WEBVTT 00:00:03.480 --> 00:00:06.559 And today we turn once again into our Bibles 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:11.060 to the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 1 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:15.519 through 3. The third part of the message entitled, 00:00:15.740 --> 00:00:19.600 A Character You'll Never Forget. We must never 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.940 underestimate the power of one personality to 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:27.219 stamp its influence on another. For example, 00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:33.579 no parent dares overlook that truth. forming 00:00:33.579 --> 00:00:38.219 force on one another. That's why it's so important 00:00:38.219 --> 00:00:41.820 how we speak to one another in the home. I'm 00:00:41.820 --> 00:00:44.219 talking to some boys and girls here this morning, 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.560 teenagers. It's very important how you speak 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:49.659 to one another, to your brothers, to your sisters, 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:53.520 because you see, you are helping to form that 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:57.259 other person's personality, how that other person 00:00:57.259 --> 00:00:59.960 thinks about himself, about the family, about 00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:03.719 the world that he lives in. It's formed in part 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:08.719 by your words, just as their words have an influence 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:12.799 on you in the way that you're thinking. So please, 00:01:13.019 --> 00:01:16.459 let's all redouble our efforts. Be careful how 00:01:16.459 --> 00:01:19.140 we speak to one another, how we influence one 00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:23.799 another. Because you see, the impress of another 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:28.299 person upon us is just tremendous in life. No 00:01:28.299 --> 00:01:31.140 two persons can come into a meaningful relationship. 00:01:32.299 --> 00:01:35.680 and leave each other unmarked. A definite impression 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:40.620 is left. The human personality is at the same 00:01:40.620 --> 00:01:45.840 time both remarkably resilient and deeply impressionable. 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:51.120 For good or for ill, we are all impacted by the 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:55.140 meaningful people who surround us. Now because 00:01:55.140 --> 00:01:59.340 of this dynamic, which inevitably occurs in relationships, 00:02:00.620 --> 00:02:05.560 Because of the power that we have to mar or to 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.580 mark other people, this text that we're looking 00:02:09.580 --> 00:02:14.280 at is so potently instructive. I, therefore, 00:02:14.340 --> 00:02:17.300 the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk 00:02:17.300 --> 00:02:20.460 in a manner worthy of the calling with which 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:24.639 you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:29.099 with patience, showing forbearance to one another. 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:34.319 in love. A lifestyle worthy of our calling in 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:39.479 Jesus Christ will do eternal good. You may feel 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:41.479 that there are times when you are seeking to 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:44.500 live for Christ and there's no benefit in it. 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.460 But I want you to know that as you are seeking 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:51.240 to live a lifestyle that is worthy of your calling 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:56.210 as a child of God, you are doing good. More good 00:02:56.210 --> 00:02:58.729 than you can possibly know about, so don't get 00:02:58.729 --> 00:03:03.590 discouraged in it. Be encouraged. The contrary 00:03:03.590 --> 00:03:05.770 is true as well, of course, that a lifestyle 00:03:05.770 --> 00:03:11.009 unworthy of our calling inflicts damage on others 00:03:11.009 --> 00:03:15.229 that's impossible to calculate. The damage that 00:03:15.229 --> 00:03:17.469 has been done in the last few weeks to the cause 00:03:17.469 --> 00:03:21.370 of Jesus Christ is very difficult for us to know 00:03:21.370 --> 00:03:26.620 at this point, but it's frightening. An encounter 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:30.520 with a Spirit -filled child of God is a refreshing 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.719 experience. Such a person can leave an indelible 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:40.300 impression that may literally change the course 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:44.699 of our lives. As I look back over my life, I 00:03:44.699 --> 00:03:49.800 can identify certain men and women who were living 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.199 as Ephesians 4, verses 1 through 3 instructs 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:56.280 us. And because of the work of the Spirit of 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.259 God in them and through them, my life was changed. 