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Sermon Outline

In the Crucible with Christ

Waiting in the Crucible

Lesson #11 for September 10, 2022

Scriptures:Romans 5:3-5; 15:4-5; 1 Samuel 26;Psalm 37:1-11; Galatians 5:22-23.

  1. Is waiting important for building character?

[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] Scientists did an experiment with four-year-old children and marshmallows. Each child was told by a scientist that they could have a marshmallow; however, if the child waited until the scientist returned from an errand, they would be given two. Some of the children stuffed the marshmallow into their mouths the moment the scientist left; others waited. The differences were noted.

The scientists then kept track of these children into their teenage years. The ones who had waited turned out to be better adjusted, better students, and more confident than those who didn’t. It seemed that patience was indicative of something greater, something important in the human character. It is no wonder, then, that the Lord tells us to cultivate it.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sabbath Afternoon, September 3.†‡

  1. Why is it so difficult to be patient? And to wait? Why do we sometimes have to wait so long for things we know are right? What should we be learning as we wait?
  2. Romans 15:4-5 suggest that we can gain hope as we patiently wait. Does that sound like something that is fun to do?
  3. It has been reported that someone once prayed: “Lord, I need patience, and I need it right now!” Waiting patiently is not easy.

[BSG:] Waiting is painful by definition. In Hebrew, one of the words for “wait patiently” (Ps. 37:7, NKJV) comes from a Hebrew word that can be translated “to be much pained,” “to shake,” “to tremble,” “to be wounded,” “to be sorrowful.” Learning patience is not easy; sometimes it’s the very essence of what it means to be in the crucible.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sunday, September 4.‡§

  1. Learning patience is not easy, either. Isn’t that what is suggested by what it means to be in the crucible? We are born impatient! Small babies have no patience at all! They are only aware of their immediate needs. At what point are we supposed to learn patience?
  2. We have discussed in the past that faith is the only requirement for salvation. (Acts 16:31) Does waiting patiently help us develop trust and faith? Do you find that trouble produces endurance? Does endurance bring God’s approval? Does God’s approval, in turn, brings hope? (SeeRomans 5:3-5.)
  3. So, what should we be doing while we are waiting? We basically have two choices: (1) We can focus on what we are waiting forCwhich tends to make us impatient. Or, (2) We can focus on the One who holds those things in His handsCwhich should make us more patient and trusting. The real difference is based on our attitude.
  4. Do we really believe that God will do what is best for us and when it is best for us? Sometimes, it is hard to believe that?
  5. Does surrender to the Lord produce patience? Is it wrong to be impatient for the second coming?
  6. Think how long God has waited for various things to happen.Romans 5:6 andGalatians 4:4 suggest that God waited for thousands of years until He sent His Son to this world “at the right time.”

[BSG:] In these verses, Paul tells us that Jesus came to die for us at exactly the right time. But Paul does not tell us why it was the right time. It is very easy to read these verses and wonder, Why did Jesus wait for thousands of years until He came to the earth to deal with sin?didn’t the universe understand that sin was a very bad thing long before then? We may ask why Jesus is waiting to come the second time, as well. We also may ask, Why is the Lord waiting so long to answer my prayer??Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Monday, September 5.†‡§ [Have you ever asked those questions?]‡

  1. The Jews who were supposed to be the lights of the world had instead become so self-righteous and their religious requirements so impossible to keep that very few Gentiles were attracted to the true worship of God. After falling into the pit of heathenism and fertility cult worship in the Old Testament, the Jews of the New Testament had become so super-religious that they repelled non-Jews. In effect, they had demonstrated that the “ditch on either side of the road” was just as bad and just as misrepresentative of the truth about God as Satan could make it. (See Desire of Ages chapters 1-3 [pages 27-49].)

