Join me in saying the Fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

We have looked at love and said that we must act on behalf of God, regardless of how we feel. We have discussed joy and concluded joy is living who we are to the Spirit.  Last week, we explored the concept of peace.  We discovered to be at peace and to make peace we must overcome evil with good. 

It seems to me that love and joy are the foundation for peace.  Loving as God loves and being who we are to the Spirit, leads us to peace.   This foundation allows me to respond to hurt with good.  It appears to me that peace is actually the point of the Fruit.  The other six, beginning with patience, this morning, are the building blocks for peace.  Love and Joy are the foundation of a building called peace and each of the six are the stones which build this building.  Wow, this is another metaphor which works for me.   

So, this morning, this metaphor leads to this question; how can I be patient? I want to have peace.  I want our congregation to be at peace.  How can I learn this patience thing?  I’m 55 years old.  I would have thought, by now, I should have figured it out.  Maybe this sermon can help.  Patience is a difficult thing.  Am I right? 

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Paul lists patience amongst the Fruit but does not really define it in Galatians.  He does not mention patience anywhere else in Galatians.  So, we are going to go elsewhere in the NT to find out how we gain patience.  Jesus is always a good place to look.  We are going to explore… not a metaphor, but a parable for some answers.  At first you may not see the connection, but listen for the word patient.  It is used twice in this parable and it is the same Greek word that is used in Galatians 5:22 for patience.

The parable is found in Matthew 18.  Matthew 18 is a fascinating chapter.  It begins by talking about greatness in the church and points to a child as the model.  It talks about discouraging others and tells of the terrible consequences of turning others away.  It talks about what to do if someone sins against you and the procedures for handling conflicts. Then, in verse 21, Peter asked a question which leads to the parable I think can teach us about patience.

Matthew 18:21-35 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.  "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  "The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.  "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'  "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

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First, I want to work on our definition of patience.  Did you notice patient was used twice?  Notice how the word is used by the two servants:

Matthew 18:25-29 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.   "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, (Notice the same phrase.) `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

They both used the word patient and they both asked the same thing.  Notice they didn’t ask forgiveness.  They asked for more time.  They asked for a delay in having to pay back the debt. They asked for a delay in judgment. Perhaps this is the beginning of our definition for patience.  Patience is delaying judgment.  It is being willing to defer, settling accounts.  It is being able to hold back our anger.  Hold back our vengeance; postponing our reactions.  It is being willing to suspend the assessment of another's actions.

When we perceive someone has done something wrong to us or others, or is behaving poorly, or is making some mistake, or is doing something wrong; or is saying something stupid; instead of immediately jumping on the offender, we can postpone our reaction.  We can be willing to defer our execution.  Here is my practical, application definition; Patience is suspending criticism.  When it comes down to it, most of the time, it is criticism which immediately jumps out of our mouths.  If we could suspend our criticism, just or unjust, that would be patience.

We still have our question, “How do I learn to do it?  How am I able to suspend my instant jump down someone’s throat; fire off a retort; rip someone up one side and down the other? How can I suspend my criticism?” 

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Let’s go back to the parable and talk money.  We understand money. We can relate to money.  The amount the servant owed the king, in the parable, was enormous.  In this story the servant owed ten thousand talents.  A single silver talent was 1,000 denarii.  A denarii is pay for one day’s work. So, do the math; 8 hour day times $15 an hour equals $120 a day. $120,000 equals a talent.  10,000 times 120,000 is – I am not a math guy – I could be wrong – someone confirm - $1.2 billion.  Obviously, Jesus has set up a debt that was so enormous it is ridiculous.

This servant who owed the king this horrendous amount and in turn was owed by a fellow servant a hundred denarii. So that would make the amount $12,000.  It is some money.  I don't have $12,000 in my pocket to give away.  But I could pay off a $12,000 debt.  But it is no where in the ballpark with 1.2 billion dollars.  Do you realize that a billion is a lot of money? 

