Overview
This teaching examines “Patience vs. Stress and Frustration Part 2” through Luke 2, John 4, Jeremiah 2, John 7, showing how patience, know, spirit shape a believer’s relationship with God, daily choices, and service to others.
Transcript
Understanding Patience vs. Stress and Frustration Part 2
Luke chapter 2, please. You got me, Rob? In some ways being impatient is to assume that God doesn’t know what he’s doing. In your situation, that he’s not aware of the variables or conditions or circumstances within which you find yourself.
Patience is not a human virtue. It’s from God, and God designed it to meet our need, because he knew that salvation wouldn’t come boom-squick. He knew that he would allow life to unfold.
He knew that. So he gave us patience, and you’ll see how it comes from the Spirit itself. Here in Luke chapter 2, I want to pick up on this concept of waiting, and the young couple Mary and Joseph are bringing their Jesus, Mary’s son, to the temple.
It says in verse 25, And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. So he was waiting, anticipating, perhaps for years and years and years. So there are things that God has showed you personally, that God has impressed upon your heart, but maybe perhaps you’re maybe intimidated to carry it out.
I don’t know, but he does show you things, and impress things upon your soul, like he did to this man. And then this man waited. His expectation was in the Lord, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen what? Can you imagine looking in the face of the Christ, like little Jared here? Why don’t you bring him up? Jaden, I said Jared, I apologize. Six, seven months? Okay, Jesus was a little bit younger than Jaden.
Can you imagine looking into the face of the Christ and knowing that this is the Christ? Thank you. Prop 2. He gets paid with kisses and hugs. See, God’s no respecter of persons, but in Jesus Christ came salvation.
Again, you see a man waiting for something that God had revealed unto him, and embodied in Christ is our salvation. Look at John chapter 4, please. We mentioned about how you have an endless supply, the Christian has an endless supply of patience, and I don’t mean tolerance, and I don’t mean putting up with.
That’s not what patience is. It’s just a long, long fuse, and you can’t get much longer than eternity. The more you and I build that heart of working out our own salvation wholeness, not being born again, but bringing salvation into a day-by-day living, the more patience we’re going to have with ourselves and with each other.
In John chapter 4, Jesus is speaking to a Samaritan woman, and there’s great truth that he’s going to teach her. One person. Verse 13, Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again.
They were at a well, and the woman came to draw from the well, and Jesus asked for a drink. But he took this opportunity to teach her of the endless supply of the fountain that God is. God is an endless supply.
Verse 14, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well, a water spring, springing up into what? See, God is very portable. You don’t need to go to a building. Nothing wrong with going to a building, but you don’t need to go to a building to find God.
You may need help and encouragement from your brothers and sisters. That’s why I like we learned about the community. That’s a great thing, but what I’m saying is God is portable.
You go out in the woods, guess who’s there? You go to the beach, guess who’s there? You go up in a plane, guess who’s there? Because he’s in you. He’s in you. And this word well is very interesting because it’s very similar to the word that’s used in Jeremiah 2.13, which I’ll quote for you.
For my people have committed two evils. They’ve forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. God refers to himself as a fountain of living waters.
The Biblical Foundation
A cistern is a contained man-made system of holding water. People think that patience is a human virtue. It’s not.
It’s from God. That’s why you have an endless supply. See, I’m not going to teach any patient techniques.
You know, count to three. One, two, three. In and of themselves, there’s nothing wrong with those.
But if the backdrop for the Christian is not salvation, then we’re not tapping into the fountain. We’re tapping into some man-made way of producing patience. Techniques for patience can be a cistern, like many other self-help stuff.
They’re not evil in and of themselves. If they’re used in compliment and in support of the scripture and the truth of the word, okay, I’ll go with that. But if they’re not for the Christian, then that’s to their detriment.
Look at John 7, please. Let’s build this theme a little bit about having an endless supply. John chapter 7. Here Jesus, again, is teaching.
The master is revealing unto us great truth. In John chapter 7, in verse 37, he’s at the feast, and he’s teaching. And in verse 37, in the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, meaning he’s exclaiming.
He’s projecting. He wants people to listen to what he’s saying. If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink.