[BSG:] Think about … the 70-week prophecy ofDaniel 9:24-27, the prophecy that points to Jesus as the Messiah (review it if you need to). How long was that time period? What does this tell you about learning to wait for things in God’s time, even if it takes what seems to us a long time??Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Monday, September 5.‡

  1. Through Daniel, the Jews were told that they would be given another 490 years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in 457 c. to see if things would improve. They did not!
  2. Daniel saw a number of visions of the future. Each of those visions involved significant time periods. Think of the 70-year prophecy inDaniel 9:24-27, predicting the ultimate fate of the Jewish people as a nation. Consider also the prophecy of 2300 days/years extending all the way to 1844, the beginning of the pre-advent judgment. Both Daniel and John in Revelation saw visions of the 1260-day prophecy from 538 d. to 1798 a.d. Would that encourage you? Or, discourage you?

[BSG:] There are many important spiritual reasons why we will experience waiting times. First, waiting can refocus our attention away from “things” and back to God Himself. Second, waiting allows us to develop a clearer picture of our own motives and desires. Third, waiting builds perseverance?spiritual stamina. Fourth, waiting opens the door to developing many spiritual strengths, such as faith and trust. Fifth, waiting allows God to put down other pieces in the puzzle of the bigger picture. Sixth, we may never know the reason we have to wait; hence, we learn to live by faith. Can you think of any other reasons for waiting?

What examples can you find in the Bible of God doing things in His own time that can help you learn to trust that He will do for you what’s right in His own time, as well? (Think, for instance, about Abraham and Sarah and the promise of a son.) At the same time, ask yourself, “What might I be doing that could be delaying the answer to a prayer that could have been answered long ago?”?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Monday, September 5.†‡ [Are we in a period of delay? For what should we be waiting?]‡

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] Had Adventists, [sic] after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward. But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith.... Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist [sic] body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!

It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached, went not in “because of unbelief.” Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.

For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan [for over 135 years]. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord’s professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.—Manuscript 4, 1883.?Ellen G. White, Evangelism* 695.3-696.2.†‡ [Should we be glad that the Lord did not come in 1883? If He had come then, we would not have been bornCat least not on this earth.]‡

  1. The close of probation will not take place until everyone on this earth has had a chance to make a reasonable choice about which side in the great controversy s/he wants to be on. Then, Jesus will leave heaven and come to claim His own.

[EGW:] A crisis is right upon us. We must now by the Holy Spirit’s power proclaim the great truths for these last days. It will not be long before everyone will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come.?Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,* vol. 6, 24.2.†‡

[EGW:] When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received “the latter rain,” “the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,” and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received “the seal of the living God.” [The end cannot come until: (1) God’s faithful people have been sealed, and (2) the wicked have made their choices.] Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, “It is done;” and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The number of His subjects is made up; “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,” is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and Jesus is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.?Ellen G. White, Great Controversy* 613.2-614.1.†‡

  1. Let us be very clear: We are not waiting for God; God is waiting for us! Fortunately, there is nothing wrong with God’s patience!
  2. What do you think of when you think about people waiting for significant periods of time for what they had believed was God going to do something? The greatest wait of all is for the second coming of Jesus Christ! Could we be doing something to help answer the prayer that His coming could be soon?
  3. One person who waited patiently for God to do what He had promised was David. While still a young man herding sheep in the hills near Bethlehem, he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. Did he demand that the promise be fulfilled immediately? Not at all!FirstSamuel 16:1-13 details the time when Samuel came and after reviewing all of the other sons of Jesse asked if there was another son. Jesse called David from the field. In secret, he was anointed to be the next king of Israel. Can you imagine how those older brothers looked at David and how they treated him after that?
  4. Briefly review the events that took place between the anointing of David and his finally becoming king.

[BSG:] First, the lad is called to play music to soothe Saul’s troubled spirit (1 Samuel 16). Later, he becomes Israel’s hero as he kills Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Then there are many years during which David is running for his life. Both Saul and his son Jonathan know that David is destined to be the next king (1 Sam. 23:17, 1Sam. 24:20). But David does nothing to advance his God-given destiny. In fact, he appears to do the opposite. Even when Saul tries to kill him and David snips a piece of cloth off the king’s robe, he wishes he had never done such a thing (1 Sam. 24:5S7). Again when Saul is trying to kill David, David refuses to kill Saul when the opportunity arises (1 Sam. 26:7S11).?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, September 6.‡§

