"The
Christian: Patience in Difficulty”
(Romans 12:9-21), farewell sermon, St. John Baldwin, Pentecost 12A Aug. ‘14
1.
Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Amen. What do you preach as a pastor in your last
sermon to the congregation you have served the last 7 years? I thought about that this past week and my
conclusion was this… to preach once again Christ & Him crucified for the
forgiveness of your sins. For that is
the ONLY message that saves us and gives us eternal life!!! So, in the message from God’s Word this
morning we’re going to turn to Romans chapter 12. Here the Apostle Paul
describes to us what the life of a Christian looks like when we as Christians
are led through the power of the Holy Spirit to follow God’s Word. It’s not easy to have patience in this life. The person who cuts you off while you’re
driving in the car to work. Waiting for
your parents to pick you up from school.
Trying to be patient while waiting for those test results to come back
from the doctor. Let’s face it, patience
isn’t easy, especially in difficulty.
For this reason we’re going to look at Romans 12:12, which says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.” The message
is entitled, “The Christian: Patience in Difficulty.” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2.
A
golfer on a driving range slices another ball and says, “I’m losing my patience.” With
that, he quits and walks away. Or the
gofer walks up to the ball, forgets about his stance, grip and swing and just
whacks the ball as hard as he can, only to hit it a couple of feet. When we lose patience, we’re on the edge of
giving up. We’ve tried too hard for way
too long, we’re beginning to think that it doesn’t matter anymore, so we do one
of two things: we walk away from a situation, or we do whatever we want. Patience is easy to lose.
3.
That’s
why Paul’s words here in Romans 12 are a blessing to us. He says in Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in
prayer.” Paul reveals to us that
patience is a gift from God. Patience is
a gift that’s given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Romans, Paul reveals the blessings of
God’s mercies. Once we were enemies of
God, but now through Jesus we have been made the people of God. God’s mercy not only forgives your sins, but
it also transforms your lives. God’s
mercy renews your patience in tribulation.
4.
The
Apostle Paul knows that when we undergo tribulation, it’s hard not to lose
patience. After all, he’s not talking
about the trials of learning to play golf.
Paul is speaking of the devil, the world and our sinful flesh fighting
against us, seeking to take away the comfort of our salvation. These are the enemies of our Christian lives. Being a Christian is difficult. Confessing Gods Word to a world that doesn’t
want to hear is hard. Showing love to
one’s enemies, holding fast to what is good, practicing mercy, fighting for
justice, living in peace with others.
These things are hard to do. We
may be tempted to give up, walk away from Christianity, or to do as we
please. If you’ve ever found yourself
falling into either of those errors, then listen to Paul, because he has a word
of encouragement for us as Christians. God
renews our patience in his mercy.
Standing firm in his grace, we neither walk away nor do what we
want. Instead, we’re patient in the
midst of difficulty.
5.
The
Christian having patience in difficulty doesn’t walk away, but remains constant
in prayer as Paul says in Romans 12:12. One
challenge to patience is the temptation to give up. We’re tempted to lay down our arms in battle,
to believe that nothing is worth this suffering, to feel that no one cares and
then to just walk away. This temptation
could have overcome the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 15 the prophet says, “15O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance
for me on my persecutors. In your
forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. 17I did not sit in the company of
revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for
you had filled me with indignation. 18Why
is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?
6.
Here
in Jeremiah 15 we see that because of God’s Word, Jeremiah is a laughingstock. Jeremiah prophesies destruction to God’s
people, but nothing seems to happen. His
loneliness leads to a complaint and accusation against God. Jeremiah even questions God’s promises. But, in the midst of difficulty—Jeremiah
doesn’t walk away. He comes before God
in prayer and in mercy God answers. In
fact, God responds to Jeremiah’s suffering with a promise of his steadfast
mercy when he says in Jeremiah 15:20-21, “
20And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they
will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you
to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. 21I will deliver you out of the
hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
7.
Just
like what happened to Jeremiah the prophet, God in Jesus His Son, has come and
endured our trials, suffering for our sins on the cross and opening the way of
salvation to us. God’s great Good News
to us is that because of Jesus, he’s in relationship to us, invites our
prayers, listens to our cries and our anger when we’re in the midst of
suffering and even gives us His Spirit to intercede for us. Rom
8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit
helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And
he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit
intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” In the midst of difficulty, we don’t walk
way but trust in God’s mercy and call out to God in prayer. We’re patient in tribulation by being
constant in prayer.
8.
Patience
in tribulation doesn’t take control but rejoices in hope. Another challenge to
patience is the temptation to take control.
We want to impose our will on a situation. We rely on our effort to bring an end to the
suffering. Yet, earlier in his Letter to
the Romans, Paul reveals that suffering difficulty in God’s hands is part of
our growth. Through the endurance of
suffering, we’re formed in hope; our eyes are turned from this world to the
future glory made certain for us in Christ.
9.
And
where can we as Christians go when we are enduring the trials of life? Where can we receive the patience that we
need from God to get through the ups and downs of life? As Christians we can find refuge and a
sanctuary in God’s Church in the worship service. Today, the holy Name of Father, Son and Holy
Spirit has been spoken. Through the confession of your sins, you have been
forgiven. The very words of Jesus are being heard. And, I as your pastor preach
the comfort of captives freed. How must all
of this look to the devil who is trying to hurl all sorts of difficulty at you
in order to get you to lose heart and give up the Christian life? It looks like this. All the devil’s plans are destroyed. All the
doubt and despair he tries to create in you is brushed aside. His desire to
ruin lives and bind consciences is left unfulfilled. Here, in the Divine
Service, the same Lord Jesus who descended into hell to declare His victory,
once again strides into the midst of sinners to declare to the devil that he
can’t have you.
10.
And,
this is why Sunday after Sunday, for over 7 years now, there has really only
been one topic preached from this pulpit. Though there have been many themes
and many texts. Though some sermons have lacked the energy and freshness of
others. Though some have been downright boring and much too long. Through it all, there’s really been only one
thing the Lord has given me to preach here.
One person, one favorite topic, Sunday after Sunday, and that’s Jesus
Christ, crucified & risen for you. This
is the message that gives you patience in the midst of difficulty, that gives
you hope in face of despair.
11.
Patience
in difficulty is like walking a tightrope and not falling. In the midst of suffering,
we don’t walk away and we don’t take control of the situation by trying to rely
on ourselves. Instead, we trust in God’s
mercy shown to us in Jesus given to us through God’s Word &
Sacraments. Jesus is our lifeline in the
midst of difficulty. We stand firm in
him, speaking to God in prayer and rejoicing in the hope that he works all
things together for our good. When Paul
encourages us to be patient in tribulation, he puts that encouragement between
two other exhortations: rejoice in hope
and be constant in prayer. For Paul,
these three things belong together: patience, hope and prayer. In the midst of difficulty, we remember God’s
mercies and remain as Romans 12:12 says, joyful
in hope, patient in tribulation and constant in prayer. Amen.
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