Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
Here’s a definition for you:
· The Fruit of the Spirit is really just the ability to have “Christ like reactions”
· to the people and circumstances of our lives.
So how would that fit in with the fruit we’ve looked at so far?
Well.:
o Love is the Christ like reaction to disagreeable people.
o Joy is the Christ like reaction to depressing circumstances.
o Peace is the Christ like reaction to stress and anxiety.
And Patience is the Christ like reaction to difficult situations.
· And that’s where I want to start tonight.
sometimes we think “patience” means the willingness to wait,
· and that’s not a bad trait.
See today, too many people are in too much of a hurry
· were so busy chasing here and dashing there
· we don’t have time to stop and smell the roses…
People are often guilty of what psychologists call “polyphasic activity,”
· that’s just a big high-faluting word which means
· doing multiple things at the same time …
· you and I might call it multi tasking
and whenever we find ourselves in that position
· it’s not because we’re being super efficient
· it’s almost invariably because we’re in such a hurry!
But here’s the thing - God is never in a hurry
· why?
· Because He has everything under control!
Now, the Greek word we translate as “patience” in the New Testament,
· really has no proper equivalent in the English language.
But it means a whole lot more than just “waiting” or “not hurrying.”
In the KJV,
· the word “patience” is often translated as “longsuffering”
and the word talks about someone’s ability – or capacity
· to suffer during long periods of adversity;
It’s the ability of bearing with either difficult people
· or adverse circumstances
· without breaking down;
it’s the willingness to try to understand the awkward people
· or disturbing events
· that God allows to come into our lives;
and most of all,
· it is the ability to remain steadfast under strain.
So, there are 2 Greek words that are translated “patience” in your Bible;
· and they’re very similar,
· but they have a slightly different emphasis:
the 1st is HUPOMONE
· “hupo” – “under” / “mone” – “abide”
It’s the concept of being “under” a burden for a long time
· without giving in to suffering,
· and without becoming afraid or despondent,
· and while you’re doing that
· while “abiding” (that just means not changing!)
· in the face of pressure.
Best example I can give you
· Its like oxen remaining steady & under control
· as they pull a heavy plough for its master without complaining
the 2nd Greek word is MAKROTHUMOS
· “makro” – “long” / “thumos” – “anger”
Makrothumos is talking about the type of anger
· That takes a very long time to build
· before it gets expressed,
· but more than that
· it also talks about being under strict control if and when it’s ever expressed.
Makrothumos is the exact opposite of being “short tempered.”
· Or quick tempered
See, every time you turn on the news
· the reports are filled with headlines about angry, out-of-control people
· and the stuff that they’ve done
but God’s got a better way
· for us to deal with our disappointments, frustrations and difficulties!
It’s called the power of the Holy Spirit
· producing the Fruit in our lives!
when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and so on
So as we consider what a Christian is supposed to look like
· we have to get to grips with this thing ncalled PATIENCE
Patience is really the supernatural ability
· to deal with ongoing suffering and frustration
· without giving and becoming ANGERY with God
· or against anyone else
And since we can’t talk about patience without talking about anger,
· let’s talk about …
HOW TO HANDLE ANGER
1st – we need to realize the cost of uncontrolled anger
Now anger is not a feeling
· and its not an emotion
ANGER is simply a the reaction to being hurt
· it a response to pain – or the threat of pain
· physical or emotional
and ANGER IS NOT SINFUL IN AND OF ITSELF,
· the Bible tells us that God can become angry
· and that He even gives us permission to be angry
· providing we do so WITHOUT SINNING.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
How many times have you gone off to sleep – still angry with someone
· or knowing that someone’s still angry with you?
NLT 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
But don’t forget the 1st part of the verse
· But any anger must be controlled!
And if you can’t control your anger once the adrenalin rush kicks in
· You have to learn to control anger IN ADVANCE.
There’s been a whole raft of studies done
· That show that consistently angry people are vulnerable to physical problems
· like ulcers, high blood pressure,
· heart attacks, arthritis,
· colitis, kidney stones, gall-bladder trouble
· there’s over over 50 major illnesses in all!
see inner tension accounts for 60 to 85% of all sicknesses today!
