I'm gonna start this morning with first Peter chapter I mean, second Peter chapter one. So second Peter chapter one. So seeing as I think I look better with the coat on, I'll put the coat back on. I mean, it doesn't help much, but anyway. Second Peter chapter one, we're going to read verses five through eight this morning.

Peter's instruction to born again believers here says, and beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly Father, Lord, I pray that you would fill our hearts with your spirit, that you would direct us in the preaching of your word and in the the understanding of it this morning. Pray, Lord, that you would do a mighty work in our hearts that if there be one that is yet to receive Christ today, may be their day of salvation.

We thank you, Lord, for your word, and we thank you, Lord, that greater is he that's in us than he that is in the world. We pray that you'd be with many that been mentioned in Sunday school and on our prayer list today. Particularly, we pray that you'd be with Al and thank you that his surgery went well. And we pray for David and Isabelle family that you would be with them in a mighty way, that you would let them know of your presence, your comfort, and your guidance. And Lord, we get put place brother David in your hands.

We know that you will not fail him and we thank you, Lord, for them, their testimony, and for the privilege of prayer and to be with them in this manner even today. In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen. I've started a series a few weeks back on roadblocks to change. We just had revival about a month ago.

Some of us made decisions. Some of us recognized some areas in our life that the Lord touched us that we need to to deal with. Some made major changes, major decisions, and yet, we make these decisions. We confess our sins, but oftentimes we find it hard to change. Okay?

But change is exactly what God wants to do in our lives. He needs to change us. He wants to make us more into the image of Jesus Christ his son. It requires change. Romans eight twenty nine says this, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed, to be changed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

God didn't change you. God didn't save you just to take you to heaven. He saved you to change you even now here on earth to be a testimony and to bring glory to our Lord. That others might see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Change is an integral part of the Christian journey, one which we must embrace.

Not only embrace, but celebrate. God desires to change you. He desires for you to grow. He receives you as you are by grace through faith, but that by grace he might change you into something better into the image and likeness of Christ. There are roadblocks that we ourselves put up to this change that God is making in our lives.

Sometimes we we deny the change that needs to be made. Sometimes our pride gets in the way and we're just unwilling to humble ourselves to recognize and then to be willing to seek sometimes the help we need. Bible even says, confess your faults one to another and pray for one another. Effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. But some so often pride keeps us our mouth shut.

Sometimes our heart shut. We looked at a roadblock last week called fear. Fear of failure. Fear of man. As Paul told Timothy, we meet need not be overcome with fear for God has given us his spirit and he is not a spirit of what?

Fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. As God told Joshua, we needn't fear for God will be with us and he will not fail us. Should we fall, he will help us back back up. Should an enemy attack, he will be there to defend and to strengthen us. Should life get tough, he will give us the strength to endure and bring us out on the other side.

We must not fall into the trap. We cannot. For God says, we can. We can do what? All things through Christ who strengthens us.

We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. The victory is ours in Jesus Christ who has given us the victory over sin and death and hell. So don't listen to the naysayers of the flesh that says, give up. You can't change. You can.

By God's grace and strength, you can change. This morning, would like to address the two i's that are roadblocks to change in our lives, and those would be ignorance and impatience. They're addressed here in verse six of first Peter of second Peter one in verse six, and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience. I've got a cramp in my side, so if you see me squirming. Alright?

Trying to get rid of that. He usually doesn't mess with me when I'm preaching. Anyway, ignorance. How do you fix ignorance? With knowledge.

Knowledge. And how do you fix impatience? With patience and hope and endurance. Let's first look at ignorance. Ignorance.

Somebody once said ignorance is bliss. That's like sin is pleasure. There's pleasure in sin for a while. For a season. It's bliss for a moment, but then the bliss goes away and here comes crashing down of reality.

Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is not our friend. Ignorance is an enemy and one which is fairly easily remedied, especially in regards to the things of the Lord and the the will of God because, well, God's given us what? He's given us the word of God and he's given us the the spirit of God so that we might not be ignorant. He told his disciples, you're concerned that I'm going away.

One of the reasons they were concerned that Jesus was talking about going away is because, you know, they kinda liked having God, the son of God, walk with them day by day. And if they had a question, all they had to do was turn around and ask who and ask Jesus. And Jesus says, you know, but it's beneficial that I go away because if I go away, I will send the comforter, the helper, the holy spirit. He will not just be with you, he will be what? In you.

And he will teach you all things. God has not left us without the knowledge of his will, his desire, and the the power and strength to be the testimony and to live a joyful life that Jesus Christ died to give us. Don't know what, don't know how is not an excuse. A reality in some cases. We're not born with knowing everything, are we?

No. Ignorance of God's will, ignorance of God's expectations, ignorance of God's words, his instructions is not an excuse, but it is a roadblock to change and one in which most cases can be remedied with with a little bit of study. Proverbs four five through seven says, God, get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not. Neither decline from the words of my mouth, forsake her not, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee.

Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Don't be satisfied in your ignorance. Don't be satisfied with your limit with your level of understanding. Praise God for what we do understand and what we already know.

But guess what? You can still learn what? More. And part of the Christian life is continually learning and gaining in knowledge and in wisdom. Proverbs sixteen sixteen, how much better is it to get wisdom than gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver?

