says just be quick, be
very quick to listen, slow to speak.
Another great tool to do is when you're
upset, save that draft text or save that
email.
Come back and read it later when you
calm down.
And nine times out of ten, you'll hit
the delete button, or the edit, you'll edit
it very nicely.
Because the enemy wants us to do impulsive.
Here's what impulse is.
My flesh gets hurt, my flesh feels offended,
I'm going to lash out.
The flesh lashes out.
So the flesh has to be brought in
submission to the things of the Spirit.
So instead of lashing out, I'm going to
take it in.
Instead of speaking my mind, I'm going to
listen.
So that's a reaction is often of the
flesh.
You hit somebody, what are they going to
do?
Hit you back.
When I grew up, is that how it
was guys?
Maybe you fought when you were younger?
Somebody hit you, they're like you're not going
to just turn the other cheek and think
about it.
You're okay, you hit me and now we're
on.
It was just that immediate thing.
Same thing happens at home.
What happens at home when your spouse says
something?
Right?
Go back and forth, back and forth.
And we don't, okay, how can I help?
How can I listen?
And be quick, very quick to listen and
slow to speak.
Respond to somebody, don't react.
Here's why a reaction usually calls for an
apology.
When you react, you have to apologize later
often.
But when you sit and you respond, you
weigh your words carefully, you know, something I
do sometimes you could try is just say,
I'll get back to you.
Let me get back to you.
Let me process this.
Let me think about it.
And I'll get back to you.
Because what's going on in here is probably
not going to be a good idea.
So you just let them know you want
to process it and get back to them.
Say yes or no versus long versus getting
in long discussions.
Because in the multitude of words, sin is
not lacking.
What he says yes or no, if you
say, well, yes, I can do it.
But, you know, next week this and by
following week, and what's it really involved and
how long do I have to come in?
And you start to, you know, you backpedal
and you're just yes or no.
Yes or no.
And let the person know that you have
committed to that and keep that, keep that
on track.
And it's God's timing, not ours.
Always remember that.
It's God's timing.
That's what James is saying here.
It's God's timing.
Look at how the farmer watches the corn
grow.
It's God's timing.
What's he doing in your life?
What's he building in your life?
If you're praying for patience, guess what?
How are you going to develop patience?
By waiting and by being challenged with things
that try your patience.
There's nobody's going to wake up and go,
you know what, I've just, I'm so patient
now as a person.
I used to be very difficult last week
and now I'm the most patient person that
I've ever met.
It's a process.
Now, granted, when an unbeliever comes to know
the Lord, you see a major change take
place.
They used to be hot-headed and heavy
-handed and mean and quick-tempered and now
you see a complete change in them.
That's because their spirit is changing.
The old man is dying, the new man
is living.
So I just want to encourage you in
this area of patiently waiting on God because
we want things quickly.
We're used to microwaves.
We're used to things being done quickly.
That's why a farmer can appreciate it.
Even growing up, I've shared with some of
you, my dad came from the farms of
Oklahoma and they were patient people.
You know, they would sit on the patio
and it took a while to make ice
cream.
Remember that thing?
Put a little salt in there and cream
and you start stirring it for a while
out on the patio.
Let's just talk for a while.
No, no, no, I want to stop by
the dairy and get some dryers.
I'm ready.
I'm ready now.
That's one thing that's our culture with our
phones and everything.
We've forgotten how to wait.
We've forgotten to just patiently wait on God
and we become fast-paced.
As you know, what happens to a NASCAR
car often?
It has to be repaired.
What happens when we're running on high adrenaline
fast-paced all the time?
Our body's going to break down.
We were not created to move so quickly.
We were created to wait patiently on God
and allow things in His timing.
So I'm going to conclude with that.
That was about 35 minutes or so, a
sermon.
And Brad's going to come up and do
a few songs.
And take this time during worship.
What I usually do is just identify, Lord,
I'm impatient in this area.
I'm impatient in traffic.
In the past, that's been bad for me.
I wish I had a sign that came
up on my tailgate that said, please back
off.
You know, because I don't like being right
on you and being in traffic.
Lord, help me with patience.
Help me with kids sometimes, my own kids.
Like, come on, you guys, you don't get
it.
You're impatient.
Hurry up.
Come on.
Hurry up.
Get out the door.
Like, where's my shoes?
Where's my book?
Where's my Iwana book?
Where's my jacket?
And impatience.
So, Lord, help me in these areas.
You have to identify those areas.
Because what you do is you bring them
to light.
Lord, I'm impatient with my spouse.
I've got a quick tongue.
I'm not listening with my children.
I'm impatient at work.
I frustrate people at work.
Lord, help me in these areas and identify
them.
Then you can begin to work on them.
By identifying them, what will happen is tomorrow
or this week when the things come up,
you'll say, aha, this is what I identified.
This is what I prayed for, and this
is what's happening.
Here's how I'm going to react to it.
Here's how I'm going to respond.
And God will begin to change your heart.
Trust me, coming from a type A personality,
that God can really do a major work
when you just wait on Him and realize
that God is sovereign.
And when you go ahead of God, there's
problems.
When you try to push doors open that
shouldn't be open just yet, there are problems.
In His timing, He knows what His perfect
will is.
So rest in that.
Have comfort in that.
You've got a God who said, I'll guide
you.
I'll lead you.
Just wait on me.
And one thing I love about God, if
you're waiting on Him, you're asking for direction,
He will literally kick you through some doors.
He'll open doors.
He'll show you things.
You're like, Lord, do I take this job?
I don't know what to do.
God, I'm just going to wait on you.
I'm going to wait on you.
This job says, hey, we're going to need
to lay you off next month.
What?
And then this job says, hey, can you
start next month?
How'd that happen?
I waited on God.
Same thing when we were praying about the
churches coming together.
Lord, I'm just going to wait on you
because I have no clue.
I'm just going to wait on you.
I have no clue.
And then they asked me to preach here
and that felt wonderful.
The people were great and the atmosphere.
And you could feel it was all coming
together.
Lord, you're going to have to push us.
God, you're going to have to push us
into it.
And we just waited and went up here
like, don't rush ahead and just let God
push you into things.
Now we can become lazy sometimes and not
do anything.
I'm not talking about that.
I hope you understand that.
And there's so many different things that this
can apply to.
But when you wait on God to answer
prayer, just say, Lord, show me what you
want me to do today and allow him
to open and close those doors.
He will do it if you trust in
him.