What does he mean by this? Well, the word is going to explain. He that believes on me, the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Again, what this is referring to is the endless supply of the Spirit.
It doesn’t end. You won’t run out of patience because you use it tomorrow. You’re going to have it till the Lord returns.
How do I know? Look at verse 39. But this spake he of what? He spake of the Spirit. He doesn’t say, oh, by the way, I’m talking about the Spirit.
The word gives us the insight. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. The crucifixion and the resurrection had not occurred, and the ascension had not occurred.
So we’re clearly tying in that the Spirit within us is like a well. It’s unending supply. But the choice is yours and mine.
Look at Galatians 5. Please, Galatians 5. The world is going to tell you that it is some sort of psychological or psychiatric contrivance, patience. And that’s not true. It came from God.
Examples and Spiritual Lessons
If God exhibits patience, that should be a clue for us. And he does it in the context of salvation. He doesn’t want anybody to miss out.
He waits to the end, end, end, end, end. Here in Galatians, we see the fruit of the Spirit, which is in contrast to the works of the flesh. You cannot work for patience.
You cannot grit your teeth and have patience. It’s actually a fruit of the Spirit. And what the fruit of the Spirit actually is referring to, it’s not talking about that you operate the Spirit and you produce the fruit of the Spirit exactly.
You know what it is? The fruit of the Spirit is organic. It flows from you like that wellspring. That’s right.
It’s like a divine organic flow that does not violate your free will. No, it does not. But we must choose works or fruit.
And when man leaves nature alone, in a negative sense, I know pruning and all those positive agricultural aspects, but that’s to enhance nature doing its own thing. Spiritually, it’s the same way. See, whenever we find ourselves forcing someone or forcing a situation, pushing a door open that God has not opened, you’re going to get frustrated.
You’re going to stress out because he’s not in it. Now, it may not be wrong. It may not be the right timing.
So you got to understand that too. So patience doesn’t, God doesn’t say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He might just say, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
It’s an endless supply. You will never run out of love. You’ll never run out of joy.
You’ll never run out of peace. You’ll never run out of longsuffering, which is patience. You’ll never run out of gentleness and goodness and faith.
You’ll never run out of meekness and temperance, which is self-control. It doesn’t violate your free will, but the source is endless. That’s the point.
And you can’t work for the fruit of the spirit. You can’t do physical acts. You can’t do labor to get and produce the fruit of the spirit.
It comes organically, spiritually, as we decide to walk in Christ, because all these wonderful characteristics are embodied in our Lord. And he is the greatest moral agent that ever walked the earth. People want to talk about who has the moral high ground.
You’ve got to be kidding. Jesus Christ has the moral high ground on anyone, anywhere, at any time. Look at 1 Corinthians.
We looked at this earlier, but I want you to see the tie-in to eternity when it comes to patience being a demonstration of love, because that’s what all these characteristics are. It’s us demonstrating love. We read verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 13, charity suffereth long.
Faith in Action
It’s got a long fuse, and there’s nothing longer than eternity. But look here, look at the end of the chapter in verse 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but in that which is perfect is come the Lord Jesus Christ and our new body. Then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child.
But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now, we see through a glass darkly, or we see our reflection as an enigma. It’s a riddle.
It’s not completely clear. Even though we’re seated in the heavenlies, we’re here. The Spirit can help us to understand these things.
But then face to face, now I know in part, but then shall I know. I shall experience even as I am experienced. Does God know you? Does he know everything about you? Does he know what clothes you have in your closet? Does he know how your knee was put together? Does he know who you fellowship with? What’s your sphere of influence? Absolutely.
He knows everything about you and about me. Everything. You are going to know that at the return of Christ.
Not only your relationship with him experientially. It’s not all about us. It’s about our relationship with him.
And you’ll know how you fit in his giant scheme. You’re going to experientially know how you fit into eternity. Because he does know that.
Look at 1 Peter. Please. See, I implore you not to leave here and think, I’ve got to work on this, I’ve got to work on that, and I’ve got to work on this.
It’s just another trick to get you to fix yourself. Christianity is more about letting go than we realize. People spend more time, more wasted effort, more heart, more loyalty, if you will, to hurts, pains, confusions, errors, sins than anything else.