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:04.240 I think of when I was a young boy, when I was 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:08.840 first saved, the man who baptized me, and the 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:11.740 impression that that pastor made on my life as 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:15.620 a nine -year -old, ten -year -old boy who was 00:04:15.620 --> 00:04:21.860 without a father. But the kindliness, the thoughtfulness, 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:26.129 the gentleness. of that man of God. It changed 00:04:26.129 --> 00:04:29.949 me. And all of you have similar people. And as 00:04:29.949 --> 00:04:32.810 a matter of fact, I hope that all of us are that 00:04:32.810 --> 00:04:40.009 kind of person. The kind of lifestyle that characterizes 00:04:40.009 --> 00:04:44.170 the child of God is described in simple qualities 00:04:44.170 --> 00:04:49.230 that are pointed out to us in our text. The first 00:04:49.230 --> 00:04:52.889 quality is that of humility. Walk in humility. 00:04:52.990 --> 00:04:56.750 That is a distinctively Christian virtue. It 00:04:56.750 --> 00:05:01.730 means thinking of ourselves properly and putting 00:05:01.730 --> 00:05:07.550 others before us as being more important. And 00:05:07.550 --> 00:05:09.449 then he tells us that we're to walk in gentleness, 00:05:09.730 --> 00:05:13.750 gentleness which is restrained strength. It is 00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:17.589 power that is harnessed and channeled in the 00:05:17.589 --> 00:05:21.439 right direction to help others. It is also translated 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:25.740 at times meekness, which means we are slow to 00:05:25.740 --> 00:05:30.019 insist on our own rights. And now we come to 00:05:30.019 --> 00:05:33.360 a third quality in our list. It is that of patience. 00:05:34.459 --> 00:05:37.800 Certainly another quality which should mark the 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.459 character of one who is God's royal child is 00:05:41.459 --> 00:05:46.120 that of patience. It, too, helps preserve the 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:51.120 unity of a local church. and marks a life indelibly 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:55.620 as belonging to Jesus Christ. But what is patience? 00:05:55.980 --> 00:06:00.420 How can we explain that word? Literally, the 00:06:00.420 --> 00:06:05.519 word means long -tempered. It refers to a holding 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:10.680 out, a long holding out of the mind before giving 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:15.759 room to action or passion. The Bible Knowledge 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.720 Commentary says this, Patience is the spirit 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:24.139 which never gives up, for it endures to the end 00:06:24.139 --> 00:06:29.319 even in times of adversity. It is the self -restraint 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:35.800 which does not hastily retaliate a wrong. The 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:38.560 word patience is elaborated upon in our text, 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:41.759 for it says we are to walk with patience showing 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:47.420 forbearance to one another in love. Forbearance. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:51.100 What does that mean? The word is fairly self 00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:56.560 -explanatory. It means to bear up. It means to 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:03.680 hold up another. Commentator Eady says it is 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:07.920 to have patience with someone till the provocation 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:15.350 is over. It means to endure injury. and to pay 00:07:15.350 --> 00:07:19.329 no attention to it. You and I talk about putting 00:07:19.329 --> 00:07:24.850 up with others or with circumstances, and yet 00:07:24.850 --> 00:07:29.050 down inside we're boiling and churning with emotion, 00:07:29.329 --> 00:07:33.350 often with anger. That is not what this word 00:07:33.350 --> 00:07:36.810 means. It's not merely an outward putting up 00:07:36.810 --> 00:07:41.370 with a situation. It is a forbearance that is 00:07:41.370 --> 00:07:46.089 described in love. which means that love is the 00:07:46.089 --> 00:07:49.410 root of it. It flows out of love in our hearts, 00:07:49.430 --> 00:07:52.750 love which is patient, according to 1 Corinthians 00:07:52.750 --> 00:07:58.930 13. That love enables us to bear with other people, 00:07:59.009 --> 00:08:05.589 to bear with circumstances, and