We, knowing the wonderful patience and long-suffering of God, have a specific responsibility while we wait for all these events to unfold. Now, what is the specific responsibility that you and I have? Answer, stop complaining. Now, you’d think there’d be some deeper, heavier theological deal here to go out with, but that’s what God says, stop complaining.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Hope for Today. Welcome to a new week of Bible Study on the program. You know the circumstance, you’re on the freeway and somebody cuts you off. Or perhaps in a relationship, somebody’s lied to you. Or maybe somebody’s taking you for granted. And when situations like that arise… your blood can really boil. And that’s mankind. Short-fused, easily provoked, ready to snap. But you know something? You know something? God is not like us. If he gave men what their sin deserves the moment they deserved it, this world would have been buried long ago. And yet, he has been patient. With a holy patience, the human mind can’t even begin to grasp. Today, as Bible teacher David Hawking continues his series on the attributes of God, he begins a message called The Patience of God. This series covers various portions of Scripture, and today we’re in 2 Peter 3 and some other passages to see that God’s patience is not weakness, it’s not indulgence, it’s not even delay without purpose. It is mercy, mercy holding the door open a little longer. Stay with us. We’re going back to the Bible in just a moment. And just before today’s lesson, we want to tell you about a free resource available right now at the Hope for Today homepage. This is called Does God Truly Love Me? And it’s there to help you or somebody you know find real assurance that the God we are studying in this current series truly loves you and them. Does God Truly Love Me? is available in multiple languages. All you got to do is head over to davidhocking.org. That’s David, H-O-C-K-I-N-G.org. It’s completely free. Download it, read it, share it with as many folks as you like. There’s nothing to sign up for. That’s Does God Truly Love Me? at davidhocking.org, right on the homepage. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Take your Bibles and turn to 2 Peter 3. The patience of God. Now when we saw in the Bible that God is patient, when we saw that, we, because of our own experience, have a tendency to think of it in a couple of ways. For instance, traffic. Now I don’t know about you, but when the traffic stalled in a freeway and doesn’t look like any way out, I sort of wonder about patience. Another time when I think about it is in a long line when I’m trying to get some service. Amen? and then I feel convicted that I’m not very patient. I just want you to know that both illustrations are never true of God. God is never said to be patient about things or circumstances. Why? Because He knows all things. He knows the beginning from the end. He doesn’t have any need of that kind of patience. When we speak of the patience of God, we are not talking about enduring hard times. We’re talking about being long-suffering toward people. The Hebrew word is often translated slow to anger, the Hebrew word erek. Erek appears about 15 times in the Old Testament, and sometimes it says long-suffering, sometimes patient, sometimes slow to anger. It means patient as in slow. In the New Testament, the word patient, or like a lot of our English translations do, change it into long-suffering. Makruthumia, which is used about 25 times, means taking a long time to boil. God is slow. The patience of God. 2 Peter chapter 3. It’s going to tell us about future events. It’s going to tell us how the world order is going to be changed. How that Jesus Christ is going to come back to earth and set up a new kingdom. The theme, however, is patience. Long-suffering. As you will see as we read 2 Peter 3.1. Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” But, beloved… Do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering. There’s our word, the patience of God. He’s longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace without spot and blameless. And account that the longsuffering, there it is again, the patience of our Lord is salvation.” as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Will you join me please in prayer? Father, thank you for the Bible that tells us about future things. Thank you that it tells us about who God is and what he means to our life, what he can do. I pray, dear Lord, that you will help us as we study the wonderful attribute of God called patience. You’ll help us to understand what it is and why it’s such a blessing to us. May we learn also from his patience that we might have it in our own experience. Thank you, Lord, for what you’re going to do in Jesus’ name. Amen. There are five things I want to tell you about the patience of God. I’ve come to rejoice in this attribute of God and to be truthful, to be quite thankful for it. I guess I could say in general terms to all of us right now, we better be thankful for His patience. Amen? Aren’t you glad God takes a long time to boil towards you? Now, take your Bibles and turn to Romans 9, and let me tell you the first thing about the patience of God. According to the Bible, this attribute of God controls His sovereign plan and perfect timing. Now, you and I think not everything’s happening the way we want it to happen. Have you ever thought about this concept that everything does happen