Galen Call's Sermon Library
"The Patience of God" - July 7, 1985 (PM Service)
We tend to be an impatient people by nature, don't we? How many of you enjoy standing in lines waiting on something? Well, that means you're part of the majority. We do not like to wait. We avoid waits if at all possible, whether it's at the gas station, on the freeway or in a grocery store, or waiting for the bathroom at home. We don't like to wait. This evening, we're going to talk about God, who is a God of patience. We're going to start in Romans chapter 15 as our jumping off spot and read three verses beginning with verse 4. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance or patience and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus. That with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God who identifies himself here as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ also calls himself the God of perseverance and encouragement, or the God of patience. God will wait and God does wait. That has been a characteristic of God from the very beginning because patience is a part of his very nature. You see God is in no hurry unlike us. We are often in hurries. I remember when our first child was born that she was born at a particularly busy time in our lives. I don't know if you can pick an unbusy time for the birth of a child, but on the night that she was born I also became the pastor of my first church. And the first year or two of any pastorate is a very busy time as you try to get up to speed with what's going on. And I can remember that some of the first words that Kelly learned were hurry up. I don't think it was she, but it was one of our children that asked me one night as we were scurrying to go somewhere, "Daddy are we in a hurry again? Maybe you can identify with that." But as I look back upon the fact I have regretted some of the first words that she learned were hurry up. We are in too much of a hurry sometimes, aren't we? God is never in a hurry. God has plenty of time, you see, because God is eternal. Now when I say that God is in no hurry I don't mean that God is dilatory, nor do I mean that God procrastinates. It's just that God is in no particular hurry because He will ultimately accomplish all of His purposes at the right time. Have you ever wondered why the cross was not immediately after the fall? Have you ever wondered why the incarnation did not come with the birth of the first child instead of several thousand years later in Bethlehem with Mary? It wasn't God's plan. You see, God was in no hurry to do that. He allowed generations to live and die on the earth. And then in the fullness of time, at the right time, God sent forth His Son. God is patient. Not only in the purposes that He has, but He is patient with people as well, and I'm glad because I'm a people. To not I'd like to especially think about the truth that God is patient with sinners. That is true throughout the Word of God. God is patient with sinners. And I believe there are three reasons why that is true. In the first place, God is patient with sinners because that magnifies His name. It glorifies God. It exposes what He is really like when He is patient with sinners. God's name is very important to Him, but that's true with all of us, of course. But even more so with God because God's name, you see, tells us who He is and what He is like. Therefore, God is jealous about His name. That is why one of the commandments says that we should not take the name of the Lord our God in vain. We are not to jest with it. We are not to treat the name of God lightly because the name of God means something. And it's holy, it's sacred, it's to be revered. That's why at least in our home, we do not allow our children to even speak slang words using the name of God, gosh, and that sort of thing. We want to prevent anything that would seem to approach using the name of God in an off-handed superficial way. In Exodus chapter 34, God reveals something about His name. He is here having a conversation with Moses. Moses has made a request of God. He wanted to see the Lord. I'm going to begin reading in verse 5. It says, "And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with Him," that is with Moses, as He called upon the name of the Lord. Now how did Moses do that? I'm not sure. He spoke it, was it a prayer? Was it simply a recitation of the name of God as He knew it in Revelation at that point? I'm not exactly sure what this means. But in some manner, Moses called upon the name of the Lord as the Lord came in a cloud and stood there with Him. It says, "Then the Lord passed by in front of Him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious.'" Now you see, God is going to begin expounding about His name now. He says, "The Lord, the Lord God," now what about Him? He says, "compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding and loving kindness and truth." That's what God wants us to know about Himself. When we use the name, "Lord God," we should think about terms like these, including the one that says, "He is slow to anger. God is patient." When God is patient with sinners, it glorifies, it exposes His true nature. God is patient. He is long-suffering with sinners. In being patient with them, He honors His name, glorifies His nature. So the next time that you hear a scoffer or a skeptic, challenge God and say something like, "If there's a God, then why doesn't He?" You complete the sentence. And of course, nothing happens. And so His conclusion is, "See, there is no God." There was one skeptic of a different generation who said, "If there is a God, let