to do it with 00:08:05.589 --> 00:08:10.029 a calmness of spirit, a settledness within, not 00:08:10.029 --> 00:08:14.079 a churning. Skevington Woods says it is to put 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:17.220 up with another's faults and idiosyncrasies, 00:08:17.220 --> 00:08:22.019 knowing that we have our own. That last little 00:08:22.019 --> 00:08:25.199 clause there helps all of us. If we just remember 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.920 that we have our own little habits that irritate 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:33.519 others. This word long -suffering needs to be 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:39.120 branded upon our lives and our marriages. We 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:42.480 need to be long -tempered with each other as 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:45.960 we learn to live together. And let's face it, 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:49.580 marriage is a learning process. I had two weddings 00:08:49.580 --> 00:08:53.399 yesterday. And as I looked at those young couples 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:56.419 uniting their lives together, I was filled with 00:08:56.419 --> 00:08:59.860 joy for them. But I also recognized in my own 00:08:59.860 --> 00:09:01.980 heart, as being down the road a little ways, 00:09:02.059 --> 00:09:07.919 that they've got some lessons to learn. On that 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:10.840 wedding day, everything is so emotional and joyful, 00:09:11.080 --> 00:09:14.740 but there are rough times ahead. That is always 00:09:14.740 --> 00:09:20.559 true in any marriage. Any husband, any wife has 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:23.820 little habits that don't come to the surface 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:28.120 until down the road, right? You didn't see them 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:30.419 before. As they say, love is blind. Marriage 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:33.620 is an eye -opener. And you've got your eyes open. 00:09:34.539 --> 00:09:36.980 And suddenly you're able to see some of those 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:41.480 habits, some of those patterns that just grate 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:46.919 you slightly the first time. And then it begins 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:49.500 to grate a little more until it begins to grind. 00:09:50.379 --> 00:09:52.860 Well, that's when communication is so important, 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.519 to be able to talk together openly about those 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:58.340 things. But all of that takes long suffering. 00:09:58.899 --> 00:10:02.970 We need it in our marriages. We need to be long 00:10:02.970 --> 00:10:05.789 -tempered with each other, forbearing with one 00:10:05.789 --> 00:10:08.590 another, letting love produce that fruit in us. 00:10:09.269 --> 00:10:12.789 Not only is it true in marriages where both are 00:10:12.789 --> 00:10:16.789 Christians, but perhaps it's even more true in 00:10:16.789 --> 00:10:19.409 those situations where one of the spouses has 00:10:19.409 --> 00:10:24.070 become a Christian and the other is not. You 00:10:24.070 --> 00:10:26.110 can understand the kind of tension that arises 00:10:26.110 --> 00:10:29.120 because suddenly this unconverted one says, This 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.720 isn't the same person I married. And it's absolutely 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:37.899 true. That person is new in his or her ideals 00:10:37.899 --> 00:10:42.100 and motivations and desires. A new person in 00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:46.159 Jesus Christ. That brings all kinds of stress 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:51.200 to a marriage. That saved one, that one who knows 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:55.240 Christ, needs to express long -suffering, patience. 00:10:56.519 --> 00:10:58.820 Toward that one who does not know the Lord Jesus 00:10:58.820 --> 00:11:02.960 Christ. Not only those who are married, but those 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:08.879 who are in college dorms. Or who are career people 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.480 living with other singles. You need patience 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.059 there too. Because inevitably there are those 00:11:15.059 --> 00:11:18.580 irritations that come up. That roommate who never 00:11:18.580 --> 00:11:22.539 picks up after himself. Whose clothes are always 00:11:22.539 --> 00:11:26.429 filed. On the floor instead of hung in the closet. 00:11:30.190 --> 00:11:33.950 Patience. It's true of parents with children. 