And that’s why often Christians are burdened down. Christianity is more about letting go than more Bible, necessarily. I love the Bible.
You know that. Holy cow. But it’s more about letting go.
1 Peter chapter 5. The reason why people get so stressed out all the time, or one reason, is they hold on to stuff that doesn’t produce any spiritual fruit. There is no benefit to them, but they hold on to it anyway. 1 Peter 5, in verse 5, Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder, yea, all of ye be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility.
For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, at the right time. It says, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.
I cannot emphasize this enough. What burdens people down with impatience is they’re holding on to expectations that are not of the Lord. You cast your cares, you release your stress, you give it to God.
Walking in Love and Confidence
And the skillful Christian, if you will, will learn to let things go, and live in the moment. Because the crucifixion has covered my past, the resurrection has covered my future, I have the moment to live, in the backdrop of eternity. There are things that are beyond your control and mine, and being aware of that will help you.
Yes, God is all powerful, but he can’t violate free will. Can’t do that. He won’t do that.
But you have one of the most powerful components of Christianity is prayer. Genuine prayer in the Lord will move things. That’s why I say never give up on people.
And when you feel like you can’t go much further, and perhaps your patience is running out, remember there’s wisdom here as well. Sometimes you just need a break from the situation. Sometimes you need a relief.
Sometimes you need a reprieve. So don’t think that you’ve given up just because you’re taking a break. Actually, breaks are very good.
Rest is very good. I think Christians need to relax more. And not be so hyper about everything.
But when you need the strength, Colossians 1 tells us that God will bring strength into your life. And it could be by way of another believer. It could be by way of a friend.
It could be by taking time into this beautiful setting. So many different ways. But it says in Colossians 1 verse 11, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience, which is endurance, and there’s our word, longsuffering and joyfulness.
He will strengthen you with his power to the end it reaches your endurance and patience. Always within the backdrop of eternity. Look at 1 Thessalonians.
As was mentioned, more than likely this was the first epistle written by Paul. And in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, we are encouraged. Verse 8, but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation.
There’s all three. For God has not appointed us to wrath. That’s not your future.
Your future is only glory, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we will fully realize the salvation of the Lord when we get our new body at the return of Christ. That will happen.
And that understanding will fuel your patience with yourself, with the things of God and with God’s people who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, meaning someone could be alive at the time of the return of Christ or someone could be asleep in the Lord, we should live together with him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you.
There’s many that labor among us. They don’t need titles. They have titles.
Great. They don’t need them. They labor among us and we recognize effort.
Applying the Teaching in Daily Life
We’re thankful. We’re grateful. And are over you in the Lord.
One way to understand this is they take the lead. Somebody sees a trash can that’s full. They take the lead.
They empty it. That’s all this means. And what’s interesting, it’s visible to others.
It’s not necessarily you doing it to be visible, but it’s visible to others. They see the laboring among you. They see it.
We understand this. You know, a leader is one that obeys God’s inspiration and direction. And then, as appropriate, sets an example and a pace that others can follow.
They don’t outrun people. They set a pace and an example for others to follow. And esteem them very highly, oh, and you are over you in the Lord, or lead and admonish you, or they put things into your mind.
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake, and be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, we comfort you, we encourage you, brethren, warn them that are unruly. That means to put in mind people that are spiritually not in sync.
And that doesn’t mean that that’s our mission every day. And we become those type of people you try to avoid. But spiritually they’re out of sync.
And it doesn’t say to judge them. It just says put in mind. What can you put in their mind? Maybe something that’s real positive and encouraging to help them come up and out.
Comfort the feeble-minded. Yes, there are those that are feeble-minded. They’re faint-hearted.
They’re discouraged. You comfort them. And support, meaning hold firm the weak.
And in all these three categories, be patient toward all. All of these three groups, those that are unruly, those that are feeble-minded, those that are weak, be patient. This is a tremendous demonstration of the love of God.
When we wait on the Lord in a situation, our expectation is in Him. It says in Psalm 46.10, Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46.10. The word be still means leave room for.
Remain unoccupied so when God moves in you, you’re ready. Always leave room in your heart for God to talk to you, to inspire you, to encourage you, to guide you. Be still.