  1. Review1 Samuel 26:1-11. Why did David refuse to kill Saul when he could have? Should Saul have learned something from that lesson? Hadn’t David been promised that he was to be the next king? Why didn’t he just hasten that process and kill Saul?
  2. Think of the incredible story of David. He took some food to his brothers at the battlefield and ended up killing Goliath, cutting off his head, and carrying it around wherever he went for the rest of the day! How did that affect his brothers? Why wasn’t Saul, the tall king, out there fighting against Goliath? How difficult is it to cut off someone’s head with a sword? How sharp do you think those swords were? The Philistines already started running when they saw Goliath dead!
  3. An example of failing to be patient was shown by the prophet Elijah. We know that in many ways, Elijah was a great prophet who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel at a very difficult time, opposing Ahab and Jezebel. He had to hide for three years. At first, he hid by the brook Cherith; and, finally, he hid at Zarephath under the nose of Jezebel’s father who was the king of Tyre and Sidon and the great high priest of Baal!
  4. Then, the day finally came when God told Elijah to go back to Israel and call for that encounter on the top of Mount Carmel. Read the story in 1 Kings 18.
  5. Try to imagine Elijah’s feelings after that encounter and after God consumed his offering by lightning from heaven, destroying the offering, the wood, the stones, and the water and leaving a black hole in the ground. Then, try to imagine how you would feel directing the destruction and death of those 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah? We do not know how many of those prophets were killed by Elijah himself; but, at least he was responsible for carrying out that mission. Does that sound like the work of a prophet of God?
  6. After such an incredible day, he then ran in front and guided the chariot of Ahab back to Jezreel through the heavy rain.
  7. It is a well-known phenomenon that after incredible highs, many have incredible lows. Elijah demonstrated that. Sleeping outside Jezreel, maybe with little or no cover in the rain, he was awakened and told that Jezebel had promised to kill him that day. (1 Kings 19:1-9) Then, Elijah along with his servant began to run. They covered many miles. Finally, Elijah was alone in a cave on Mount Horeb/Sinai; God appeared to him, asking him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
  8. Think how different things might have been if Elijah had stayed in Israel, not fearing the threats from Jezebel, and carried out evangelistic work, inspiring the people to follow up with their promise made on Mount Carmel.
  9. There are many other stories in the Bible that illustrate the fact that people did not want to wait for God. Think about Sarah, suggesting that Abraham take a secondary wife in order to produce a son for her. (Genesis 16:1-3)
  10. Even Moses after 40 years of leading the children of Israel under very difficult circumstances did not trust God’s word to take the children of Israel into the land.

Numbers 20:10-12: 10 He and Aaron assembled the whole community in front of the rock, and Moses said, “Listen, you rebels! Do we have to get water out of this rock for you?” 11Then Moses raised the stick and struck the rock twice with it, and a great stream of water gushed out, and all the people and animals drank.

12 But the LORD reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, “Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them.”CAmerican Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed.,Numbers 20:10-12). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].†‡ [What does it mean to say that Moses and Aaron “did not have enough faith”?]‡

  1. One of the famous judges, Samson, demanded that his parents get a Philistine wife for him. (Judges 14:1-3)
  2. On the other hand, Jesus was patient with the Samaritans when they refused to allow Him to stay overnight in their village since He was going to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:52-56)
  3. Then, think of the story of Paul, seeking out, arresting, and even killing, the followers of Jesus until he had that encounter on the road to Damascus.
  4. If we really delighted in the Lord and what He is doing, would we have a problem exercising patience? There is a famous psalm in the Old Testament that teaches us some important lessons.

Psalm 37:1-11: Don’t be worried on account of the wicked;

don’t be jealous of those who do wrong.

2They will soon disappear like grass that dries up;

they will die like plants that wither.

3Trust in the LORD and do good;

live in the land and be safe.

4Seek your happiness in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart’s desire.

5Give yourself to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will help you;

6he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.

7Be patient and wait for the LORD to act;

don’t be worried about those who prosper

or those who succeed in their evil plans.

8Don’t give in to worry or anger;

it only leads to trouble.

9Those who trust in the LORD will possess the land,

but the wicked will be driven out.