on time? You say, I was late to the meeting. That’s true, but everything did happen on time, including you being late. Do you ever think about it that you’re… Birth, according to the Bible, was known by God long before you were born, the exact day and time. Did you know that all the days that you’re going to live in your life are already in the mind and heart of God and in His plan? The Bible says that too. Did you also know that you’re going to die on time? You’re going to die right on time, no matter what the means or the method. God knows exactly when and where and under what circumstances. It’s interesting, isn’t it? God knows exactly when people are going to turn to Him and repent and get right with the Lord. He knows the exact time. It is the patience of God that is controlling this sovereign plan of God and all the perfect timing in it. And here’s a classic example of that in Romans 9, beginning at verse 22. What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known— suppose that was the only reason, just to show you that He is a God of wrath— to let you know about his power, endured with much long-suffering, there it is, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. Now, the word vessel is referring to people. It’s a whole illustration of a potter working with some pots. You can see that from verse 21. Now what if God, who’s the great potter working with the clay, what if he endures with long-suffering some vessels he made that are never going to believe in him? They’re going to wind up in hell. Perhaps you would say along the way, God, they’re so rebellious. Why don’t you get rid of them now? Why even let them continue to live? But maybe God wants to show you something about his wrath and his power. And suppose he decided to endure them with much long suffering. These who will never be in heaven, but will actually be in hell. You say, well, I don’t like that. Well, tough. The text says, what if he wanted to do that? You say, well, I don’t understand that. Well, what if he wants to do something and doesn’t want you ever to know about it? Well, that doesn’t seem right. Well, who are you to even ask the question? If God wants to do it and does it, what if He wants to do all of that? Then what are you going to say about it? You’re not going to say anything. There isn’t anything you can do about it. Look back at verse 20. Indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Isn’t it interesting that God’s long-suffering applies to those who will never believe in Him? It is also true that it applies to those who will. Look at verse 23. And that He might make known, He endured with longsuffering first the vessels of wrath, then that He might make known the rich of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory. Even us, Paul says, whom He called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. Now, from the day of Pentecost, first century A.D., until now, what God has been doing is pouring out His Spirit and bringing a vast host of Gentiles to Jesus Christ. And there have been millions of them. And you say, well, what if God wants to do that? Well, He has a perfect right to do that. So He’s endured with much long-suffering, first of all, the rebellion of the nation of Israel. But, of course, it was all a part of a sovereign plan. And because of their fall, now the blessing came to the Gentile world, which, interestingly so, fulfills His original promise to Abraham that a new Abraham… all the Gentiles of the world will be blessed. They’ll become like the sand of the seashore and the stars of the sky. And he’s been fulfilling that. And what if he decides, as the Bible says he will, to go back to Israel again and work very powerfully with them in a brand new way in the future? What if he wants to do all of that? You say, well… I guess he can do it. Right. It’s exactly right. Well, what’s controlling that plan? What is causing all the perfect timing of that plan to achieve God’s purposes? And God says, the long-suffering of God. He takes a long time to boil, first towards the unbelievers who will never believe in him, and also to those who were unbelievers but became believers. He has longsuffering toward both. As a matter of fact, it says in 1 Peter 3, 20, concerning the days of Noah, that the longsuffering of God, the patience of God, waited in the days of Noah. What’s that talking about? Well, God gave them 120 years, according to Genesis 6, 3, as Noah told them about a flood, but they’d never even seen rain. Millions of people died in the flood. Only eight people were saved, Noah, his three sons, and their wives. But God was patient for 120 years. getting the message out, warning that generation. God was patient, and yet only eight people responded, and millions were killed in the first civilization because they rejected God. And God’s commentary is, the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah. Has it been waiting for you? Now, if we understand this, then it ought to have effect upon us. If, in fact, the patience of God is controlling His sovereign plan and perfect timing and all things are in it, then that should affect us. Look at James 5, some words about the second coming of Christ and how we should respond to that. Verse 7, James 5, verse 7. Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge is standing at the door. My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed, we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. Now let me stop right there and say, now what are we learning here? Well, God’s talking about the second coming. It is coming. It’s under a plan of God. It’s under perfect timing. The day nor the hour is known to the Lord, even though we don’t know. So we can’t set the date. But it’s interesting that it’s all known to the Lord. The day, the time, the circumstances. And as 2 Peter 3 said, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness. In other words, He’s not delaying for any reason at all. You say, wait a minute, it’s been over 1,900 years now and He hasn’t come back. But remember, a day unto the Lord is as what? A thousand years, and a thousand years is a day. So the Lord is not delaying for any reason at all. He’s long-suffering towards people that He wants to come to Him, out of every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Now, the interesting thing is that according to the Bible, we, knowing that, knowing the wonderful patience and long-suffering of God, have a specific responsibility while we wait for all these events to unfold. Now, what is the specific responsibility that you and I have? Answer, stop complaining. Now, you’d think there’d be some deeper, heavier theological deal here to go out with, but that’s what God says. Stop complaining. Literally, He says, do not grumble. It means murmuring. It’s doing it under your breath in the Greek. What it means is, while I’m preaching, some of you who do not like what I’m saying are saying, what right does he have? God says, stop all that. It doesn’t make any difference. I’ve got a plan unfolding no matter what you say. Well, I don’t like this, and I don’t think I’m going to go. Stop it, He says. Why? The judge is standing at the door. I don’t like the way things are. Stop it. Why? Because it won’t make any difference to anything. God’s going to continue to unfold his plan. A positive way to look at that is relax. Stop being so troubled all the time. You know, why pray when you can worry, right? God says because His patience is controlling His sovereign plan and perfect timing, you don’t need to complain or grumble anymore. You can just rest and relax. Everything’s working out on schedule. Everything’s cool. Don’t worry. Just relax. Amen? Don’t you feel better? I suggest you enjoy it now. The message gets worse. The second thing we learn about the patience of God is it not only controls His sovereign plan and perfect timing, But interestingly, it calms his righteous anger and makes forgiveness possible. Did you hear that? The patience of God, what he is, calms his righteous anger and makes forgiveness possible. In Exodus 34, God tells Moses his name. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord is God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering. There’s our word, slow to anger, patient. Abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and sin. In Numbers 14, 18 and 19, the same thing. It says the Lord is long-suffering, forgiving iniquity. Turn to the book of Joel, please, chapter 2. Very interesting thing about God’s patience. It causes Him sometimes to keep back from destroying somebody, even though they deserve it. It says in verse 12, God appealing to his children, now therefore says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend or tear your heart and not your garments. By the way, they still do this in the Middle East. It’s been a longstanding Middle Eastern custom in the culture that when you’re really upset in grief, for instance, the death of a loved one, or just upset at a situation in life, you take your robe and you tear it. Showing your grief outwardly. Well, God’s saying, hey, I don’t want to see the outward garment torn. What I want to see is your heart torn apart. Come back to me. Verse 13, return to the Lord your God. Why? For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger. There’s our word again for long-suffering and patience. Slow to anger and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm. In the book of Nehemiah, chapter 9, there’s a prayer by Nehemiah to the Lord that reviews the history of Israel. Now, Nehemiah has come back to the land of Israel from the Babylonian captivity, and they’re going to try to rebuild the land, rebuild the temple, etc., Now he’s praying to God and he’s reminding God of how he dealt with Israel in the past. And in Nehemiah 9 it says, They and our fathers acted proudly. They hardened their necks and did not heed your commandments. They refused to obey and they were not mindful of your wonders that you did among them. But they hardened their necks and in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. Children of Israel wanted to go back and get rid of Moses. Now listen to the next statement. But you are God. ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them. You know, here these people deserve, I mean, God could have said, that’s what you want, then that’s what you get. Go on back to Egypt. He could have said, hey, it’s national wipe out Israel day. He could have done anything he wanted to and it would have been righteous. But the Bible says because he’s slow to anger, he didn’t. And instead he forgave them.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, that’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. David will be back to close out our time in the Word in just a bit, so do stay with us for that. First, David’s son Matt is here. Matt, let’s share a few home Bible study resources with the folks.
