Romans 15:5

much if we do not frequently meditate upon and marvel at the God of patience that has spoken of here in Romans 15 and verse 5. And you’ll notice the implication here is that we should pray to be more like God, and especially in our dealings with our fellow believers in Christ, that we would have that same kind of patience. What is God’s patience? Probably the principal reason why so many fail to acknowledge the patience of God as an attribute is a lot of people lump it in with the mercy of God. But when you speak of God’s patience, you’re referring to his long-suffering, his forbearance, his slowness to anger, and his restraint, if you would, of wrath. And thus God’s long-suffering is often mentioned in connection with his grace and mercy. For example, in Psalm 8615, but thou, O Lord, ought to God full of compassion, and graciousness, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy, and truth. And so we see its connection with these other attributes. Now, the Hebrew word for long-suffering is an interesting word. It means to be long of nostril. And it’s connected with the idea that something is irritating your nose. Maybe it’s smoke or something. Something is irritating your nose, but if you’re long of nose, it takes a while before really gets you irritated. And so that seems to be the implication of the word. In Nahum, 1-3, we read, the Lord is slow to anger and great in power. Mr. Charnock in his book on the covenant said this, are great in the world, who are men that are great in the world, are quick in passion. They’re not so ready to forgive an injury, to bear with an offender as one of meaner rank. It is a want of power over the man’s self that makes him do unbecoming things upon provocation. A prince that can bridle his passion. is a king over himself as well as over his subjects. God is slow to anger because great in power. He has no less power over himself than over his creatures. And thus God’s patience here is certainly distinguished from his mercy. Though the creature is benefited, patience. of God has to deal with himself, his own person. It is the restraint that’s placed upon his actions by his will. The patience of God even causes him to sustain great injury, so to speak, without immediately avenging himself. So God’s long suffering is therefore something. which believers may in some way imitate, as we saw in Romans 155. And Ephesians 4, 1, and 2 tells us about doing the same thing. So here is God’s patience, a definition. Now we see God’s patience towards his elect people. God’s long-suffering ultimately is for the benefit. of the people God. Now, let’s look at 2 Peter 3.9, part of the passage that Russell read earlier so that you might have the background to it. But let’s look at verse 9 again here. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slack. but is long suffering to usward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Now this passage of scripture, as you well know, it has to do with the second coming of Christ and the judgment of the world and burning it up with fire and so forth. And it is telling us the reason why the Lord has not returned. Why is it that under all this provocation by false teachers, this denial of the truth of God’s judgment of the world, that nothing has happened? And the answer that he gives us here, that it’s not that the Lord is not that the Lord is slack as if he’s not going to judge. But he’s long-suffering. He’s patient to usward. The usward here are the beloved of God. They are the elect of God. And we get the distinct impression here that God is waiting to gather all his elect people into the church, bring them to Christ. and salvation before he comes again. And so that’s the point of this text. So when we read it, he’s not willing to any, meaning any of the us should perish, but all the us should be brought to repentance. It has to do with God’s elect. And so this is very important that, you know, God waits before He was, for you know, for brings this judgment. Now notice verse 15, because this is a key verse, an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. So that if the Lord is long-suffering towards you, it is because he’s going to bring you to salvation. And so we begin to realize he has a purpose in his waiting before returning in judgment. But Christ will come, and he will bring out a judgment of the wicked. But at first here, he’s patient in gathering in his elect people. So the Lord here doesn’t want any of his elect people to perish. So he waits. He waits. until they are all called according to God’s plan and purpose. So God’s own suffering ultimately is for the benefit of the elect. Let’s look at God’s patience toward Israel in the Old Testament, in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 14, if you would. Now, this passage of Scripture, the Israelites have sent to spot. into the land of Canaan to spy it out to bring back a report about the land. And you recall that 10 of the 12 representatives from the tribes brought back a bad report. They said, while there are giants in the land, all the city walls are fortified, we’re never able to take them, and we’re going to get