Eighteenth Sunday of Kingdomtide
Worship Theme: Have Patience
Job 42:1-6 MSG Bible
James 4:13-17, 5:7-11 Gods Word Bible
Isaiah 43:1-4 MSG Bible
Impatient with Patience
A reading form the Prophet Isaiah. . . chapter 43 verses 1 thru 4. . . listen to the Word of God for you and me the people of God. . .
Let us pray. . . loving and gracious God, we thank you for your word. . . your love letter for your people. Open our eyes and ears so that we may see and hear you in ways that we never imagined. May we have willing hearts to follow your instructions for us as we sojourn on this journey of faith. Speak Lord, you people are listening. . .
If you have ever dealt with children you probably know how hard it is to teach them patience. They want what they want yesterday. There are times that they understand that things sometimes take time but there are those times when they just don’t get the concept. It is those times when we try to be patient with them but we sometimes get a little impatient trying to teach them patience. For instance, riding in the car to a place that they really want to go to. . . You get up the street, about a mile, and then it begins. . . ”Are we there yet?”. You say no not yet honey and don’t you know about a quarter mile later they are again asking. . . ”Are we there yet?”. I know you know where I am going with this. . . It seems we understand that things take time and with a little patience we will see the end result but we get a little impatient with patience. . .
I mean think about the Israelites. God had saved them from the Egyptians and Moses was leading them to the Promised Land. . . to a land full of milk and honey. Not soon after their departure. . . are we there yet? Now this was supposed to be just a 40 day trip but the whole time they whined about not being there yet. As a matter of fact all they did was complain about the trip they were so impatient. Not enough food, no water, scary people around them, the trip is taking too long and so on. As a matter of fact it sounds like the back seat of my car when we go on long trips. . . our children turn into Israelites before our eyes. . .
We live in a world that has to have it now. . . OK. . . yesterday. We run around, rushing to get things because we have to have it now. Even if it’s not good for us we still “gotta have it.” Why is it so hard to wait and be patient. I used to hate it when people would say “patience is a virtue” especially when I was not feeling all that “virtuous”. We find ourselves praying “God give me patience now!” in situations. And by the way. . . never pray for patience. God will put you into situations where you need to learn patience. I have learned to pray “God help me to use the patience you have already given me to help me through this time. We hate standing in lines, waiting for the light to change, and so on. We hate to wait!
But there are lessons to be learned while we patiently wait. Even Job got a little impatient with God. His friends kept coming at him, saying that he must have done something wrong to deserve the catastrophes in his life. His wife even told him to just curse God and be done with it. Well. . . after a time he decided he had enough and he would question God. . . he got a little impatient because God had not “rescued him” from the bad in his life. Well as luck would have it God heard Jobs questions as He continues to hear our prayers today and after having a little conversation with Job, Job realized his error. As a matter of fact his answer to God was read in the Job scripture this morning. He learned God is always there and that God is always in control. We need to be patient, even in suffering, God is working out His plan. . . His good and pleasing plan. . . for all who call upon His name. By the way. . . God gave Job everything back plus after the whole ordeal was over. . . after Job came to the end of that part of his journey of faith.
We, as Christians, wait for the day of Jesus’ return. . . for Jesus top bring about the kingdom of God. . . for Jesus to usher in the New Jerusalem. But. . . we must be patient until He comes. We need to be about doing God’s work in the world around us. We need to trust God is working out His plan through you and through me as we use our God given purpose in the vineyard. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring so we need to live today as if it were our last. We need to not be so impatient for Christ’s return that we miss the glimpses of Him in our neighbor. We must never give up hope because hope, faith and love are the things we have to carry us through to the end. They endure forever. . .
But there is one piece of scripture that gives us hope in those trying times. . . in those time when we are impatient with what God is doing. . . when we think His time is not “right on time.” It’s the scripture that I read at the beginning of my sermon. The Isaiah 43 verses 1-4 scripture. It gives us patience in those times when we are at the end of our rope. . . Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. It gives us strength when we fell we can’t go on. . . I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When we feel there is no way out and have come to end of our patience. . . When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am God, your personal God. When we feel no one see our plight. . . I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. We are loved and we are watched over night and day. . .
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes waiting can be the hardest thing. We can become inpatient with patience from time to time. We may see no way out. But. . . there is One who loves us so much that He didn’t spare His only Son for us. And that gives us hope for the day. As we travel this road together let us show patience and love to one another. Let us follow the One who was so patient for us. . . to the point of death. . . in order for us to have a renewed relationship with our God who is the King of forgiveness, patience and love. Let us follow the example of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ as we become conduits of that love. . . of that grace. . . of that patience in the middle of trials. Let us reap the reward of a blessed life given to us in and through Jesus Christ.
Amen
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October 1, 2012
Worship Theme: Have Patience
Isaiah 43:1-4 Message Bible
Job 42:1-6 Message Bible
James 4:13-17, 5:7-11 Gods Word Bible
Call to Worship (Psalm 124:1-5, 8 Message Bible)
Unison Prayer (Serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr)
Pastoral Prayer by Pastor Ruth Foss
Prayer of Dedication
Message for children
by Pastor Ruth Foss
and sermon – “Impatient with Patience”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss
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http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
http://pastorruth.posterous.com/
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.suncookumc.org
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Suncook, NH
September 30, 2012
Eighteenth Sunday of Kingdomtide
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