Patience

January 11, 2002 PM
Pastor Chris Abernathy
Columbus, Georgia




James. James chapter one. James chapter one.

On Thursday morning Pastor Adrienne taught from James chapter three about that little member that we call the tongue. Amen? So we’re going to move right along and stay in the book of James.

In James chapter one, we’re going to read from verse one through verse four. Verse one through verse four in the book of James.

1. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3. Knowing this, (not guessing this, but knowing this) that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word tonight. Hide Your son behind the cross, Father, that Your people would see You and not me. And Father, as I decrease, I ask that You would increase. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer. I thank You that You have anointed me to preach the Gospel and to bring glad tidings to Your people. We give you the praise.

Now Satan, you are bound tonight. You are forbidden to operate. We command you to loose your hold and go back to the dry places. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

In verse two he said,

2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

There’s value in our trials and our afflictions and our temptations and our spiritual tests. There are values (glory to God) that go along with them. Hallelujah to Jesus.

What is patience? When we look at the word “patience,” patience is self restraint. It means I don’t hastily retaliate against the wrong that’s done to me. When somebody wrongs me, how do I respond? Do I respond with anger? Or do I respond with patience?

When we begin to look at peoples’ negative behaviors, most of the time even as saints we even overreact. Instead of having patience (glory to God) we begin to overact in our response to the situation. How do I respond?

Romans fifteen and five said, “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus.”

I am to respond (glory to God) with patience. Listen. Many of us in the body of Christ, we’re too hasty. As soon as something doesn’t go the way that we want it to go, as soon as someone doesn’t do it exactly the way that we want them to do it, we begin to react in such a way (glory to God), with what we’ll call a hard charging.

A lot of times we believe that if we charge the situation hard (glory to God), we are acting in a way that Christ would have us to act. But God is saying tonight, people of God, have more patience with your brothers and with your sisters.

Many times we think it’s just the pastor that needs to have patience. But most of the time it’s the body that needs more patience. (Let me get a little air in here.)

Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously. In other words, patience looks at my attitude. When something is delayed or there’s a disappointment that comes my way, my attitude should be an attitude of patience. I should have the ability to accept my delay or disappointing situation with the right attitude.

Many of us don’t want to pray for patience. Because we know that we’re going to go through something. But He said count it all joy. Why? Because there’s value to it. It’s going to cause me (listen) to be perfect. It’s going to cause me to be entire. It’s going to cause me to lack nothing in my spiritual walk with God.

That trial that you’re in right now is causing you not to be able to lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting, because there’s wrath on the inside of you. Who am I preaching to tonight?

Patience. It’s an in season word. Because we have become an impatient people. Patience is what enables us to remain steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know our labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Patience is going to cause me to be steadfast in the ministry. Because sometimes God says yes. Sometimes God says no. Sometimes God says wait.

And just like we’re impatient a lot of times with each other, we’re even more impatient with our God. We know that He can make the impossible possible. So because He can do those things we want Him to move right now.

Patience. What are you being impatient about tonight? (Tongues.) There’s something that’s causing you to be uneasy on the inside. And it makes us want an answer right now. But He said, “Those that seek Me early are the ones that are going to find Me.” I may have to get up out of my bed sometimes and have a little talk with Jesus.

You may be weary tonight. But patience is the quality inside of us that says, “This too shall pass.”

Where are you? What’s going on in you?

Sometimes I receive phone calls. And most of the time I’m unavailable, and I have to call people back when I’m able to call them back. But by the time people catch up with me (hello somebody) they’ve grown impatient with me.

The pastor is not your god. Hello. God is God all by Himself. He don’t need no help being God. I can call on Him any day or night and He’ll answer me. God and God alone. (Tongues.) I feel the Holy Ghost up in this house tonight.

I’m working on my patience, so that I can be perfect and entire, wanting for nothing. You want to know why there’s a bunch of lack in the body? Because there’s a lack of patience in the body.

God’s people, the sheep of His pasture, must possess patience and endurance. The apostle Paul told Timothy, he said, “Endure hardship like a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” He said, “You’re going to go through some things.” He said, “Stop crying.” He said, “God called you. He anointed you. He appointed you.” Oh, you don’t hear me tonight.

Patience. Oh, I feel Jesus in this house. Come on, feel Jesus with me. Let Him stoke you a little while. Hey. Jesus.

A man of God named William Barkly said this. And I quote this. It says, “This word never means the spirit that sits with folded hands, and simply bears all things. This word ‘patience’ means victorious endurance.” It means that I am constant, even in my trial. It means that I’m unwavering in my faith. It means that I dare to be like Daniel. You hear me tonight. God is calling us to have more patience.

It’s steadfastness, the brave and courageous acceptance of everything life can do to us. We don’t want to accept what life can do to us.

But baby, if you live long enough, you’ll learn that life is going to bring you... Oh, you don’t hear me tonight. It’s going to bring you limits every now and then. And you know the saying behind that. Add a little sugar and water to it, and make a little lemonade. Come on, give God a handclap of praise in this house tonight.

Transferring every situation and circumstance into a road that leads only up. That’s what patience does. It will transfer that trial that you’re going through. It will cause what you have in your hand to be a machete. It’ll cause what you have in your heart to be a bulldozer. Do you hear me tonight?