So the king, for whatever reason, it must have been some kind of really good acting and begging, not only was patient, suspending execution, - the king didn't say, "OK, I will give you till the end of the month." - The king erased, canceled, voided, repelled, deleted, revoked, and forgave this huge debt.  We cannot overestimate the stunning nature of this decision. The king was not going to make him pay back 1.2 billion dollars.

Has this kind of thing ever happened to any of you?  Has the bank called you up and said, "We are moved we compassion and we understand how tight money is in today’s economy, you don't have to finish paying off your car?" Or some credit card company, "This is MasterCard.  You owe us close to a billion dollars at 20% interest that means you will owe us about million more every day.  But I tell you what, you probably can't afford that so, just forget it.  We don't really need the money, anyway." Have you ever been forgiven a billion?

Perhaps you have.  If you have experienced the forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ, you have been forgiven something worth far more than 1.2 billion dollars.    The gift of being in Christ is worth more than 1.2 billion.  Listen:

Galatians 3:26-29  You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

We have been forgiven by Christ/faith.  We were baptized into Christ and have become Christ.  We are no longer lost rather we are in Christ.  We are God’s sons, Abraham’s heirs and are going to get The promise!  How much is that worth?  Your sins forgiven?  Living in Christ?  Heirs of eternity?  That is worth a few billion bucks! 

That is the answer.  We are patient with one another because God has been so patient with us.  How can I turn and demand payment from you when I have been forgiven 1.2 billion?  Whenever I am tempted to be harsh or demanding or intolerant; whenever the words of criticism are on my lips, I need to say, “My master took pity on me, canceled my debt and let me go.”

I can suspend criticism because I am forgiven. 

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Every mistake I have ever made has been erased by the blood of Jesus. Shouldn't I be willing to cut people some slack?  Don't you want a place to be where mistakes are allowed and forgiven?  Don't you want a home where you don't have to be perfect in order to be loved?  Don’t you want to live in a community where every mistake is not instantly pointed out?  Wouldn't you like a church where people help cover for you?  Peter said:

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Isn't that how you want to be treated?  Don't you want to be in an environment of patience?  Our motivation for patience is based on 1.2 billion reasons.  I can be patient with you.  I want others to be patient with me. I want to be a part of a community which covers my faults rather than a constant critique.  If that is where I want to live, then I have to suspend my criticism.  

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It gets even deeper.  There is a connection between human patience and divine patience.  There is a correlation between my patience with you and God’s patience with me.  Did you notice what the king did when he found out about his servant's coldness?  In his anger he brought the first servant back into judgment and he reversed his decision.  Because the first servant missed this connection, even though he had been forgiven an enormous amount, it made no difference with his patience.  The King unforgave him and he was tormented until he could repay the 1.2 billion dollars.

Matthew 18:32-35   "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 6:12-15 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

My forgiveness is contingent upon my forgiveness.

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And so, we have a great deal of motivation for patience; the suspending of criticism;
- God is patient with us; 1.2 billion worth.
- We want to live in a patient place; I want that community.  I have to be patient.
- We are given forgiveness as we exercise patience.

Let me close with a story that I have used several times before; but it is always convicting.  Steven Covey tells of being in a subway with a man who got on with three children who proceeded to be rowdy and disrespectful and all around pains.  Steven tolerated the kids for some time and then when he saw that the man was not going to do anything about his disruptive kids, he finally said to man.  "Sir, are you not going to do anything about the behavior of your children?"  The man seemed to open his eyes to what was going on and said, "I guess I do need to do something about them.  But you see, we have just come from the hospital.  Their mother, my wife, has just died. I guess they don’t know what to do either." 

Let's be willing to suspend criticism.  We don't know what is going on in other people's lives.  We can't see into their hearts or know where they've been.  As we interface with the world; as we go to work everyday; as we interact with our families; as we deal with each other; let's be willing to suspend our criticism.  Let's exercise the fruit of the Spirit. Let us ask the Spirit for patience. Let’s rely upon the Spirit to help us see past the obvious and suspend our criticism.  Let’s follow the Spirit as he produces the fruit of patience in our lives! 

Los Alamos Church of Christ
October 4, 2009