THE FRUIT OF PATIENCE: WHAT TIME IS IT?

Galatians 5:18-26

REVIEW OF LAST WEEK

ü Peace is rooted in the cross, the most violent act in history (Romans 5:1).

ü In a fallen and sin cursed world, biblical peace is rooted in justice.

ü Justice often involves violence. Violence is not sinful when it is done for the cause of justice.

ü The Bible often celebrates violence. The Scriptures praise God as a Warrior.

Ø The God of Peace is also a Warrior (Exodus 15:3; cf. Exodus 14:14).

Ø Jesus the Prince of Peace judges and makes just war (Revelation 19:11-21).

ü Just war and just judgments are to be celebrated because they are the means by which peace is established. Violence is not wrong when it is for the cause of justice or self-defense.

ü Unjust violence is a violation of God’s law (e.g. certain kinds of music, video games and movies).

I. PATIENCE AND TIME

A. Time is a boundary or even perhaps a lord or master.

1. For better or for worse, my watch is always placed on the pulpit so that the service doesn’t go into overtime.

2. You need to begin school or work at a certain time.

3. Classes and coffee breaks are a set length of minutes.

4. Try sitting at a green light for an extra fifteen seconds!

B. When church, work or school goes over time people often become impatient.

1. Some people begin looking impatiently at their watch and getting fidgety.

2. Employees might file a grievance if their boss keeps them overtime.

C. Until the Industrial Revolution (mid-18^th century), most people didn’t ask or think much about “What time is it?” Compared to today, clocks weren’t an important part of people’s lives in biblical times.

II. TIME AND GOD’S WORKS

A. A biblical view of time is measured by God’s works of creation and redemption. You will never know what time it is if you do not look at God’s works.

1. Genesis 1 describes the beginning of time as we know it.

a. “in the beginning” (Gen.1:1).

b. there was evening and there was morning, one day… (vv.3,8,13,19,23,31).

c. Genesis 1:14-19 describe the first “clock”.

i. “Let there be lights in the expanse… let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Gen.1:14).

ii. “God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day [SUN], and the lesser light to govern the night [MOON].. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens…to govern the day and the night,” (Gen.1:16,17; cf. Revelation 21:23; 22:5).

2. “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified” (Genesis 2:2-3).

a. Our weeks revolve around the Sabbath day of rest and not a Sabbath hour of rest (Ex.20:8-11).

b. The Sabbath Day is a reminder to us that our works will ultimately be judged in light of God’s work.

B. Since creation, time is measured by God’s works. This means that there are billions of people today who don’t know what time it is.

III. GOD’S PATIENCE IS THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE DAY OF HIS WRATH SO THAT PEOPLE MIGHT REPENT OF THEIR SIN AND BELIEVE IN JESUS (cf. Ex.34:6; Num.14:18; Neh.9:17; Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; 145:8; Isa.48:9; Jer.15:15; Hosea 11:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Nahum 1:2-3; Romans 2:4; 9:22; 1 Tim.1:16; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9,15)

A. One of the great themes of Scripture is the Day of the LORD. God is patiently postponing that Day so that you might believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved (Joel 2:11-13).

B. When we come to church on the Lord’s Day we aren’t impatiently looking down at our wrists waiting for our clocks to hit 12PM so we can leave! Rather, we are patiently waiting for the Day of the LORD (Revelation 1:10)!

C. We live in a culture and a society that is always asking “What time is it.” But only the church keeps accurate time.

1. Today is the day of salvation (Psalm 118:24; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2)!

2. Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3-4 with Psalm 95).

A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. (Nahum 1:2-3)

D. Sadly, some believers are emboldened and hardened in their sin because of God’s patience (Romans 2:4-6; 2 Peter 3:3-9).

“How slow is God to anger. He was longer in destroying Jericho, than in making the world; he made the world in six days, but he was seven days in demolishing the walls of Jericho.” (Thomas Watson, The Sermons of Thomas Watson p.208).

IV. PRACTICAL WAYS OF GROWING IN PATIENCE

A. Our lives need to be ultimately governed by God’s time and not the world’s time. Our lives need to be lived around the Lord’s Day in which we look back upon Christ’s finished work and as we look forward to the Day of His return (Revelation 1:10; cf. 1 Cor.3:13; 2 Thess.1:10; 2 Thess.2:2).

B. God is a God Who has been slow to anger in your life. Therefore you can also be “slow” to anger with others. God’s patience in our lives is the basis for our patience with others.

C. The Day is coming when God’s work with be finished in other Christians as it will be in yours (Philippians 1:6)!

QUESTIONS FOR SABBATH DISCUSSION & MEDITATION

Take what you have learned this morning and make it into a prayer.

What was the title of this morning’s sermon?

How are patience and time related?

Are you a servant to time or is time your servant? Explain.

A biblical view of time is measured by God’s works of c__________ and r___________.

What do we learn about time in Genesis 1-2?

Who is the true Lord of your time? Who is the Lord of your days? What is the purpose of your work? Do you become impatient with God’s rest?

Define God’s patience.

How do many unbelievers respond to God’s patience (His postponement of judgment)?

Think back to the times this week that you became impatient with people or circumstances. Was your impatience rooted in the world’s view of time? Does your impatience indicate that you have forgotten God’s patience in your life?