Impatience: Antidote for impatience 3-16-25

Overview

The Acceptable Sin of Impatience

We often excuse impatience as a personality trait or even a virtue in disguise: "I'm just impatient because I want to get so much done." But this is simply justifying rudeness by giving ourselves a compliment. Impatience may be acceptable in our own eyes—because so many around us share it—but it is never acceptable in the eyes of God. Scripture's call to patience is unmistakable. Paul urges us to walk "with patience, bearing with one another in love" Ephesians 4:1-2. James tells us, "Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord" James 5:7. And the great love chapter begins its description of love with two simple words: "Love is patient" 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Scripture also gives us sobering examples of impatience. Israel, freed from Egypt, complained against the Lord's provision in the wilderness. Later, rather than waiting on God, they took matters into their own hands and forged an alliance with Egypt—"adding sin to sin," in the Lord's words Isaiah 30:1-2. We do the same. We grow impatient with God, with others, with our circumstances, with timing, and even with ourselves. We try to run ahead of God, as if He has forgotten us or moves too slowly.

The antidote is found in Psalm 130:5-6: "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope... more than watchmen for the morning." The threefold reference to waiting describes our whole being resting in the Lord, like a guard on the wall waiting for dawn to dispel the darkness. Notice what waiting is tied to: God's word. Hope here means confidence—confidence in His promises. Patience is linked to promises. "In quietness and in trust shall be your strength" Isaiah 30:15. "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" Psalm 37:7. "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10. God is perfect in His timing; He has not forgotten us, and His plans for us are for welfare and a future with hope Jeremiah 29:11.

Consider Charles Simeon, appointed pastor of Trinity Church in Cambridge against his congregation's wishes. For twelve years, members boycotted services and locked the pews so visitors had to stand in the aisles. Asked how he endured, Simeon answered, "I saw no remedy but faith and patience." He kept preaching. Eventually the pews opened, hearts softened, and his ministry there continued for 54 years in total. He understood Psalm 130. Take heart: Christ has borne every sin on the cross, including our impatience, and He meets each new flare-up of it with grace. Patience itself is fruit He grows in us by His Spirit Galatians 5:22-23. There is no need to get ahead of God. He is God, and we are not. The antidote to impatience is His promises—rest in them, and wait.

Transcript

What you open your Bible's please with me to Psalm 130 for our time and God's Word today. 3s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the Old Testament, 9s

page 537, Psalm 130 for our time and God's Word today. 14s

It was several years ago, conversation of a man who was sharing about an upcoming job interview. 22s

He said, you know, I really don't mind job interviews at all. He goes, I kind of think they're a little bit fun. 33s

There's one question, there's one question that I absolutely hate. 42s

He said, I hate when they ask the question, what is your greatest weakness? 51s

He said, I like talking about my strengths, but I don't like talking about a weakness, 61s

especially in a job interview when you're trying to put your best foot forward and all. 68s

He said, so it's like I didn't respond to that question. 77s

Do you say things like, I can have a tendency to care too much. 81s

Or do you say, you know, sometimes I just work too hard. 89s

Well, the interviewer obviously sees right through that that you're giving yourself a quasi compliment as you go along. 95s

It's not just in the job interviews, right? 106s

I think for example, the topic of impatience. 112s

Have you ever heard from someone or have you ever said it yourself? 116s

I'm just an impatient person because I want to just get so much done. 123s

You see, it's justifying, rudeness by giving oneself a compliment. 131s

We continue today in our series, acceptable sins, question mark. 143s

Certainly there's no sin that is acceptable, but we can massage our understanding with regard to some sins and say to ourselves that, 149s

well, somehow those are just acceptable, certainly not acceptable in the eyes of God, but they can become acceptable in our own eyes. 163s

We studied about the acceptable sin of not taking responsibility for our sin, not owning it. 175s

We talked last week about the acceptable sin of ignorance, or we can find it acceptable to be ignorant in a scripture and the ways of God. 184s

Well, today I'd like to talk with you about the acceptable sin of impatience, impatience. 204s

The call to patience abounds in Holy Scripture. 221s

Ephesians, the fourth chapter, Paul writes, either for the prisoner and the Lord beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience, bearing with one another in love. 226s

James writes, recorded in James 5, be patient, therefore beloved, until the coming of the Lord. 246s

The former weights for the precious crop from the earth being patient with it until it receives the early and late reigns, you also must be patient. 255s

The great love chapter. In 1 Corinthians, the 13th chapter, it says, love is not invious or boastful, arrogant or rude. 267s

It does not insist on its own way, it's not irritable, resentful. 276s

It does not rejoice in the wrong doing, but rejoice is in the truth. It bears all things, believes, all things, hopes, all things, and doors, all things. 280s

Love never ends and how does that all begin with regard to the references of love? 289s

It says, love is patient. Please, yes, D7. 296s

The patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit. 306s

There are certainly a host of calls in Scripture to be patient, and there are certainly more than ample examples of impatience in Holy Scripture. 316s

I think of the people of old. 330s

The covenant with Abraham and Sarah out of them would come in this great nation, and of course out of that nation would come in the Messiah. 333s