slaughtered. We go up here and fight these. these Canaanites. And God is angry with them. And God threatens to destroy them all. Kill all the people. And Moses intercedes. Notice verses 17. Well, let me begin with verse 15. Now, if thou will, if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land, which he swear unto them. Therefore he has slain them in the wilderness. And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children under the third, fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according unto thy greatness of thy mercy. And as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. Moses here is interceding. And you notice he appeals to the patience of God. God’s long-suffering here. Here is important. He says, let the power of the Lord be great. God, bring your. anger under control by your mighty power and spare this people. Now, of course, the Lord will spare his elect among them, but a lot of them will, most of them will die in the wilderness and fall as the carcasses in the wilderness during this journey. These are ungrateful wretches. But God restrains. himself and does not wipe out the whole nation as one man as he as he threatened to do. God suffered their manners for 40 years in the wilderness Acts 13, 18 tells us. You know, later they entered into the land of Canaan and they followed the evil customs of the heathen nations around them. And they turned to idolatry. Though God chastened them severely, he did not utterly destroy. as the book of judges indicates, he brought up nations against them, bring them into subjection, humbled them, and then raised up judges to help them. And he delivered them time and time again. Yet eventually, God sent them off into captivity, as we know. And finally, in their rebellion against… the Lord and his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his crucifixion, he still waited 40 years before he sent the Roman invasion that destroyed the nation in 70 AD. So God’s patience toward Israel is seen clearly in the past. God’s patient toward his elect before salvation. Let’s look at 1. Timothy 1.15. and 16. 1. 15 and 16. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ, or Christ Jesus, came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ, might show forth all long suffering or a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. If you review your own life, and especially if you were not saved early on in life, you’ll note how patient God was in not wiping you off the face of the face of the earth before you were brought to salvation. When you were in this unregenerate and wicked state, review your life and see that this is the case. Paul reviews his life. He’s thinking about what he was before he was brought to salvation and how patiently God dealt with him and his conduct. And he was one who blasphemed the Lord, threw God’s people in jail, had him put the death, hated the gospel, opposed it in every way possible, and yet he’s the one that God showed long suffering toward and brought to salvation. He bears with us in our foolishness and sin. Like a shepherd, he comes after the lost sheep in order to bring them. back to the full. How gracious God was to bear with Paul. And Paul says that what happened to him is an example, if you would, of how God, a pattern of how God works with those who are unregenerate, but are the elect. And so he’s saying, look at me and you can see how this is the case. By the way, that passage that we read in 2 Peter 315, you’ll notice that he talks about Paul and Paul explaining God’s long suffering how it’s salvation. I think he’s referring to this passage here in 1st Timothy. So we see God’s patience toward his elect people. Now, sometimes we see God’s patience toward his elect people. Now, sometimes we see God’s patience. in dealing with the ungodly, it’s not that he’s actually patient toward them. He’s actually patient toward his elect, but it shows up as waiting before judgment falls. Look at Romans chapter 9 and verse 22, if you would. Romans 922, what if God, what if God, will, and they make his power known, endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afford prepared under glory. His long suffering toward the vessels of wrath is for the purpose of making known his salvation to the vessels of mercy. But he does show some patience in this. and then look at chapter 2 of Romans and verse 4 with me also. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. So his patience toward his elect is leading them to repentance, repentance, as the scripture indicates here. Now, it is true. that God does not immediately break out and throw his lightning bolts at the ungodly, such as Pharaoh. On every side, people are flagrantly sinning against the Lord. The law of God is trampled underfoot. God is openly despised. It’s truly amazing that God has not just crushed his enemy. Why doesn’t he suddenly cut them off? He struck down in and ice and sapphire for their lives. He caused the earth to open and swallow up Dathan and Abiram and their followers. But by bearing long with the wicked, we’re bearing patience so long, the power of God’s patience is gloriously demonstrated. true, the wicked