10Soon the wicked will disappear;

you may look for them, but you won’t find them;

11the humble will possess the land

and enjoy prosperity and peace.?Good News Bible.*†

  1. If we recognized that our most important objective in life is to fulfill God’s will for us, would we have any trouble in “taking delight in the Lord”? In this psalm, David repeatedly encouraged us to have faith. Is there anything unreasonable about trusting God? The challenge is, do I trust my own feelings and ideas? Or, do I trust God?
  2. Paul, writing his last letter that we know about, said:

2 Timothy 1:12: And it is for this reason that I suffer these things. But I am still full of confidence, because I know whom I have trusted, and I am sure that he is able to keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me.?Good News Bible.*

[EGW:] The Lord is not pleased to have us fret and worry ourselves out of the arms of Jesus. More is needed of the quiet waiting and watching combined. We think unless we have feeling that we are not in the right track, and we keep looking within for some sign befitting the occasion; but the reckoning is not of feeling but of faith.—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages,* Book 2, 242.2.†‡

  1. What could we, as a local church or even a Sabbath school class, do to hasten the second coming? We are all awaiting the finishing of the three angels’ messages so Jesus can come again. Shouldn’t weScould weSbe doing more?
  2. Is it easy to believe that God will do the best thing for us at the best time ever?

2 Peter 3:10-13: 10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish. 11Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God, 12as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon—the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat. 13But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.?Good News Bible.*† [Could we actually hasten or delay the second coming of Jesus?]‡

[BSG:] This week’s lesson highlights two major themes.

  1. We understand that patient waiting is part of the fruit of the Spirit and is crucial in our overcoming crucibles.
  2. Waiting patiently becomes possible when we know and trust the person we are waiting for.?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 145.†‡
  3. If our goal as Christians is to become partakers of the character of God and His divinity which was stated so many times by Ellen White and suggested by the Bible, what do we need to know about the patience of God? What does it mean to become a partaker of the divine nature?

[BSG:] One biblical expression that describes God’s patience is “slow to anger” (Neh. 9:16, 17; see alsoExod. 34:6,Num. 14:18,Ps. 103:8,Jon. 4:2,Nah. 1:3). Notice that most of these texts place the expression “slow to anger” in the context of other divine descriptions, such as God is “abundant in lovingkindness,” “compassionate and gracious,” “merciful.” In addition, the Bible presents God as “putting up” with people (Gen. 18:17S33;Num. 14:27; Deut. 8:2; Neh. 9:30, 31; Ps. 78:38; Isa. 42:14; Ezek. 20:17; Acts 13:18; 1Pet. 3:20). At the same time, it is emphasized that God is “abounding in goodness and truth” (Exod. 34:6, NKJV) and is the Author of “wondrous deeds” (Neh. 9:17, NASB). At the same time, He “by no means clears the guilty” (Num. 14:18, NKJV; see alsoNah. 1:3,1Pet. 3:20).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 145.‡§

  1. Could we survive at all if God were not slow to anger?
  2. There is nothing wrong with God’s ability, His omniscience, His omnipresence, or His omnipotence. But, He does not always do exactly what we think He should do at exactly the time that we think He should do it. Second Peter suggests that one of the reasons He does not is because He is waiting for as many people as possible to be saved.

Romans 2:4: Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent.?Good News Bible.*†

2 Peter 3:9,15: 9 The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins….

15Look on our Lord’s patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear brother Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.?Good News Bible.*†

  1. We as a church have chosen as one of the primary components of our name that we are Adventists. That means we are looking forward to the second coming, the advent. Are we looking forward patiently? Or, impatiently?

[BSG:] The Bible teaches that patience is an integral part of Christian life and comes from God. God clothes us with patience, together with mercy, humility, and meekness, because “Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11, NKJV), and because God has “elected” us (seeCol. 3:12). Jesus works in us His patience (1 Tim. 1:16). We are patient because of the “calling” that God extended to us (Eph. 4:1, 2;2 Tim. 4:2). Christian patience is part of the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It comes in a package with other Christian virtues, such as love, hope, and meekness (Gal. 5:22;Col. 3:12;Eph. 4:1, 2; 2 Tim. 4:2). Love is patient (1 Cor. 13:4), and our hope enables us to wait with patience (Rom. 8:25). We are strengthened through patience with joy (Col. 1:11), and patience produces character (Rom. 5:3, 4; James 1:3, 4).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 146.‡§

  1. In many different places, Paul encouraged us to be humble and patient. He taught that there was no difference between Jews and Gentiles. He admitted that he was a prisoner because of the Lord.

