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Complete Sermon Notes
What is “Trying Your Patience”?
Context 5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 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. 4 Indeed 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. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
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THE SINNER & THE SAINT ARE MENTIONED – “The saint must be fed and the sinner warned” (Spurgeon).
Matthew Henry – “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 the miseries that shall come upon them.”
Turn to God. “It’s easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle…”
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Idolatry – are we putting more emphasis on our wealth than we should? Both grumbling and complaining result when we do.
SWEARING is when the volcano of grumbling and complaining grows.
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7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth [without grumbling and complaining], waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
TIMING TRYS OUR PATIENCE – In a hurry
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Timing of the EARLY [Oct./Nov.] and the LATTER [April/May] rain – growth is a cycle, as is God’s timing.
My TIMING vs. God’s perfect timing leads to impatients.
THE WRONG FOCUS TRYS OUR PATIENCE
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The WRONG FOCUS, SELF FOCUS & a HURRIED FOCUS lead to impatients.
LISTENING TO THE WRONG VOICE TRYS OUR PATIENCE
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“You also be patient” – Listening to the WRONG VOICE- Satan, the world, and our flesh all work against us: God’s leading calms your heart, but the flesh wants to rush. God leads, but Satan pushes. God encourages, the world discourages. God reassures, the world frightens. God enlightens, Satan confuses. God convicts, Satan condemns.
Patience is the result of making “wise” decisions that correspond with His word. Disobedience leads to disappointment. Ask, “Is God truly guiding me?” Before making an important decision. Furthermore, if you’re not in the word, the word won’t 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. “God is more likely to direct me through wise teaching than through inner voices” (J.I. Packer).
The need to stay, pray, and obey is absolutely vital when it comes to knowing God and His will. The word opens spiritually blind eyes; it leads us in the right direction; it conquers deception; it crucifies sin instead of justifying it; it exposes instead of excuses; it prevents danger instead of leading us into it.
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ESTABLISH your hearts – solid footing, like a foundation.
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The COMING OF THE LORD can occur at any moment.
Patient people do not grumble and complain, as often –
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 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.
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59 “One Another” verses: http://storage.cloversites.
com/wakarusamissionarychurch/ documents/59one_another_ scriptures.pdf -
God is not happy when we pull others down.
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Endurance is a wonderful quality – going through a difficult season with integrity and not giving up. God will reward you.
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,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
1. To make a solemn declaration while appealing to God for the truth of what is affirmed.
2. To promise – a oath.
We are bound by our commitments / our words – just say “Yes” or “No”.
3. To be profane [disrespectful]; “swearing” – to use words.
When people or circumstance “try our patience” – be quick to listen, and slow to speak. Respond, don’t react. Say yes or no verses long discussions – in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking.
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