Him now strike Me dead on this platform." He wasn't struck dead. And He said, "See, there is no God, I'm still alive." Did He prove there was no God? No. Actually in His foolishness, all He was doing was glorifying God. He was exposing the nature of God that God is patient with foolish sinners. God is patient with sinners because in being patient, it exposes what He is like in His nature. He manifests His long suffering with iniquity. God is patient with sinners for a second reason, and that is because it gives us an example of patience. You know, we are to be a patient people too. I don't know about you, but I've learned not to pray for patience because you know what it takes to get patience, tribulation. That's the reason that God allows trials to come to us in part so that we might learn perseverance, so that we might learn patience, that we might reflect His patience and ourselves be slow to anger. I think that's something men especially struggle with. Anger is a common problem in the male species. Now I'm sure there are all kinds of reasons why that might be so. But I do know this that our Father God wants us, men, to be slow to anger. That is an area where many of us, including myself, have to work and trust Him. In James chapter 5, we have an interesting instruction. In verse 7, he says, "Be patient." How many of you know the tortoise in agape land? What does that tortoise sing? Be patient, be patient, don't be in such a hurry. Right, thank you. There's more, but I'll refrain for tonight. That's about what he sounds like. Now of course, you know why the tortoise is the one who has selected to sing that particular song and manifest that through the Spirit. That's what James says. He says, "Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord." He says, "Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil." We spent the last week on the farm. And my stepfather is doing exactly what it says here. He is waiting for the soil to produce the crops. Looks like a good year on the farm. Maybe too good of a year for the farmer's own good, in some respects. The price of crops will probably go down as a result of it. There's always yet the possibility of a drought, a very real possibility, the way the weather system is setting up for this part of the summer. Those have to learn patience. They don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. And that is James' point. He says, "Look at the farmer. He waits for the produce of the soil, being patient about it, until he gets the early and late reigns, talking about the weather system in Palestine." And so he says, "You too, be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." He says, "Be patient under the coming of the Lord, the coming of the Lord is at hand. The Lord is about to come. The Lord is at the door. He's just ready to open the door." So he says, "Be patient in light of that." This word "patience" here is a word that means long-tempered. It is the opposite of the word "anger." It is a word that is used of God. It describes himself as the God of patience. You'll notice in verse 11, in some translations, again, patience is used in the NASV. It's endurance. It's a different word there that means to abide under a load of something. It's the opposite of despondency. That's a word that's never used of God. But this other word is used of God. Yes, God can be angry, and we'll talk about that in a moment, but God is patient. And He says to us, "You too be patient. The coming of the Lord Jesus is at hand." Now, we're going to be patient as God is with sinners. We're in James. This turned a few pages back to the book of Hebrews. And look at Hebrews chapter 10. That's a theme here in this chapter. He says, beginning in verse 32, "But remember the former days, when after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings." So He reminds them of a time of suffering that they had experienced. He says, "You endured that." The word is "patient." Partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners. We have a prayer meeting here about once a month for prisoners, focusing primarily on prisoners behind the iron curtain. We're able to receive the names and pictures of many of these people and the group that praised for them, praised for them by name, holding them before God. That's the kind of thing He's saying here. You showed sympathy to prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property. In other words, the government apparently had come in and confiscated what they owned. Now, how was it that they were able to be patient while undoing that kind of treatment at the hands of sinners? Well, He says, "You know that you have for yourselves a better possession." He says, "There's something a lot more important than the things that you possess in this material world. It's the spiritual possessions that are ours in Christ." And He says, "This possession is an abiding one." In other words, it cannot be taken away. It's better. I would hope that these verses would describe us if we came into a situation like this. Patience at the hands of sinners. Patience at the loss of the things that we own. Patience at the loss even of the privileges and freedoms that we have now. I pray God that day may not come, but it could. And if that day should come, and even through some unjust means, we were to lose the freedoms that we enjoy, how would we respond? Well, God says, "Be patient, be slow to anger." I guess this is one of the things that God has written afresh on my heart after our trip a couple of weeks ago. As we saw people who are laboring under a communist government, just