interpret this wrong, and because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil, according to ecclesiastes 8-11. But just as a believer can adore the patience of God in the whole matter, we should recognize that he shows patience in dealing with the non-elect for the sake of his elect. And when mankind was universally degenerate, all flesh had corrupted its way before the Lord. God warned first of all that he would not continue to strive with man, but he would wait 120 years before he sent the judgment so that the preaching of Noah would have full effect. Sodom Gimura were daring sinners in the eyes of God. And you know, we know this story when Abraham rescued the cities of Sodom Gamaer, when they got run overtaken and everybody was taken captive, God gave Abraham the ability in his little group to overcome these kings and free these people. And so that was a rebrander. reprieve of judgment for that particular time. So as we look around us today, he patiently waits, and as the scripture says about the Canaanites, he waits until they fill up their cup of wrath. Why didn’t Israelites conquer the land right away? God said the time. of the Amarites is not yet full. They’re not ripe yet for judgment, and therefore I will wait. And so he does before sending the Israelites in and destroying them. So God’s patience in dealing here with the ungodly is suggested here. God’s patience is one of those attributes. you may attain in this life. Now, isn’t this interesting? Some of God’s attributes you and I can express. And this is one of them that God would have us express as a fruit of the spirit. You are to emulate this attribute. In the immediate context of Matthew 5, he says, he says, he says, be therefore perfect. even as your father, which is in heaven is perfect, God, through Christ, exhorts you to love your enemies, and to bless them that curse you, to do good under them that hate you. And he indicates to us that God, in dealing with the wicked, is often provides good things for them, and yet eventually he does judge them. It’s not easy. thing to do to be patient, especially when you’re being provoked by others. It takes a special work of God within us, make us patient and long suffering. And what does this tell you about how you should treat your fellow believers, as I mentioned, in Romans 15.5? It tells us how much patience we should show. I’m reminded of Peter saying to the Lord, you know, how many times must I forgive my brother who comes to me seven times? Now I tell you 70 times seven. So it’s, you know, we see that God would have us be long-suffering and patient toward our fellow believers. And sometimes I guess we have to tell ourselves, take it easy, Malcolm, or Jack, or whatever the case may be. when we’re dealing with situations around us. My God bless us with this teaching on the patience of God this morning. Now, because we’re going to have the Lord’s Supper today, I thought I would take a moment and look at Song of Solomon, Chapter 3 with you, before we get to the supper. Song of Solomon. and chapter three. Let me read the first two verses of chapter three. By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now and go about the city in the streets, and in the broadway, in the broadways, I will seek him whom my soul loveth. I sought him. I sought him. I saw him. I sawed him. that I found him not. The bride, having lost intimate fellowship with Christ, is troubled. There are what we see in chapter 2, verse 17, mountains of Bether, of division between Christ and his people, and she’s restless when upon her bed, kept awake, because of the withdrawal of Christ. and here you find her renewed efforts to be restored to this intimate fellowship. You as a believer should know something of this struggle in your own personal life, and consider how the bride did recover recover fellowship with her, Lord and Savior. Let me begin by saying this. The bride increases the intensity of her search for Christ. I will rise now. While Christ is absent, she had sought him to some extent, maybe using prayer or other means such as the reading of the scriptures. This is a private seeking of Christ. But remaining upon her bed, but remaining upon her bed, intimates here, I think, a less diligent form, more half-hearted searching of Christ. Hence Christ is not found, and this initial effort was just too feeble. There’s much in your practice as a believer, which we can find fault with. We know that we’re not perfect in these areas. And this is why you may be unsuccessful in drawing close to Christ immediately. The bride now resolves to stir herself, to pursue more vigorous means to restore the intimate fellowship with Christ. So she becomes more active. I will rise now, she says. She acknowledges. She acknowledges. she needs to do more. Now Bible study and prayer is a good start. That’s a good place to begin. One’s recovery. But it may not be enough. Look with me at Psalm 77, if you would, one through nine. I cried under God with my voice, even under God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble, I sought the Lord. My sorrow ran in the night. and cease not. My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God