00:11:35.129 --> 00:11:37.769 And children with parents. You teenagers need 00:11:37.769 --> 00:11:40.529 to be patient with your parents. They're learning 00:11:40.529 --> 00:11:45.330 as fast as they can. Give them a chance. Be patient 00:11:45.330 --> 00:11:49.629 with them. And we parents, we need to be long 00:11:49.629 --> 00:11:51.889 -suffering with our children. It's not easy growing 00:11:51.889 --> 00:11:55.279 up. It never has been. Never will be. But I tell 00:11:55.279 --> 00:12:01.720 you, in the age today, we need patience. It's 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:06.320 true with fellow workers. You know, that person 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:10.340 who sits next to you at work in the office, who 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:15.000 has that way of talking maybe, that voice that 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:18.259 just cuts you, just the sound of it. It's not 00:12:18.259 --> 00:12:20.820 what the person says. It's the sound of the voice. 00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:24.179 And this goes through you every time he or she 00:12:24.179 --> 00:12:29.279 answers the telephone. Maybe it's the fact that 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.259 you're sitting in an office next to a smoker 00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:34.299 where there's nothing to get to you faster than 00:12:34.299 --> 00:12:38.039 that. Go into a restaurant to enjoy a meal and 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:42.019 find yourself in a fog all the time, your nose 00:12:42.019 --> 00:12:44.240 starting to run and be congested because someone 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:49.019 next to you has acquired that habit. Patience. 00:12:51.750 --> 00:12:56.850 It is that quality of mind that holds out and 00:12:56.850 --> 00:13:03.350 is slow to bring charge, slow to accuse, retaliates. 00:13:04.629 --> 00:13:07.330 We have a perfect example of this, of course, 00:13:07.330 --> 00:13:11.009 in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the perfect example 00:13:11.009 --> 00:13:14.269 in all of these qualities, isn't he? When we 00:13:14.269 --> 00:13:18.350 talk about walking worthy, and specifically we 00:13:18.350 --> 00:13:22.879 mention humility and gentleness, patience with 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:25.659 forbearance. We're talking about Jesus' life. 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:28.860 I mean, the way that he lived, the quality of 00:13:28.860 --> 00:13:33.960 life that was his. I'd like for you to turn with 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:36.340 me back into the Gospels, and since today is 00:13:36.340 --> 00:13:39.299 the day it is, Palm Sunday, let's take a look 00:13:39.299 --> 00:13:42.460 at that event that we remember on this occasion 00:13:42.460 --> 00:13:48.100 by turning to Matthew 21. You can go back into 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:50.340 the life of Jesus and find these qualities at 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:52.700 so many points expressed, including this one. 00:13:53.220 --> 00:13:56.360 Matthew 21, beginning in verse 1. It says that 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:58.740 when they had approached Jerusalem and had come 00:13:58.740 --> 00:14:02.639 to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.580 sent two disciples saying to them, go into the 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:07.639 village opposite you and immediately you will 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:10.279 find a donkey tied there and a colt with her. 00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:13.340 Untie them and bring them to me. And if anyone 00:14:13.340 --> 00:14:16.669 says something to you, you shall say, The Lord 00:14:16.669 --> 00:14:19.409 has need of them, and immediately he will send 00:14:19.409 --> 00:14:23.669 them. Then Matthew says, Now this took place 00:14:23.669 --> 00:14:25.809 that what was spoken through the prophet might 00:14:25.809 --> 00:14:28.830 be fulfilled. And here he begins to quote from 00:14:28.830 --> 00:14:34.370 Zechariah. Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, 00:14:34.370 --> 00:14:38.669 your king is coming to you. Now in Matthew, remember, 00:14:38.850 --> 00:14:43.259 Jesus Christ is presented as the king. And now 00:14:43.259 --> 00:14:46.340 he is officially presenting himself to the people 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:49.580 of Israel in what's about to take place. So what 00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:52.340 Zechariah wrote hundreds of years before this 00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:57.700 is literally coming to pass. He is coming to 00:14:57.700 --> 00:15:03.100 you, and notice how he is coming. Gentle. You've 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:07.759 seen that word before in Ephesians 4? Not only 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.940 gentle, but it says mounted on a donkey, even 00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:16.629 a colt. the foal of a beast of burden. Our Lord 00:15:16.629 --> 00:15:21.970 set upon an unbroken young colt. The mother was 00:15:21.970 --> 00:15:24.730 brought along so that the colt would follow her. 00:15:24.990 --> 00:15:28.289 But he set upon that unbroken beast of burden. 