This morning we will do something a little different. Last night I preached a message entitled, “The Need For Patience”. In my prayers this morning I was led to share a part of the message with you. I cannot share the entire message, but I will seek to share a few thoughts I believe will bless you today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Patience is not a gift.
a) I would love to tell you that patience is a gift from God and that you can simply ask God for it and receive it by His grace. But it’s not a gift to be given.
b) Patience is a virtue; it’s a quality; it’s characteristic and it cannot be GIVEN. It can only be PRODUCED.
2. What is Biblical patience?
a) Patience is more than simply waiting on something to happen. It is more than just a quiet and passive adherence to terrible conditions.
b) Divine patience is an inner force that empowers the believer to remain constant and steadfast inwardly, regardless of the conditions outwardly.
c) Divine patience is ability to remain the same (steadfast, unmovable, unwavering) in the space between God’s promise and the performance of the promise.
d) Patience empowers the believer to successfully resist thoughts of fear, doubt, and unbelief; making it possible for you to remain in-faith while you are waiting on the manifestation of what God promised you.
3. We are called to live by faith.
a) In this series you have learned that God does all He does for you by His unearned grace and you must accept and access His grace with your faith.
b) Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. Faith is how the earth makes an exchange in the Kingdom of Heaven.
c) Faith is how a human who lives in time can see into the realm of eternity.
d) Faith is how a human who lives in the earth sees into the realm of heaven.
e) Faith is the believer’s legal entrance into the realm of the unseen – the supernatural realm of God.
f) Everything we do as believers, we are called to do by faith.
4. There is a definite link between faith and patience (Read James 1:2-4, Heb 6:12-15).
a) Patience is produced when our faith is tested and we pass the test.
b) When we see into the realm of God and we believe what we saw, we are then in position to make a stand in faith. Faith believes what you see and heard in the realm of God and it takes a stand that it is only a matter of time before it manifests in the earth realm. In God’s realm it’s already done, in the natural realm it is only a matter of time before it manifests.
c) When you take a stand in faith satan will put pressure on you in hopes that you relinquish your position. Satan’s desire is that you have a ‘faith failure’ before the manifestation of God’s promise in your life.
d) This is why Paul told us not to get weary in well doing. Paul taught us that our harvest will come, “in due season”, if we don’t give up before it’s time (Gal 6:9).
d) Patience is required in the space between God’s promise and the performance of it.
e) Patience is required in the space between your confession and God’s completion of it.
f) Patience is required when satan puts pressure on you to give up, cave in and quit.
g) Patience is required to successful live by faith.
5. You have need of Godly patience (Heb 10:36).
a) Without patience you will give up before your harvest comes due.
b) Without patience you will never develop into the man/woman God called you to be.
c) Without patience you will attempt to live by faith, but your faith will fail.
d) It takes faith and patience to access God’s grace for your life.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began. You made those plans by Your unearned grace. Now that I am Born-Again and filled with Your Spirit, I am able to see into the realm of the spirit clear enough to see your plans for my life. You reveal to me what You planned by grace and You expect me to use my faith to believe it, receive it, make a stand for it, and take actions towards it. All the while knowing that it is only a matter of time before I see in my natural hands what I have already seen in my spiritual heart. But while I am waiting on the manifestation, satan will do all he can to put pressure on me to give up, cave in and quit. I declare that I don’t. I have patience that has been developed over time, through the testing of my faith. Patience enables me to remain constant and consistent IN FAITH. I live by faith, with the benefit of patience, and I am able access Your grace for my life. I will become the man/women You called me to be, because faith and patience are both in operation in my life! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
