Faith And Patience.. The Powerful Team!

Faith And Patience..The Powerful Team!

Heb. 12:1,2 ..”Let us keep on running with Patience the race that is set before us.

Heb.11:3,5,6,8, 13-15, 33,34 “By Faith.., subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises…”

Heb. 6:12 26 Trans. “We want you not to become lazy, but follow the example of them who through sheer Patient Faith are now possessors of the blessings promised. ”

Heb.12:1,2 26 Trans. “Seeing then that we have encircling us so great a cloud of witnesses, so vast a crowd of spectators in the grandstands [of heaven], of witnesses who have born testimony of the truth; let us rid ourselves of all that weights us down and the sin that so readily entangles our feet, and run with patience and resolution the race set before us,

2 With our eyes on Jesus, the Cause and the Completer of our faith. Who in consideration of the joy lying before Him steadily endured the cross, thinking nothing of it‘s shame, and on the right hand of the throne of God has taken His seat.”

The Apostle Paul compares our Christian life to a race; having both a starting point and a goal! In the great event of our Christian experience we must have that spiritual under-girding strength that Patience brings into our life.

Col.1:11 Paul by the Spirit prays for all saints that we would be...

"Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all Patience and longsuffering with Joyfulness;"

-Strong’s
MIGHT: Miraculous Power, ability to perform miracles.

PATIENCE: Steadfastness, constancy, endurance.

LONG SUFFERING: Persevering Endurance.

Paul is Praying that we would be Equipped by God with a GOD SIZE proportion of Miraculous Power resulting in Steadfast, Constant, Persevering Endurance with Joyfulness!

Why? The Answer is in Understanding the Value in Steadfast, Constant, Persevering, Endurance!

I. What Is Patience?

A. Def. Patience: Strongs - For Heb.6:12 “ You be followers of them“- #3115 That courage with Long Enduring Temper.

1. God's design is that Faith and Patience Work Together, Hand In Hand!

2. Patience weakens as faith declines. Without faith the fruit of spiritual patience becomes a fleshly effort lacking the power for the journey.

3. Our joy and confidence in God to fulfill his promise is the Faith that enables the fruit of patience to grow to powerful dimensions!

B. Heb. 12:1 “Let us run with patience..” Strongs 5281 Cheerful , Hopeful Endurance.

1. Constancy, Abiding Under-girding Strength.

2. The foundational quality, the Undergoing ability to bear up under trials with Persevering Strength.

a. Something on the inside working on the outside!

II. Why Is Patience The Friend Of Faith.

Read Heb.12:1b,2a

A. Paul by the Spirit of God makes a connection between patience and our faith in Heb. 6:12.

B. We run our race by faith, and Paul said in Heb.12:2 that our eyes are to be on the Lord as we run, but the undergurding force of Patience Must Be in place!

C. Many times when people think about walking in patience, they see it as an inconvenience rather than the Strength that it is to their Faith.

D. Walking in patience not only Undergirds our Faith, but it will also act as a Shield Against Anxiety.

1. Lk. 21:19 In your patience #5281 possess your souls. [cheerful, hopeful, endurance. Abiding undergirding strength.

The foundational quality, the undergoing ability to bear up under trials with Persevering Strength!

E. When we walk in the Spiritual force of Patience the element of time and calendars are no longer a distracting pressure.

F. Heb. 10:36 You have need of patience #5281 that after you have done the will of God..”

1. Heb. 11:6 He that come to God Must Believe...

2. Believing and exercising Faith in God and His Word Is the Will of God!

III. Where Does This Patience Come From?

A. Rom. 15:5 says, God is the Author of Patience. (#5281)

B. How does it come? - According to Gal. 5:22 This is our God Given Fruit of the spirit.

1. According Heb. 12:2, When we are looking to Jesus.

2. You can’t walk in this kind of cheerful, hopeful endurance, unless you are Looking Unto Jesus while you are running your race!

C. This kind of patience isn’t the kind that’s trying to hold out till the end!

1. This is the kind that marches around the walls of Jericho with Joy and Excitement because you know the walls are coming down and the Victory Is Yours!

IV. Walking In Patience.

A. When I am walking in patience there is a calm assurance that says, “God is working on my behalf and I have nothing to worry about.

B. Patience knows that it is God who Gives The Increase and I don’t have to keep checking up on things.

C. When I walk in Patience, it keeps my Faith In Place and my flesh in check!

With the force of Patience we will live in More Joy, Less Anxiety, and See Greater Fruit Produced as we run our race!

Author Mike Hawkins