00:15:29.789 --> 00:15:34.690 That was an act of humility on his part. One 00:15:34.690 --> 00:15:37.009 day he is going to come as the sovereign from 00:15:37.009 --> 00:15:38.929 heaven. He's going to come in a white charger. 00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:41.649 But on this occasion, as he presents himself 00:15:41.649 --> 00:15:46.269 as the king to Israel, he comes riding upon this 00:15:46.269 --> 00:15:49.990 beast of burden, evidencing his lowliness of 00:15:49.990 --> 00:15:55.309 mind, his humility. And it says the disciples 00:15:55.309 --> 00:15:57.970 went and did just as Jesus had directed them, 00:15:58.090 --> 00:16:00.970 and brought the donkey and the colt and laid 00:16:00.970 --> 00:16:04.539 on them their garments on which he sat. And most 00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:06.580 of the multitude spread their garments in the 00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:08.720 road, and others were cutting branches from the 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.720 trees and spreading them in the road. This was 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:16.279 customary in association with the Feast of Tabernacles, 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:19.679 associated with the Jews. They observed that 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:22.399 feast annually, and part of it was the cutting 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:25.940 off of fronds from palm trees and the waving 00:16:25.940 --> 00:16:30.019 of them. That was part of the ceremony. And so 00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:32.620 on this occasion, as Jesus came into the city, 00:16:33.129 --> 00:16:35.289 They broke off those branches and began to wave 00:16:35.289 --> 00:16:37.250 them. Some of them tossed them onto the street. 00:16:37.370 --> 00:16:39.350 Others took off their outer garments and laid 00:16:39.350 --> 00:16:43.370 them down to make a paved way, a highway, as 00:16:43.370 --> 00:16:47.110 it were, for this king. And the multitudes going 00:16:47.110 --> 00:16:49.750 before him and those followed after him were 00:16:49.750 --> 00:16:54.049 crying out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David. 00:16:54.509 --> 00:16:58.909 Notice his kingly name, son of David. The word 00:16:58.909 --> 00:17:04.630 Hosanna originally meant Lord save. Or save now. 00:17:05.549 --> 00:17:09.430 It was a plea. But it came to be used as a word 00:17:09.430 --> 00:17:13.990 of praise. And so they were praising their king 00:17:13.990 --> 00:17:17.329 as well as asking him to save the nation. Hosanna 00:17:17.329 --> 00:17:21.430 to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes 00:17:21.430 --> 00:17:24.309 in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. 00:17:25.250 --> 00:17:28.910 So this was quite an emotional scene. Can you 00:17:28.910 --> 00:17:32.140 put yourself back there and walk with them? as 00:17:32.140 --> 00:17:34.279 they came down the side of the Mount of Olives 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:38.160 and entered into the city of Jerusalem. Jesus 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.579 Christ is presenting himself as the king of the 00:17:40.579 --> 00:17:45.819 Jews. They are welcoming him into the city, waving 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:49.240 their palms, joyous, shouting, excitement filled 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:52.960 the air. It says when he had entered Jerusalem, 00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:56.640 all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this? 00:17:58.759 --> 00:18:01.339 And the multitudes were saying, this is the prophet 00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:05.500 Jesus from Nazareth and Galilee. Now the people 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:08.940 who came with Jesus into the city shouting were 00:18:08.940 --> 00:18:12.799 mostly Galileans. They were the country bumpkins 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:16.319 of the day. They came into the sophisticated 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.079 city of Jerusalem shouting as they did, and these 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:26.750 cosmopolitan slickers said, who is this? And 00:18:26.750 --> 00:18:29.650 notice how they responded, this is Jesus from 00:18:29.650 --> 00:18:36.670 Nazareth in Galilee. He's one of us. Isn't it 00:18:36.670 --> 00:18:40.089 amazing that as our Savior came to present himself 00:18:40.089 --> 00:18:44.089 as the king, the people in Jerusalem said, who 00:18:44.089 --> 00:18:51.450 is this? Who is this? The Pharisees rebuked his 00:18:51.450 --> 00:18:54.150 disciples and the multitude on that occasion, 00:18:54.190 --> 00:18:57.539 according to Luke. They said, do you see what 00:18:57.539 --> 00:18:59.920 these people are doing? Do you hear what they 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:02.140 are saying? And are you going to allow them to 00:19:02.140 --> 00:19:08.960 do this? And Jesus, with great patience, said 