People wind up in slavery in Egypt. 341s

God frees them under the hand of the oppressive, fairer, propelling them to the promised land. 345s

The Scripture says that the people complained about the lack of food and the lack of water. 353s

And God supplies the heavenly manor for food, and they didn't like that either. 359s

They weren't patient in the days that God was forming for them. 364s

Or when Isaiah speaks of the people and how they had established an alliance, it wasn't God's will, but an alliance with Egypt. 376s

They thought God was just too slow in God's dealing. 389s

So they took matters into their own hands and established the alliance with Egypt. 392s

And God says, overbell theist children who carry out a plan, but not mine, who make an alliance, but against my will, 398s

adding sin to sin, who set out to go down to Egypt without asking for my counsel, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt. 409s

See, we can be impatient with God, and we can be impatient with others, and we can be impatient with conditions, and impatient with situations. 429s

We can be impatient with timing. We can be impatient with ourselves. 438s

It's the acceptable sin, right? And it becomes acceptable because we all seem to be doing it. 446s

It can be acceptable in our own eyes, but it's certainly not acceptable in the eyes of God. 456s

So what then? What then? 471s

Look on me, please. At Psalm 130, the Psalmist writes verse 5, 478s

I wait for the Lord my soul waits, verse 6, my soul waits for the Lord. 487s

The threefold reference to waiting. 505s

I wait for the Lord my soul waits. The soul here is to be understood as once entire be. 514s

I wait for the Lord my entire being waits. My soul waits for the Lord. 522s

And then this imagery further in verse 6, more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. 531s

The image here is the is the guard guarding the city waiting for the light of the morning to dispel the darkness. 543s

The waiting. 561s

See, we don't have to get ahead of God. 564s

We don't have to try and get ahead of God. 572s

It's not that God is forgotten us. It's not that God is slow about His promises. 577s

God is perfect in His timing. 586s

Scripture says, Isaiah 30, inquiateness and entrust shall be your strength. 590s

Ballested are those who wait for Him. Psalm 37, be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. 600s

Jeremiah 29. For surely I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans for your welfare and not for harm to give you a future with hope. 614s

Psalm 46, be still and know that I am God. 630s

And notice what's connected with the waiting. 640s

Look, please at verse 5, I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and in His word. 649s

I hope. Remember that word of hope is the word for confidence. 668s

Psalm says, I wait in the Lord because I have confidence in the promises of God. 679s

Here's the point, patience is linked to promises. 687s

Patience is linked to promises. 695s

His name was Charles Simian. 707s

He was a pastor in the church of England, late 1700s. 711s

The pastor of Trinity in Cambridge, the pastor died. 721s

The bishop came and appointed a new pastor to be the pastor of the congregation. 729s

And it was Simian. 735s

The people, nothing matter with Simian, but the people had in mind somebody else that they wanted to be the pastor. 740s

And they became angry. 752s

And they took their anger out on the new pastor, Pastor Simian. 754s

Their actions were far from Christ like. 766s

For 12 years, they boycotted the worship service. 774s

12 years, they boycotted the service. 784s

They locked the pews. 791s

So no one could use the pews for those that would come. 796s

For 12 years. 802s

So that those that came had to stand in the aisle for the entire service. 806s

They asked Simian, they said, how did you make it through that time? 819s

How did you make it through? 826s

And he said, quote, I saw no remedy, but faith and patience. 829s

And so he just kept preaching to people standing in the aisle for 12 years. 839s

And then one day the pews were unlocked. 854s

And the boycotted stopped. 861s

And the people sat in the pews. 869s

And God had transformed the hearts. 877s

And Simian kept preaching for 44 more years in that church. 885s

His tenure there, 54 years. 898s

I saw no remedy, but faith and patience. 907s

He understood Psalm 130 didn't they? 919s

He understood Psalm 130. 924s

I'm waiting for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope he understood Psalm 130, 927s

in turn to the promises of God. 941s

The love of the Lord Jesus Christ has borne all of our sin. 948s

All of it. 952s

All the thoughts, all the words, all the deeds, all we've done, all we've left on done. 955s

He's borne it all on the cross, including our sin of impatience. 961s

That's been paid for. 972s

And Christ has won the word of absolute that word of forgiveness. 976s

And that impatience that can keep rising its head in our lives. 984s

And every time it keeps rising up, we are met with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 990s

Patience is a fruit. 1007s

It's a work of the Spirit. 1010s

Paul writes in Galatians 5, at the fruit of the Spirit. 1014s

The work of the Spirit in our lives, through the word, the work in our lives is He produces in us. 1018s

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. 1027s

That's the fruit of the Spirit. 1032s

And you heard what was included in that list, right? 1035s

Patience. 1038s

Patience. 1041s

There's no need. 1044s

There's no need to try and get ahead of them. 1046s

There's no need to think that God's slow. 1051s

There's no need to think that He's forgotten about us. 1055s

He's God. 1063s

And we're not the antidote to impatience or His promises. 1066s

In them, you rest. 1088s

In them, we can wait. 1096s