SPEAKER 02 :
Jim, take a moment and consider the momentous events of the first 11 chapters of God’s Word. Our triune God announces his intention to create our world, the universe, and all life therein. Matt, the vastness of our universe, the incredible complexity of DNA, the design of humans in our environment. The fellowship of mankind with God and the institution of marriage. Yeah, the union. of man and woman in marriage. Yeah, the fallen and painful introduction of sin into the world and the early prophecy regarding redemption and the picture of God’s justice and grace for believers as pictured in the flood.
SPEAKER 01 :
All of this, all of this and more are covered in an exciting study of Genesis 1-11 by your dad, David Hawking, titled The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, Jim, the biblical phrase, as it was in the days of Noah, is familiar. Oh, yeah. And my dad’s study of this period really grants great insight into our day and time.
SPEAKER 01 :
And, Matt, we mentioned God’s wonderful design for marriage.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s clearly articulated in these chapters. And we see God’s mercy, justice, love, and power all clearly demonstrated here as well. Well, indeed. Amen. And, Matt, the beginning from creation to the flood by David Hawking is just $15. And you’ll find faith-fortifying notes. Understanding of creation, the fall, early civilization, the flood, and a lot more.
SPEAKER 01 :
But also outstanding encouragement and insights for your life today. So get a copy of The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood, today. And please pray for hope for today. Amen. Amen. Oh, and just before David returns, we also want to let you know that the Attributes of God radio series is available on MP3 for just $20. Again, that’s our current series, the complete series on MP3, just $20. Now we also have the sermon notes for this series. These are the original sermon notes and outlines that David used to deliver these messages. And boy, they are packed with additional information that helps you follow along with David as he teaches and the pack of sermon notes for the whole series is just $10. To order these resources or make a donation, call 800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, and Bible is 24253. And as you order this or any resource, would you prayerfully consider also standing with Hope for Today financially through a donation? To send a gift by mail in the U.S., write to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, that’s T-U-S-T-I-N, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, spelled A-B-B-O-T-S-F-O-R-D-B-C-V-2-S-8-P-1. Or call us at 875-BIBLE in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. And visit us online at davidhawking.org. Let’s get back to David.
SPEAKER 03 :
There are two words for patience in the New Testament. One is more like our word long-suffering. It is talking about our reaction toward people, not circumstances. The second word, patience, means to bear up under a load, and it is referring to circumstances that we face in life. Love, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 13, 4, is patient, and that’s the word for long-suffering, long-suffering, makrothumia, taking a long time to boil. I’m so glad that God is long-suffering. Both Ephesians and Colossians point out that behind His forgiveness is His long-suffering. In 2 Peter chapter 3, we learn about the day of the Lord that’s coming, a day of terrible disaster and destruction. But the Bible says that God is not slack concerning His promises, but He’s long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. Well, those who become believers, God is long-suffering. That’s what brought you to the Lord. He’s endured you, so to speak. All of our bad attitudes and sinful thoughts and actions, and God’s been taking a long time to boil. He is a God of patience. By the way, God does not have the patience we’re to have towards circumstances because he controls them all. He doesn’t need any patience in terms of circumstances. But thank God he has patience toward us. And that long suffering is waiting for you.
SPEAKER 01 :
God bless you. Amen. Aren’t you glad that we serve a wonderful, a wonderfully loving and patient God? Wow. Friend, if you’d like to know more about a relationship with Jesus Christ, and I mean what the Bible says about it, we’d like to send you two free resources. First, David’s booklet called What is Christianity? And a Bible study by mail. Absolutely free. Call 875-BIBLE in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. Or send us a message on our website using the contact form at davidhawking.org. And we’ll send these resources your way. Again, these are free for those who are new to the Christian faith or not yet a Christian, but you want to know more about becoming a Christian. Well, next time, David Hawking returns with day two of his message called The Patience of God. He’ll take us further into the staggering truth that God’s patience is not weakness, but mercy, mercy that holds the door open and gives men time to repent. Be sure to join us next time right here on Hope for Today.