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:12.180 to those people who knew who he was and rejected 00:19:12.180 --> 00:19:16.099 him, he said to them on that occasion, if they 00:19:16.099 --> 00:19:18.400 don't say what they're saying, the very stones 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:25.289 themselves will cry out. As our Lord was... coming 00:19:25.289 --> 00:19:30.250 into Jerusalem. He came over the crest of the 00:19:30.250 --> 00:19:33.170 Mount of Olives, and the city of Jerusalem was 00:19:33.170 --> 00:19:36.390 laid before him. Some of you have been there, 00:19:36.430 --> 00:19:38.970 to Jerusalem. You have seen that. Would you like 00:19:38.970 --> 00:19:43.730 to go sometime? It is one of the most beautiful 00:19:43.730 --> 00:19:46.269 sights in the world to stand on the Mount of 00:19:46.269 --> 00:19:48.230 Olives and to look upon the city of Jerusalem, 00:19:48.289 --> 00:19:51.829 the Temple Mount, right there. And then the city 00:19:51.829 --> 00:19:56.039 spread out behind it. Jesus saw that sight as 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:58.420 it was in that day, as he was coming into the 00:19:58.420 --> 00:20:01.420 city, just coming over the crest of the mount. 00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:04.680 He looked and saw it, and he burst into tears. 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:11.299 He began to weep. And he said, Oh, Jerusalem, 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:15.740 if only you had known. If only you had received 00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:19.440 me. He began to speak to the city then, as it 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.160 were, and to warn them of judgment that was to 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.799 come. He warned them that their population would 00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:29.000 be slain and that there would not be one stone 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:34.819 left on top of another. He was speaking of the 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:39.119 work of Vespasian and Titus when in 70 AD the 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:42.680 city, after two years of siege, was finally destroyed 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:46.079 and burned and the stones were pulled down. And 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:49.019 today there are just those parts of the buildings 00:20:49.019 --> 00:20:51.809 that were left buried in those days. that still 00:20:51.809 --> 00:20:54.349 remained from that part of Jerusalem. It was 00:20:54.349 --> 00:20:57.930 destroyed. That tells us that there is an end 00:20:57.930 --> 00:21:02.130 to the patience of God. But oh, the patience 00:21:02.130 --> 00:21:05.890 of Jesus that we see as he comes into the city, 00:21:05.950 --> 00:21:08.470 knowing that within a few days these very people 00:21:08.470 --> 00:21:17.650 would assist in putting him on the cross. And 00:21:17.650 --> 00:21:20.839 it's to us who follow him. That the word of God 00:21:20.839 --> 00:21:25.420 says, be patient. In 1 Thessalonians 5 .14 it 00:21:25.420 --> 00:21:30.079 says, be patient with all men. And you women 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.980 like that verse. Because it says men, but I want 00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:37.339 you to know it's generic. It's be patient with 00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:44.119 all people. Not just those who are saved, but 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:46.339 those who are unsaved as well. Be patient with 00:21:46.339 --> 00:21:52.579 all. We are in such a hurry, aren't we? We are 00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:56.900 used to having instant results. We would not 00:21:56.900 --> 00:22:00.400 even think of buying a TV or a radio or even 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.160 a calculator these days that has to wait to come 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:05.839 on. Man, when you turn that on, you want the 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:13.619 picture there. You want that sound there. We 00:22:13.619 --> 00:22:16.859 who are such hurried people need to gain God's 00:22:16.859 --> 00:22:22.619 perspective. God says to us, be patient. In James 00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:25.259 chapter 5, I'd like you to turn there. There 00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:30.099 is perhaps the most full statement about patience 00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:32.180 that can be found anywhere in the New Testament. 