· When you “swallow your feelings,”
· your stomach keeps score!
Whether anger is expressed through what you do or what you say
· or whether its repressed
· through denial and internalizing,
· it is still damaging.
Depression is “anger turned inward,”
· and though it may get bottled up for a time,
· it’ll eventually blow up in aggression.
See ANGER ANNIHILATES NORMAL HUMAN RESPONSES!
· And the physical damage caused by anger
· Is 2nd only to the spiritual harm it does
· And that’s why UNRESTRAINED ANGER IS SIN!
Let me give you 5 examples if where anger is sinful …
1. when it explodes quickly, without time to think rationally
2. when the injury that caused it is only imagined, not real
3. when it is out of proportion to the offense committed
4. when it is directed against the innocent rather than the guilty
5. when it is prolonged over time and becomes revengeful
Proverbs 11:29 (LB) The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left.
There’s always a price tag when you get angry!
· And you can’t afford it!
· ANGER DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS!
Proverbs 16:32 He that is SLOW TO ANGER is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
James 1:19-20 19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
SLOW TO GET ANGERY
– There’s that MAKROTHUMOS (“long anger”) word
– There’s PATIENCE!
But here’s the problem
– We all feel that we have RIGHTS
– And that our rights should have to be violated on
– Or trampled on all the time
– And when we feel that they are or have been
– We get MAD
See, Patience is our defense against all the minor frustrations of life.
But, Selfish, immature people
– People who give themselves too many rights
· are constantly plagued with anger,
· because so many of their ‘rights’ are being violated.
Heres the deal
– when you giving up those rights to God
· and when you expect fewer things to be perfect
· not only will you be less angry
· God will be able to and release greater joy in your life.
Proverbs 29:11 (LB) A stupid man gives free reign to his anger; a wise man waits and lets it grow cool.
NLT Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back
When ever you delay your angry outburst
· you give yourself chance to cool down.
The longer you hold your temper,
· the more it improves.
· Remember: mind in gear before mouth in motion!
anger is always the REACTION to a painful emotion
· So, if you can think long enough to figure out the first emotion,
· you can deal effectively with the situation!
Ephesians 4:26 (GN) If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin.
Being patient does not mean denying your anger!
· It means releasing it properly.
BUT - Most people tend to release their anger in ways
– that take them further away from their goal
· than they were before they got angry!
psychologists push a myth that says,
· “You’ve got a bucketful of anger in your life
· and if you’ll just dump out the bucket
· then it’ll be empty and then you can be happy.”
So They’ve developed techniques like “ventilation”
· and the “primal scream”
· and these techniques have been developed
· to allow people to mentally “vomit”
· and let it all hang out!
But the Bible tells us that the human heart can produce an unlimited supply of anger!
· You don’t have an anger bucket,
· you have an anger factory!
· And anger always causes more anger in others!
There are only four possible ways to respond to anger.
– Three of them are wrong!
You can
REPRESS it
– (holding the resentment inside)
SUPPRESS it
– (pretending the resentment doesn’t exist)
· most people who say they are depressed are really angry,
· and they’re either repressing or suppressing their anger
EXPRESS it
– (uncontrolled negative reactions)
· (just because you don’t blow up
· doesn’t mean you’re not expressing your anger –
· that’s why there are pouters, manipulators, cynics, addicts, etc.)
or you can simply CONFESS it
– (ask for God’s help!)
1 John 1:9 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Repattern your mind
Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
God knows His own creation!
· We need both “abiding under” (hupomone) patience
· and “long anger” (macrothumos) patience,
· or life will make us perpetually angry about something!
Long term change in the heart don’t happen
· through resolutions, promises, or self-help techniques.
It only happens through the power of the Holy spirit!
· Nothing else can transform the way you think and act!
The Holy Spirit helps you control your anger by dealing with the root cause –
· the real reason you are angry.
Jesus can replace your hurt, your pain, your frustration,
· he can deal with your fear, your rejection, your insecurity,
· he can fix it all with His love.
The Holy Spirit helps you control your anger
· by replacing it with the Fruit of the Spirit called PATIENCE!
Romans 15:5 (NLT) May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.
Colossians 1:11 (NLT) We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.
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