The Fruit of The Spirit: Longsuffering

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Temple Baptist Church - 9-20-2020

Galatians 5:22

 

Introduction:

 

A.  The Fruit of the Spirit manifests itself in nine different aspects—three inward, the soul—three outward, the body—three upward, the spirit.  If any of the nine are missing, one is not filled with the Spirit.

 

B.  These three aspects of the fruit of the Spirit work with each other.  First, we must be right inward.  Secondly, we must be right outwardly.  Thirdly, if we are not right inwardly and outwardly, we cannot be right upwardly!

 

C.  I have preached on love, joy, and peace.  Does everyone here have those three aspects?  HALLELUIAH, DON’T YOU FEEL GREAT NOW THAT THE INWARD IS GOOD?  Now, we will look at the first aspect of our outward three, longsuffering.

 

D.  The first aspect of the fruit of the Spirit in our outward demeanor is an important one: longsuffering!

 

1.  Longsuffering defined:  patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship. 

 

2.  Longsuffering synonyms:  Forgiving, selfless, accommodating, tolerant, patient, stoic, uncomplaining.  I love the word stoic.

 

3.  Stoic defined: not affected by or showing passion or feeling.

 

4.  “Is everything going your way?”  Longsuffering says, “No and neither does it have to go my way.”

 

E.  Longsuffering: simply stated is that you are going to have to put up with a lot of “junk” from others! 

 

1.  People have bad days, say dumb things, or otherwise transgress “your space” in some way so you can either ACT or REACT. 

 

2.  If you react, your response can fuel a fire than needs to be put out.  Wrong reactions are like fighting a house fire with gasoline!  Things fail to have a harmonious outcome.

 

3.  If you act and are right with the “love-joy-peace” aspect of being filled with the Spirit, you will be longsuffering, forbearing, and forgiving.  You are not offended, do not offend, and then you get the harmonious result that God wants.

 

F.  You just have to put up with a lot of “junk” in this life!  This morning, I want to look at longsuffering from a local church perspective.  Probably the number one problem and greatest enemy of the local church is personal conflict.

 

1.  Most people do not leave the church over doctrinal problems.

 

2.  They leave over hurt feelings – root of bitterness

 

G.  First mention Of Longsuffering - Exodus 34:6  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

 

1.  The Lord Is Longsuffering To Sinners - Numbers 14:18  The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

 

2.  The Lord Is Longsuffering To Saints - Jeremiah 15:15  O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

 

H.  Our Example in longsuffering is the Lord Jesus Christ in His relationship with you and I individually.

 

Ephesians 4:31-32  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  (32)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

Colossians 3:12-13  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  (13)  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

 

1.  Longsuffering protects the Unity within the Church.  We are brothers and sisters in Christ and are to love one another with our whole heart fervently.  Charity, or brotherly love, covers a multitude of sins.

 

2.  Longsuffering protects the Purpose of the Church.  When people get hurt and leave a church, missions giving is always the first thing that pays the price.

 

3.  Longsuffering protects the Testimony of the Church.  When people leave churches wrong, the world will soon know.

 

4.  Longsuffering protects the Posterity of the Church.  When people are miffed at one another, there is division and our children know and are hurt by it.

 

5.  Longsuffering protects our Prayer Life.  When we are out of sorts with others, we are out of sorts with God and our prayers go unanswered.

 

6.  Longsuffering protects the Worship of the Church.  If we do not love our brother whom we can see, how can we worship our God whom we cannot see.

 

7.  Longsuffering protects our inward soul.  When we are right and do right, our love—joy—peace remain intact and we are well adjusted Christians.