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:36.680 James 5, beginning in verse 7, it says, Be patient, 00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:39.759 therefore, brethren, until the coming of the 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:44.059 Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious 00:22:44.059 --> 00:22:47.329 produce of the soil. being patient about it until 00:22:47.329 --> 00:22:51.869 it gets the early and late rains. You too, be 00:22:51.869 --> 00:22:55.170 patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming 00:22:55.170 --> 00:22:58.589 of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brethren, 00:22:58.910 --> 00:23:01.970 against one another, that you yourselves may 00:23:01.970 --> 00:23:04.849 not be judged. Oh, he warns us here, don't be 00:23:04.849 --> 00:23:08.789 judgmental and negative in your attitudes. He 00:23:08.789 --> 00:23:12.289 says, don't be grumblers and gripers. Do not 00:23:12.289 --> 00:23:15.539 complain. that you may not be judged by the same 00:23:15.539 --> 00:23:18.900 standard you're setting up for others. He says, 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:21.059 behold, the judge, the one who has the right 00:23:21.059 --> 00:23:24.500 to judge, is standing at the door. As an example, 00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:27.579 brethren, of suffering and patience, take the 00:23:27.579 --> 00:23:32.839 prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Long 00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:36.299 -suffering. And why should we be long -suffering? 00:23:37.220 --> 00:23:41.140 Because our Lord is. Our Lord was patient in 00:23:41.140 --> 00:23:44.450 the days of Noah. A hundred and twenty years 00:23:44.450 --> 00:23:48.849 he was long suffering with that generation as 00:23:48.849 --> 00:23:52.849 the ark was being prepared. And then the patience 00:23:52.849 --> 00:23:55.509 of God ended and the flood came and destroyed 00:23:55.509 --> 00:24:02.609 the earth. And God today is patient. There is 00:24:02.609 --> 00:24:07.150 an end to this age. Things are not always going 00:24:07.150 --> 00:24:12.150 to continue as they are going on now. There is 00:24:12.150 --> 00:24:15.430 a day when God's patience will be over, but Peter 00:24:15.430 --> 00:24:18.970 tells us that right now God is patient and that 00:24:18.970 --> 00:24:25.269 his patience means salvation. God is patient. 00:24:25.289 --> 00:24:27.670 He is long -suffering, not willing that any should 00:24:27.670 --> 00:24:29.750 perish, but that all should come to repentance. 00:24:31.690 --> 00:24:35.950 It is just my opinion, and it's worth only that. 00:24:37.069 --> 00:24:40.349 But I believe just as God was patient in that 00:24:40.349 --> 00:24:44.890 day and delayed the coming of the flood, so the 00:24:44.890 --> 00:24:47.609 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ has been delayed 00:24:47.609 --> 00:24:54.390 in the purpose of God in this age. James tells 00:24:54.390 --> 00:24:58.930 us that the judge stands right at the door. I 00:24:58.930 --> 00:25:01.329 spent two and a half weeks of my life in a courtroom 00:25:01.329 --> 00:25:05.640 this last winter. I don't regret that. I learned 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:09.859 some things there. One of the things I observed 00:25:09.859 --> 00:25:14.240 is what this verse talks about and how it applies 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:18.319 at least to today. In the morning when we got 00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.920 there and then after every recess, we would be 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:25.640 in the courtroom, we and the jury. Then there 00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:28.339 would be the prosecutor here, the witnesses back 00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:31.319 here. There was the defense attorney plus the 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:34.980 defendant, the bailiff. The court clerk, everybody 00:25:34.980 --> 00:25:40.299 was there except the judge. The court clerk would 00:25:40.299 --> 00:25:43.460 wait until we were all assembled, and then he 00:25:43.460 --> 00:25:46.140 would pound the gavel, and he would announce 00:25:46.140 --> 00:25:48.440 the district court of Ramsey County was now in 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:51.720 session, judge so -and -so presiding. And immediately, 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:57.079 court was in session. Now this is what James 00:25:57.079 --> 00:26:00.099 is saying. Right now, everybody's getting in 00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:06.019 place. All that is waiting is for the judge to 00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:08.500 be announced and for him to come marching in 00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:11.660 and to take his seat at his place of judgment. 00:26:13.819 --> 00:26:16.279 That's why you and I are exhorted to be long 00:26:16.279 --> 00:26:19.480 -suffering. We are not to retaliate. We are not 00:26:19.480 --> 00:26:24.480 to take vengeance. The Lord is the judge. We 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:27.680 are to express long -suffering and patience just 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:36.150 as he did in his earthly life. This kind of patience 00:26:36.150 --> 00:26:39.329 is the ability to hang in there when it's tough. 00:26:40.730 --> 00:26:43.190 And to hang in there with the right heart attitude. 