and was troubled. I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed, Celia. Thou holdest my eyes waking. I am so troubled I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call remembrance my song in the night. I commune with my own heart, and my spirit may diligent search. Will the Lord cast off forever? Will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? Doth his promise fail forevermore? Have God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Thelah? Maybe you feel like that. You know, you’re seeking the Lord and you feel like you’ve been shut out and your efforts have not. produce something that was tangible. And so he has to intensify his efforts, which the bride does here. Notice secondly, the bride uses public means to search for Christ and go about the city, and in the streets and in the broadway, guardways, I will seek him whom my soul, loveth. It’s often good that your spiritual life is not easily obtained, because it pushes us to more diligent efforts. Now, by the word city here, we are to understand this as the church. We understand it is the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, as Hebrews 1222 indicates to us. Her going into this city indicates the using of more public means and even communicating her case to others in contrast to the private efforts upon her bed. Now the streets and in the broadways here is where people gather, in this case, where the word of God is preached. We read in Proverbs 1, 20, and 21, these words. Wisdom crieth without. She uttereth her voice in the streets. She crieth her voice in the streets. She crieth in the chief place of concourse. In the opening of the gates, in the city, we have the idea of where the word of God is heard from this passage of Scripture. Christ, of course, is the wisdom of God, and he’s proclaimed by the minister, and it’s glad tidings of great joy to the believer. Plus, you have the promise of the Savior himself. Remember what he said. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there, am I in the midst of them. So go where Christ says he will be if we’re seeking a more intimate relationship with him. It’s good to resolve to do what will improve the state of your soul and proceed to pursue it. So don’t miss out on the public means the preaching of God’s word as a way to restore the intimate fellowship you need with Christ. Don’t neglect that. The bride uses public means not to search for Christ. But the third thing we see here, the bride is still not, is still disappointed in her search for Christ. I saw him, but I found him not. even when you are most diligent in using the private and public means, intimate fellowship with Christ may not immediately be restored. He does this for several reasons. One is to chasing you, or maybe your previous negligence in the duty, your half-heartedness in it. Two, the exercise. your faith to try your patience in this matter. It’s a way to develop your Christian graces. Three, to show you that the means themselves do not guarantee intimate fellowship with Christ. It’s the way to it, but intimate fellowship is granted when Christ is the way to it, but intimate fellowship is granted when Christ decides to grant it. And so we should accept that. Well, with all this in mind this morning, as you come to the Lord’s Supper and you desire intimate fellowship with the one you love, keep in mind how precious it is to have intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ. This passage certainly emphasizes that point. Let us close with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we are thankful for your goodness to us, your provision for us. We thank you, Lord, for Christ and His pursuit of His people, his desire to be with us, an intimate fellowship. Enable us, Father, to have that same response ourselves. and where we’ve wronged you, Father, or where we’ve done evil, we pray that we might be forgiven and shown mercy. Now bless this day and encourage us in the things of Christ. In Jesus’ name, we ask these things with Thanksgiving. Amen. At this time, I have Mark to come forward as we partake of the supper. Let’s have a word of prayer. Father, we’ll be here. pray that you would prepare our hearts to come to the table this morning. I pray that we have thought about this matter, that our hearts are ready to come before you this morning and partake of the supper. May it be a blessing to us. May you encourage us through it. And may you bless these things to our spiritual benefit. And forgive us of all our sins. In Jesus’ name, we’ll thank you. giving we pray. Jesus said this broken bread represents his broken body. We’re all to eat of it. Likewise, they took the cup. The Bible says this cup is a new covenant in his blood. We’re all to drink it. And the Lord bless us. Father, we thank you for this time together. We thank you for the fellowship of your people. Renew us in spiritual things. Bless us, I pray today. In Jesus’ name, amen. Let’s stay in for the benediction. Brother, in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit. Amen. Tim, I’m glad you recorded it because I forgot to turn it on. That’s why I thought maybe.