Living By Faith (Lesson Eight) Faith and Patience (The ...

1 DSN Rick Pina The Just (uncompromising righteous) Shall Live By His Faith ! (Hab 2:4 AMP) 1 Living By Faith (Lesson Eight) Faith and Patience (The Power Twins) Ricardo Rick Pina Victory Gospel Experience (VGE), Camp Victory, Iraq Wednesday Night, 5:30pm (March 4th, 2009) Introduction: The Bible is full of people humans, just like us that were used mightily, the earth, by God, for His glory! But if we take a close look at their lives we will find that they did not do what they did without resistance, without challenges and without a clear need for Faith and Patience . Abraham waited 25 years for his son. Caleb waited 45 years for his mountain. Joseph waited 13 years for the dream to come to pass. Elijah waited for 3 years for the time to be right to bring back the rain. Jesus waited 30 years for a 3 year ministry. We don t have a promise that our life is going to be easy, but we do have many promises that tell us it will be worth it!

2 We have already defined Faith and taught a great deal about it in this Bible Study. For the next month we will focus in on Faith and Patience . Patience : What is Patience ? Most people think of Patience as simply waiting. In one sense this is true, but biblical Patience is more specific than simply waiting. The word translated Patience in Hebrews 6:12 is a Greek word (hupomone) which means: steadfastness, consistency, endurance; the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to Faith , even under the greatest trials and sufferings; a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance. In light of this information, I define Patience as: 1. The ability to remain the same (internally), in spite of circumstances (externally). 2. The force of consistency. Patience is more than simply waiting on something to happen, but rather remaining the same while you wait. You can see how this ability, coupled with Faith , is very important.

3 You must know what to do in the space between I believe, in Jesus name. Amen; and there it is! This is what I call the space between the promise and the performance. The enemy will make every attempt to get you to lose heart during that space. He will tell you that God is not going to do it, that He did not hear your prayer, that you need to lower your expectations, and etc. This ability to remain the same ( Patience ) will enable you to combat the thoughts of fear, doubt, and unbelief; and make it possible for you to remain in Faith . Faith and Patience : (Heb 6:10-12 AMP) ( ) For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do. God will not forget what you have done in the past but God expects you to progress not regress! DSN Rick Pina The Just (uncompromising righteous) Shall Live By His Faith !

4 (Hab 2:4 AMP) 2 ( ) But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end, For you to be developed in Christ it requires diligence and sincerity. God is looking for us to Stay The Course! James said, What a gift life is to those who stay the course! (James 5:10 MSG). We must keep our hope until the end! ( ) In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through Faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises. It is not the will of God that we become spiritual sluggards. o We are to live for Christ all the days of our lives. o You cannot retire from being a Christian.

5 We should be imitators of Faith . We should seek both biblical and Living examples of people who have experienced success in God through Faith ; people that have placed their confidence in God s power, wisdom, and goodness (Heb 13:7). We should be initiators of Patience : We should seek both biblical and Living examples of people who have experienced success in God through Patience ; people who practice patient endurance until they see the reality of their Faith . We must be confident that we can also obtain the promises of God through Faith and Patience . o Peter tells us that we have like precious Faith (2 Pet 1:1). Possess Your Soul: In Luke 21 Jesus spoke to the disciples about the signs of the end times. He foretold of a time when Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you.

6 They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish (verses 10-18 NIV). What is God s answer to all of this? What is His guidance for us in times of trouble? What is His counsel for us when facing challenges? ( KJV) In your Patience possess ye your souls. The word possess here is a Greek word (ktaomai), which means: to acquire; to procure; to take control of. Our soul is comprised of our: mind, emotions and will. Jesus taught us here that, with Patience , we are able to take control of our soul.

7 When you face opposition you must take control of your emotions. Don t allow your emotions to rule over you. Patience the force of consistency is not just a quiet passive adherence to terrible conditions, but rather an inner force that empowers the believer to remain constant and steadfast (inwardly); no matter what may be happen outwardly. DSN Rick Pina The Just (uncompromising righteous) Shall Live By His Faith ! (Hab 2:4 AMP) 3 What does Patience Produce? (James 1:3,4 AMP) ( ) Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your Faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and Patience . ( ) But let endurance and steadfastness and Patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. What is the big deal about Patience ? The issue is not whether you know how to suffer, or whether you know how to endure; the issue is whether or not you can be trusted to remain faithful for the long run.

8 Does God know that you have the ability to remain the same, no matter what the devil may attack you with? That is the key issue. If you search the scriptures to find people that God used mightily you will see a common denominator in all of their lives they were people that were proven faithful. (Proverbs 20:6 KJV) Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? (God s Word Translation) Many people declare themselves loyal, but who can find someone who is [really] trustworthy. Very few people are truly faithful to God. These are people that have a proven track record with God. Sure, you can trust God, but can He trust you? When you operate in Faith and Patience , you prove to God that you can be trusted! If you remain the same ( Patience ), you will prove yourself faithful! Once you prove yourself faithful over the level that you are operating in today, God will elevate you to the next level!

9 Patience Must Come! (Mark 4:14-20 NIV) The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown. Jesus explained that the farmer sows the Word any person that shares the Word of God with others becomes the farmer and the Word of God is the seed. Jesus then says that as soon as (other translations say immediately ) the Word is sown along the path (people); satan comes to take it away.

10 Others are like the rocky ground. These people receive the Word initially, but then trouble and persecution come because of the Word and they fall away. Still others are like the thorny path. These people hear the Word, but then allow worry and deceitfulness choke the Word. Only those who hear the Word and accept it are likened to the good soil that brings forth a harvest. DSN Rick Pina The Just (uncompromising righteous) Shall Live By His Faith ! (Hab 2:4 AMP) 4 Wayside ground satan comes Rocky ground Persecution comes because of the Word Thorny ground Worries of this life, deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things come Good Ground They hear the Word, accept it, believe it, and apply it no matter what comes, they still bring forth a harvest! (Romans 10:17 KJV) So then Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The reason why satan comes, trouble comes and worries come, is so that you will not receive, accept, believe and apply the Word.