00:26:44.549 --> 00:26:47.890 But how do we deal with this? With this command 00:26:47.890 --> 00:26:50.630 of God when it's so contrary to the nature of 00:26:50.630 --> 00:26:56.230 most of us? For we by nature are impulsive, not 00:26:56.230 --> 00:27:03.130 patient. We are reactionary, not long -tempered. 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:07.900 We are unwilling to wait, not long suffering. 00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:12.859 I believe there's only one way for us to deal 00:27:12.859 --> 00:27:18.460 with it. And that is for us to bring that short 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:23.200 -tempered, reactionary, impulsive human nature 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:28.660 to the cross of Jesus Christ. And there to allow 00:27:28.660 --> 00:27:34.200 it to be put to death. It is true that the fruit 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:37.059 of the Spirit is, among other things, patience. 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:41.299 But my friend, the fruit of the Spirit is not 00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:43.460 going to be evidenced in our life until first 00:27:43.460 --> 00:27:48.140 we have dealt with that carnal nature that is 00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:53.380 everything but patient. We need to come to the 00:27:53.380 --> 00:27:59.480 cross and there to see our self with a capital 00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:06.440 S. put to death so that then the resurrection 00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:12.220 life of Jesus, which is patient, may be expressed 00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:22.200 in our lives. I am speaking today to some people 00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:29.240 who have tempted the patience of God. God has 00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:31.210 been dealing with you. Maybe it's that you've 00:28:31.210 --> 00:28:36.029 never trusted Christ. God has been wooing you, 00:28:36.089 --> 00:28:39.410 but you have been pushing God away. You've said, 00:28:39.450 --> 00:28:42.410 God, not today, some other time. Some more convenient 00:28:42.410 --> 00:28:44.910 period in my life. Right now, I want to do this. 00:28:46.269 --> 00:28:48.970 And the Lord patiently has been wooing you to 00:28:48.970 --> 00:28:55.630 himself, calling you. And I was speaking to some 00:28:55.630 --> 00:29:01.069 children of God. who have been saying to your 00:29:01.069 --> 00:29:07.349 Lord, Lord, I don't want to do that. I want to 00:29:07.349 --> 00:29:13.369 do it my way. Jesus is saying today, please, 00:29:13.430 --> 00:29:24.190 let's do it my way. My will, not yours. And patiently, 00:29:24.289 --> 00:29:27.849 he's been talking with you. Will you today let 00:29:27.849 --> 00:29:34.690 him have his way? God's patience does have an 00:29:34.690 --> 00:29:42.369 end. But thank God he is long -suffering. Please, 00:29:42.369 --> 00:29:48.309 respond to his patience today. As Paul said to 00:29:48.309 --> 00:29:51.190 the Romans and to us, do you not know that the 00:29:51.190 --> 00:29:58.789 patience of God leads you to repentance? Let's 00:29:58.789 --> 00:30:05.160 bow together. With our heads bowed, our eyes 00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:09.339 closed, what is that area of life where you're 00:30:09.339 --> 00:30:14.940 struggling with God today? Can you not look back 00:30:14.940 --> 00:30:18.680 and see the patience which the Lord has had with 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:23.900 you, my friend? Will you let him have his way 00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:29.359 today? Will you receive him as your Savior? Will 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:31.900 you on this Palm Sunday, just as he presented 00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:35.220 himself to Israel to be their king 2 ,000 years 00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:38.480 ago, will you today on this Palm Sunday say, 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:42.940 Lord, I receive you. Hosanna to you. You take 00:30:42.940 --> 00:30:49.119 the highest place in my life. Will you put self 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:54.660 with a capital S on the cross and die to it? 00:30:55.200 --> 00:31:00.829 Will you die to your impatience? Will you die 00:31:00.829 --> 00:31:05.450 to your impulsiveness and ask the Holy Spirit 00:31:05.450 --> 00:31:10.609 today to make you a patient man, a patient woman, 00:31:10.829 --> 00:31:19.849 a patient child, parent? Lord, I pray that you, 00:31:19.890 --> 00:31:23.430 by your Spirit, will work deeply into our lives 00:31:23.430 --> 00:31:30.079 this quality. so that we may walk worthy of our 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:35.099 calling. And I pray that we will be able to stand 00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:42.200 at the cross today and gladly allow ourself to 00:31:42.200 --> 00:31:46.400 be put to death so that the resurrection life 00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:51.119 of our Savior may be seen. Amen.