ST MARK S CLANN GROUPS WEEK 3 GROWTH: Patience Introduction We are in our new series entitled Growth. Over the next few weeks we will be discussing the fruit of the Holy Spirit and how this fruit impacts and works in and through the believer s life. Last week we had Pastor Seán share with us about the fruit of GENTLENESS and this week Pastor Sean shared on another delicious fruit..patience. We are believing God to challenge and grow us through this study on Patience. 1
Discussion : Read Galatians chapter 5:16-26 Let us remind ourselves of the core scripture for our series. Discussion : Read Matthew 18: 21-35 Let us remind ourselves of Sundays Biblical text. The Fruit of Patience : How would you define Patience? In the sermon Patience was described as What? 1. You Reap the FRUIT you sow: DO YOU REMEMBER THIS FROM LAST WEEK.THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW APPLIES HERE SO IF YOU WANT PATIENCE YOU NEED TO CULTIVATE IT IF YOU SEEK PATIENCE AS A FRUIT YOU NEED TO SOW PATIENCE AND THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE ALSO IF YOU SOW IMPATIENCE YOU REAP IMPATIENCE LAST WEEK..OUR EXAMPLE WAS A POSITIVE ONE RUTH AND BOAZ HAD SOWN GENTLENESS AND KINDNESS AND THEY REAPED GENTLENESS AND KINDNESS THIS WEEK.OUR EXAMPLE IS A NEGATIVE ONE THE KINGS SERVANT WAS SHOWN PATIENCE AND MERCY BUT HE SOWED IMPATIENCE AND HARSHNESS AND HARDNESS AND GUESS WHAT HE REAPED.. The point of the parable is to show us how patiently God deals with us and therefore how patiently we should be with others. God's loving patience leaps and abounds toward us despite our sins against Him. So, 2
the fact that we are recipients of such loving patience should restrain us from being harsh and it should inspire us and encourage us to be lovingly patient with those who sin against us. 2. The FRUIT is Worth the Wait: IN GENESIS 29 WE SEE AN IMPATIENT GRASPER.JACOB.. MEETING HIS MATCH!!.what you sow you reap JACOB.. WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY SOWN DECEIT AND IMPATIENCE WILL GET TO WORK FOR A DECEITFUL MAN AND HE WILL LEARN PATIENCE Discussion : Read Genesis 29:14b-30 Waiting Jacob offered to pay his way by working for seven years in order to marry Rachel. This was a long time for an impatient young man, but his resolve remained intact even when he was tricked on the wedding night into sleeping with Rachel s older sister, Leah (v 23). While clearly angry with Laban (v 25), he still had enough patience to work for another seven years in order to marry the woman he loved (vs 26 30). God s at work God was working in Jacob s life, changing his character and smoothing the sharp edges. Jacob not only did what his heart told him, but he kept his promise (v 18) in the face of lies and deception (vs 22 25). He worked and waited for what he wanted. God is also working in our lives, but sometimes we still want things to happen when it suits us. Maybe we need to be nudged by God about our own patience, and to consider what our response would be in the face of the provocation that Jacob suffered. LOVE IS PATIENT? (1 Corinthians 13) DO YOU LOVE GOD ENOUGH TO WAIT? I WILL WAIT FOR YOU LOVE SONGS AND MOVIES DO WE WAIT FOR THE LORD? DO WE WAIT ON THE LORD? 3
ISAIAH 40:31 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. HE IS WORTH THE WAIT HIS PLANS ARE WORTH THE WAIT 3. The FRUIT is Jesus expressed: THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT ARE A DESCRIPTION OF JESUS The fruit of the Spirit (vs 22,23) is simply the character of Jesus formed in us by the Spirit. SO SHOULDN T WE BEAR FRUIT BECAUSE JESUS IS IN US AND HIS FRUIT IS FREE TO GROW IN US AND THROUGH US? WHO IS IN YOU (JESUS) SHOULD COME OUT OF YOU. THIS IS PART OF GODS GRACE!! THE LAW SAYS.YOU MUST BE, OR, YOU SHOULD BE MORE GENTLE!! GRACE SAYS.YOU ARE GENTLE I AM IN YOU..YOU ARE A NEW CREATION CULTIVATE IT.NURTURE IT CHRIST IS THE PERFECT MODEL OF PATIENCE HE STAYED HIDDEN FOR 30 YEARS BEFORE HE STARTED HIS MINISTRY HE HAS BEEN WAITING ON THE FATHERS COMMAND TO RETURN NOW FOR 2000 YEARS HE HAS BEEN PATIENT AND LONG SUFFERING WITH YOU AND ME FOR YEARS God wants us to be like Him, and the more we become Christ-like the more we will have patience: over ourselves, our families, our friends, the people we don't know, and even the people who hate us. Christ was patient with us all, and we can learn it from Him. 4
Application HEART: 1. When someone is impatient with me: Be understanding and not demanding. HEART: 2. When someone tries me: Be tender and forbearing. HEART: 3. When someone disappoints me: Be long-suffering like Jesus. HANDS: Who could you practise patience with this week? Who comes to mind? A spouse? A child? A friend? A work colleague? A fellow student? PRAY as a group/in pairs to close 5