Patience. That’s what He’s calling us to. Courageous and triumphant, enabling us to pass the breaking point without breaking.

Many of us have reached what we believe is our breaking point. Sweetheart, you ain’t got there yet. If you’re sitting in here tonight, you ain’t got to the breaking point yet. Look at those that are laying in the hospital racking in pain. You ain’t got to your breaking point yet. And if you were there before, baby, He brought you out.

Reaching our breaking point, Sister Orange, without breaking. Thank You for your prayers. The breaking point.

Patience. Being able to face the unseen with joy. You don’t know what tomorrow holds. All you know is bills due, and the light bill too. Telephone disconnect. Waiting on your next paycheck. Hello, somebody.

Even in those situations when I can barely meet the necessities, if I let patience have her perfect work, I’m going to be a rich man. The wealth...

Stop being impatient. Women that are waiting on their husbands, stop being impatient. Do you hear what I’m saying? Because you don’t want the wrong one. You should want them saved sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost, fire baptized, and paying his bills. It gets tight, but it’s right, ain’t it? Holy Ghost.

Patience. We need it. We need it. And those that are married, let me tell you something. You better pump that man. You better tell them, “Baby, it’s going to be alright.” Do you hear what I’m saying? You better tell that woman how beautiful she is. She’s even more beautiful than the day you met her.

She trying to lose weight. You better be patient with her losing that weight. He’s trying to lose weight. Be patient with him. That’s what it’s all about. Let patience have her perfect work.

Let me tell you something. Do you notice how it said let patience have her perfect work? You know why? Because if you don’t let her have her way, she going to raise hell. Oh, you don’t hear me tonight.

Patience having her perfect work. Patience understands that God is in control.

But just like anything else, just like our faith has to go to other levels, our patience has to be developed. We have to allow patience to be developed in us. We should never try to get down off the Potter’s wheel. Let the Potter take us down. Let Him put us back on. And if He got to break us (glory to God), let Him break us all over again.

No one was born with patience. No one was born with patience. When you look at a baby... Listen, listen, listen. When you look at a baby, when a baby is born, when that baby is wet or when that baby is hungry, that baby will cry and cry and demand that it’s needs be met. No patience at all. Patience has to be developed.

In the body of Christ we were born again. And we expect God to part the Red Sea over and over and over and over and over again. But He’s trying to work patience in us. It has to be developed.

Sometimes we demand attention. Just keep on demanding long enough. We’ll eventually get the revelation that it’s His way or no way.

Our trials come to help us get the revelation that we are already victorious. It’s just another way that God, we can prove how God was right, that Satan, you were wrong when you said, “I will ascend unto heaven and be like the Most High and take over the throne of God.”

Any time a trial comes your way, and you are overcoming that trial, or you are an overcomer in that situation, you have proved God right all over again.

Patience. Patience. In Galatians five and twenty-two it tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering. But that word “long suffering” means patience. Therefore patience is a fruit of the Spirit.

If we do not allow our crop to develop, how can we expect a harvest? Do you hear what I’m saying tonight? The crop of patience has got to come to full bloom in our lives. Patience. Don’t let demonic forces destroy your fruit.

In Proverbs fourteen and verse twenty-nine it says, “A patient man has great understanding. But a quick-tempered man displays folly or foolishness.” In Proverbs fifteen and verse eighteen it says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension. But a patient man calms a quarrel.”

Why? Because a patient man has wisdom. When we look at James, I believe it’s in verse five, it went on to say, “If any man lack wisdom...” Hello, somebody. “Let him as of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not.”

A man that shows forth patience is a man that shows forth wisdom. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

Patience. How, how, how do I get patience? How do I allow patience to be developed in me? The only way that I can allow it to be developed it me, because He’s going to make sure it is developed in me, is by John fifteen, abiding in Christ. In John fifteen and five, in that verse He said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Even patience. I can’t even operate in patience apart from Christ. I have to abide in Him. In other words, I have to live in Him. I have to dwell in Him, that patience may be developed in me.

You’ve been being impatient about something. You’ve been looking for that million, but it ain’t came yet. You’ve been waiting on that fancy car, but like I used to have when I was in high school, the Mavric is still out there.

But if He promised it, if He said it, Brother Walt, if He said it, that settles it. I’m going to let Him work everything He needs to work out of me. Because I know perfection is being worked in me. And He that began that good work in me is faithful to what? Perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.

Saints, don’t be weary in well doing. The Bible says that you will reap if you don’t faint. The harvest is on the way. Be a little more patient.

You say they ask too much. Let them ask all over again. Let them keep on asking. As long as you got it to give, give it. Have patience with them. Eventually they’ll learn. We did. Somebody had to be patient with me.

When I graduated high school, my mother had to be patient with me. Because when I went off to college, I knew everything. Couldn’t nobody tell me nothing. Until I got there and had to call her a few times. I found out that she had a little more wisdom than I had. Hello, somebody. Can I get a teenager in the house to say amen?

Patience. Be patient. Be patient with your children.

When I look at my children and some of the things they do... Brother Harris gave me a revelation. When they were doing something one day he said... And I went to get angry. He said, “They got it honestly.”

And I was like, “What?”

Then I thought back, and I said, “Okay. It’s me all over again.”





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