A Life Shaped by God’s Word
Leave room. Remain unoccupied and know God. And that word know means to experience Him.
Because Isaiah 46.10 says that He knows the end from the beginning. And with that kind of knowledge, boy, I tell you, we’re in the right place at the right time with Him. In 2 Timothy, at the end of Paul’s life, he wrote these verses that speak so loudly because it influences you on a day-by-day basis.
There’s no question that salvation and the knowledge of it and the embracing of it and the anticipation of it, the expectation of it, will affect you on a day-by-day basis. And that’s where your patience will spring forth, an unlimited supply. Paul writes this in 2 Timothy 4, verse 7, I have fought a good fight.
There’s no question we’re in a fight. Come on. Absolutely.
But I put my efforts and my energies and my loyalty, my resources, my heart, my time into this fight. Not what they tell me. Not what the world tries to recruit me in their endless and ridiculous agendas.
I put my heart into this fight with God and for God’s people. I have finished my course. You have one.
I have one. Simeon finished his course because he was waiting to see the salvation of the Lord. I don’t know what yours is, but just because we might be older, he’s not putting you on some sort of shelf.
That’s a worldly thought. I have kept the faith, the faith of Jesus Christ, his accomplished work in my life. This is what I fought for, Paul says, as a testimony to his life.
And it doesn’t stop there. It says, henceforth there’s laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them that love is appearing. When we love is appearing, when we embrace salvation, when we bring salvation to work, when we bring salvation to recreate, when we bring salvation on the plane, in school, we live as eternal beings.
The patience will be there more and more and more and more. Patience is from God. It’s not a worldly trait.
He provided it to help our need because we no longer live in a perfect arrangement. Things do not unfold like some sort of script because of what Adam and Eve did. Salvation is a future truth and reality.
So in the meantime, he’s given us patience to anticipate and expect that future end. God provides the strength and the endless supply of patience through the Holy Spirit. So you’re never going to run out.
We can pray to him to teach us about patience on a personal basis, what you need. The choice to apply patience or not is strictly our decision. Patience is a demonstration of love, and patience is a recognition of eternity in the moment.
Gracious Heavenly Father, we understand that here we are in this day and time and hour, and that you have called us from before the foundation of the world, and each of us is unique. We understand this, but there are a common thread that ties us together, and that’s our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit that you’ve given to us. We each have our ways and our courses that you have led us in, but we ask you, Heavenly Father, for your grace and your mercy, and to instruct us further and reveal unto us the depth of that well of the Holy Spirit that you put inside us, that it can freely flow in our lives with love, joy, peace, and long-suffering, and all those great and wonderful aspects, that people can see the Lord as we talk, as we speak, as we act, as we minister, as we care for one another, as we are patient, as we put our expectations in you and not in the arm of the flesh.
May we continue, Lord, to move forward in your grace and your mercy and your peace until the return of Christ, and in his name we pray, amen.
Key Takeaways
- It comes organically, spiritually, as we decide to walk in Christ, because all these wonderful characteristics are embodied in our Lord.
- We looked at this earlier, but I want you to see the tie-in to eternity when it comes to patience being a demonstration of love, because that’s what all these characteristics are.
- For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but in that which is perfect is come the Lord Jesus Christ and our new body.
- Your future is only glory, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
- In other words, we will fully realize the salvation of the Lord when we get our new body at the return of Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of “Patience vs. Stress and Frustration Part 2”?
This teaching examines “Patience vs. Stress and Frustration Part 2” through Luke 2, John 4, Jeremiah 2, John 7, showing how patience, know, spirit shape a believer’s relationship with God, daily choices, and service to others.
Which scriptures are central to this teaching?
The teaching draws especially from Luke 2, John 4, Jeremiah 2, John 7, Galatians 5.
How can believers apply this teaching?
We looked at this earlier, but I want you to see the tie-in to eternity when it comes to patience being a demonstration of love, because that’s what all these characteristics are.
Scripture References
Luke 2; John 4; Jeremiah 2; John 7; Galatians 5; 1 Corinthians 13
This text was prepared from the teaching audio or source document. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