[BSG:] Patience is a key characteristic of the end-time remnant of God: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12, NKJV; see alsoRev. 13:10). The remnant understand that they must be patient until the coming of the Lord in the same way that a farmer is patient until the harvest is ready (James 5:7, 8; see alsoLuke 8:15,Heb. 6:12,Heb. 10:36,Rev. 14:14S20). We take courage from God’s injunction to Habakkuk that even if, at times, certain end-time prophecies may appear to be far from their final fulfillment, we must persevere in our waiting: “The vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Hab. 2:3, NKJV). God calls us to “be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). David insists that a believer must learn to “wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Ps. 27:14, NKJV).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 146.‡§

  1. In Revelation 13 and 14, we see the final plans that the Devil has to defeat God’s people. Then, we see God’s response. In both chapters, it is stated unequivocally that God’s faithful people will have to endure, keeping the commandments and being faithful to God.
  2. How patient are we at waiting for the second coming? Are we just lying around, relaxing? Are we hoping it will happen without our assistance?

[BSG:] In the meantime, an entire cloud of witnesses in patience cheers us on the way: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1, 2, NKJV). Among the great examples of patience are Abraham (Heb. 6:15) and the prophets and Job, who prove “that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11, NKJV). Jeremiah decided to wait on the Lord, no matter what: “I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’ ” (Lam. 3:24, NIV), because “the Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” (Lam. 3:25, NKJV).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 147.‡§

  1. Certainly, no one is a greater example of patience and hope and endurance than was Jesus Himself. Think how He endured everything that was thrown at Him in those last few days of His life on this earth.
  2. When Jesus was born, Satan was determined to overcome Him in some way or other. How many people up to that time had lived on this earth without sinning? So, his first plan was to get Jesus to sin. As Jesus was approaching the final events of His ministry, Satan realized that he had not accomplished that goal. Then, Satan decided that he would make things as difficult as possible for Jesus so that while He may not actually commit a sin, He would abandon His mission to this earth and return to heaven. Satan failed in that respect as well. Jesus was not hindered in any way from proceeding all the way to His death on the cross and His burial in the tomb.
  3. At that point, Satan and his angels were getting desperate. They did everything they possibly could to keep that grave shut. But, two angels came from heaven?the two who had been His guardian angels all His life. When they showed up accompanied by God’s glory, Satan and his angels had no choice but to scatter. The hundred Roman soldiers lay as if dead on the ground, and Jesus came forth from the grave in His own power. (See Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages2.)
  4. How are we dealing with waiting?

[BSG:] Yes, there are practical aspects of patience for this life: its opposite, impatience, ruins our present lives, and makes us fools (Prov. 14:29; Prov. 15:18; Prov. 16:32; Prov. 25:15; Eccles. 7:8, 9). But patience is that virtue that God gives us in the crucible of tribulation that helps us overcome and secure eternal life. In His teachings about tribulation in the world, Jesus instructs us: “ ‘By your patience possess your souls’ ” (Luke 21:19, NKJV). The apostle Paul declares that God will give “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Rom. 2:7, NKJV). Through the prophet Isaiah, God promises us: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31, NKJV; see alsoPs. 37:7-9,Ps. 40:1).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 147.‡§

  1. If we had opportunity to ask your family and friends about your patience, what would we learn about you?

[BSG:] Impatience is considered a characteristic of immaturity. Children generally find waiting difficult; mature people are able to wait more easily. The mature have been enabled by experience and by trust to wait patiently. Evaluate your spiritual maturity. How do you plan to continue growing in your patience??Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 148.†‡

©2022, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. §Italic type is in the source. Compared with the first source, this source has punctuation and/or capitalization differences only. €This source has minor wording differences compared with the first source and may also have punctuation and/or capitalization differences.   [email protected]

Last Modified: July 24, 2022