be patient with the restrictions they do have. I mentioned this morning that we saw more freedom of religion than, at least I anticipated, but that is not to say that they have complete freedom. Of course, they do not. I ask one of the friends that we met there, if there might be a possibility of His coming to the United States for a visit to our church, and He said, "No, that's impossible." He said, "If God wills it." I said, "Why is that?" Well, He said, "I've had restriction put on my travel. I can't leave our country for a two-year period beginning," He mentioned the time. I said, "Why is that?" I was perhaps probing a little more than I should have. And His only response was some difficulties. He was not angry about it. He was not fretful. He was not uptight, but He was willing to abide under those restrictions that were placed upon Him. When I think of Hebrews, chapter 10, I think of people like that. And so He says in verse 35, "Do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward, for you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." And our suffering, we are to be patient with sinners. There are some of you that are experiencing some difficulties in relationships you have with ungodly people. Those of us who have not been in similar situations have a hard time fully understanding the kind of pressures that you face, but we feel with you. And as you share that with us, we pray for you, it is not easy. It is not easy to be patient at work when you are employed by an ungodly person who expects certain things out of you that as a Christian, you cannot give, lest it compromise your moral standards. That's hard. That God will give you patience, and in that situation He wants you to show His own nature by being patient with sinners. God is patient with sinners because in so doing He gives us an example to follow in our relationship with sinners. I think there's a third reason as well. God is patient with sinners because it grants extended opportunity to the sinner to be saved. That's why God is patient. Turn to 2 Peter, chapter 3, and look at this familiar verse that many of us go to when we wonder when God is going to bring judgment. Aren't we so prone to say, "God, send the fire. Let it fall from heaven, Lord, and lick them up." We're not so different than James and John, are we? We thunder a lot as well, but in verse 9 it says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." God is patient. God is patient with sinners, and then again in verse 15 he says, "And regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation," and in the context here he's talking about the slowness of the Lord's coming. "Lord, why don't you come and have done with the sinners that attack you, scoff you? Why don't you come, Lord, and bring judgment?" Well, because the patience of the Lord is salvation, in other words God is extending the day of grace for them. This is what God did in the days of the flood. God said, "My Spirit will not always strive with man, for he is flesh, but yet 120 years his days will be on the earth," and patiently God endured that ungodly generation, extending the day of grace even while the ark was preparing. I believe today God is extending the day of grace. It is all fitting in, of course, to his sovereign plans. He is not delaying in the sense that he has postponed the coming of Christ, and yet I believe that God has been patient about the coming, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in part in order to grant this ungodly generation in which we live an extra day of grace. Indeed, the New Testament teaches us that if God were not patient, none of us would be saved. In Romans 2.4 he says that we ought to recognize the patience of God, along with the riches of His mercy that lead us to repentance. Even now unbelievers, even though they do not sense being under God's wrath, are indeed under the wrath of God. John 3.36 says that those that do not have the Son, do not have life, and the wrath of God abides on them, present tense. Right now it abides on them. It rests on them. It remains on them, though they are unaware of it. God is suspending it. Someday He will exercise it. Now He waits, but there will come a day when God's patience will be finished and God will execute His warning. God will fulfill His judgment. God will not wait forever. That is the warning that is given through the psalmist, Asaph, in Psalm 50. With these few verses, we will close our Scripture study tonight, Psalm 50, beginning in verse 16. God is here warning through the psalmist, His own people, about their carelessness and spiritual things. They brought their sacrifices to Him, but it was with an insincere heart, and God is not pleased with that. Outwardly they went through the rituals, but their hearts and their actions were far from Him in verse 16, but to the wicked God says, "What right have you to tell of my statutes, or to take my covenant in your mouth?" He says, "Why are you quoting Scripture? Why are you claiming the promises that I've given? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you." In other words, you don't count them as important, you just throw them away. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you associate with adulters. You let your mouth loose in evil, and your tongue frames deceit. He says, "You can't control your tongue. You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I kept silent." That is God's honest admission. "I kept silent," He says. You thought that I was just like you. What He's saying here is that because I was silent and did not bring immediate judgment, you assumed that I was like you and was just going to pass it off. He says, "I will reprove you, and state the case in order before your eyes." In other words, God is saying, "I'm not like you. I am silent. I am patient with ungodliness, but there comes an end. I am not like you. I do not put it under the rug and ignore it, and pretend it doesn't exist." He says, "The day will come, and I will reprove you, and I will state the case openly in judgment against you." God is patient because it grants extended opportunity to the sinner to repent and to come to Him. But never should the sinner take God's patience for granted because there is an end to it. I thank God for His patience. I thank God for His patience in my life, and I'm sure you feel the same. And if tonight we are presuming upon the patience of God, even as His children, it would be well for each of us to get on our knees tonight and say, "If Lord, forgive me. Thank you for your patience, but tonight I am getting my record cleaned up. In this area of need in my life, this area of disobedience I am repenting of, I confess it before you." Let's not presume upon the patience of God. Evangelist D.L. Moody had a class of young men. He had won most of them to Christ, but there was one of them that refused to yield to the Lord. There came a day when Moody spoke to him, urging him to receive Christ. "Listen, Mr. Moody," replied the young man, "I am going west, and after I have made my fortune, when I return, I promise you I will accept Christ." And he turned away. Moody listened with a sad heart to those words, and some weeks later learned that the young man was seriously ill and taken to the hospital. He felt led to visit him, and bending over his bed, he urged him again to receive Christ. But the young man once more refused. "Mr. Moody," he said, "with a feeble voice, I am planning to go west yet. And when I come back, I will become a Christian. And with a heavy heart, Moody left the hospital room. One day the young man did get better, and came walking briskly up to where Moody was. "Mr. Moody," he said, "I have come to say goodbye. I am leaving now for the west," like I said. Again Moody put his hand on his shoulder, and spoke to him about the claims of Christ. The young man became angry, and shaking off the hand of the evangelist. He responded, "Mr. Moody, never speak to me again about my soul's salvation. I promised you to make a decision when I have returned, but not before, now goodbye." With that he left. That night Moody was awakened with knocking at the door. He answered the door. There was a young woman who was there with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. "Mr. Moody," she said, "come quickly, come quickly. My husband is sick, desperately sick, and I'm afraid, please, come at once." And Moody recognized the young woman as the wife of that young man that he had spoken with that afternoon. "It's no use," was Moody's reply, "Your husband gave me his final refusal this afternoon. He's crossed the deadline. It would be useless for me to go," but she continued to beg him and finally got dressed and went with her. As he mounted the steps, he saw the young man lying on his back in bed with his eyes open wide, but apparently unconscious of those who were around him. As he approached, he heard the young man uttering some words. Moving closely, he detected just two words, "Too late, too late, too late." Kneeling down by his side, Moody took his hand, began to pray, but the young man paid no attention. He just kept staring at the ceiling with unseen eyes, crying out, "Too late, too late, too late." Moody did everything that he could to arouse the young man from his condition, but there was no recognition at all, and within just a few minutes, the young man died and went into eternity. And the last words on his lips were the words, "Too late." God is a God of patience, but there is an end to the patience of God. There can come a time when it's too late. My friend, if God is tonight dealing with your soul, understand that he's dealing with you in patience and do not presume upon it, but respond tonight gladly and quickly before it may be too late for you. Let's pray together. With our heads bowed, our eyes shut, and as we pray for the Spirit of God to do the work and hearts which only he can do, as he works and exposes need, as he brings the prick of conviction upon the soul. Will you, my friend, write where you're seated by the uplifted hands, say, "Pastor call in patience God has dealt with me." And I sense tonight conviction within. I know things are not right between me and God. Please pray for me. I sense conviction, I know God is working with my heart, but I'm struggling. Would you, by the uplifted hands, say, "Pray for me." God bless you, yes, a number of you. Any others? I want to pray for you. I'm not going to come back and get you, yes, God bless you. I'm not going to embarrass you, but oh, my friend, let's make tonight the night of business with God, shall we? Yes. In other hands, God bless you. Our loving and patient Heavenly Father, thank you. Thank you. The patience is a part of your very nature. Thank you for extending that patience to sinners, as well as to saints. Right there are many of us who have sensed an area of struggle in our lives where we acknowledge, Father, you have patiently dealt with us. I want to pray for these, in particular, who have conscientiously lifted their hands. Lord tonight, tonight, before they leave here, I pray that they will settle that issue in their soul. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. the Lord. [BLANK_AUDIO]