You know, I mean, gold's pretty nice to have. Okay? In their day, I mean, gold I mean, gold's still very precious in our what is it per ounce? Over $2,000 an ounce right now? Something like that.

Don't quote me. But it's it's worth a lot. You know, I mean, it's nice to have gold. There are physical things we need that it can help with. But you know what is greater than having gold?

Is having wisdom and understanding. That is greater. Greater than having having gold. You can take that understanding and that wisdom and apply it to your life, it will not only help you to obtain the gold and the things that you need, but it can help you make decisions in life that will bring you joy and fulfillment and glory to the God who made you. It's much better to have wisdom and understanding than it is for somebody to just hand you a dollar bill.

It's better to to teach somebody how to fish than to just give them a what? Than just give them a fish. Teach them how to fish and they can go out and they can provide for themselves. You will not like you will not likely let's see here. Sometimes, we're not likely to recognize an area in our life which need to change if we're not looking.

If you just what? Satisfied. And you're not likely to get better if you're not seeking the means to do it. You say, well, I have been called to be an auto mechanic, and I'm not speaking for myself. Not not not what I was called to do.

But let's say you were called to be an auto mechanic. Are you born with the knowledge and skill and wisdom provided to for you to be a good auto mechanic? No. No. You have to what do you do?

Well, you might get some what? Books and read them on, you know, cars, motors, transmissions, chassis, drivetrains, whatever. Or you might go to school. You might, apprentice with somebody who is an auto mechanic, and and they might teach a hands on as they fix things and you watch and you learn and they teach you they teach you how to do it. You gain therefore in in knowledge and skill and expertise and you become a better what?

A better auto mechanic. Now in the Christian life, we need to walk in the spirit. We need to follow the Lord. We need to be on our knees in prayer. But you also need to be in his what?

You also need to be in his words. You need to study to show thyself approved unto God. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. You need to take God's word and hide it where? In your in your heart.

If you want to be a good servant of Christ, if you want to be a good minister for Christ, if you just want to live a life that brings glory to the Lord and see the great blessing of God in your life and the salvation of other souls, it's going to require some gaining of knowledge. You can gain that by reading God's word. You can gain that by coming to classes at church and bible study and sitting in the service and listening and taking in the preaching and of the word of God. You can do that by going out with others, spending time with them as they mentor you and they show you how to be a witness for Christ. And you gain in knowledge.

You gain in knowledge. David said in Psalm one nineteen, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not, what? Sin against thee. One of our greatest enemies is temptation. And it's one of the biggest roadblocks to change because our heart, the spirit wants to do this, the flesh wants to do to do that.

Well, how do you how do we get victory? Fill your heart with the word of what? With the word of God. Meditate on it. Allow God to empower you by his word.

And when Satan comes knocking, you will know what God's word says about that. I will not, as Job said, look upon a maid. You you will know, as David said, I will set no wicked thing before my my eyes. You will recognize that you need to think on things that are pure and honest and good and just lovely as God has commanded us. You read the verse.

Remember the verse that says, steal no more. That we shouldn't lie. That we should tell the what? The truth. And as the verses come flooding back when Satan attacks, you're not ignorant because you know what God's will you know what God's will is.

But sadly, we shortchange ourselves so much because we're just not diligent to learn the word of God that he has given to us, to give the Holy Spirit that God has given to us, the sword of the spirit to work with in our lives. Don't settle for not knowing. And if you can't find it in God's word and you can't find it in somebody else and you can't find it in a sermon, What does the Bible say? If any of you lack wisdom, let him what? Ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and abrade it not and it shall be given him.

Now, I'm preaching the choir here because you're here today to hear what? To hear the word of God. And I know most of you sitting here and I know why you're here. You're here to worship the Lord and you're here to hear what God has to say this morning. I hope that is the case on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday as well, that we give God many opportunities to erase the ignorance and to fill it with knowledge and wisdom.

If we are to change, we need to fill our minds with the word of God. It is more precious than silver or gold. It will be a mighty tool that God will use to change your life. It is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. So learn.

Defeat the ignorance. It takes time. You don't just all get it interjected in there when you get saved. No. We have to study.

We have to to seek. We have to apply. And guess what? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God as you fill your heart with the word of God, with the teaching of God, with godly wisdom and knowledge. It will change your life.

It will. The second roadblock I want to look at this morning is impatience. Impatience. We live in a generation of instant, what, gratification. Yeah.

Instant gratification. We see something and we want it, and so what do we do? We get it. We have this little piece of plastic in our wallet, at least many of us do, called a credit card, and we see and go, I don't have the money with me. Hey, but I have this piece of plastic.

Push this thing in the machine. My wife doesn't know it yet, but I went to the hardware store yesterday. I had to buy a new doorknob for the door over there because it broke. So I had to fix the doorknob. And with the incredible skills I have, it took me two hours to do something that probably should have taken ten minutes.

But I did it. I did it. Fix the doorknob. While I was at the while I was at the hardware store, I noticed a pair of of pruning shears, the the long handled ones with the so that you can and these, not only they had an extended handle, so you could extend the handle to like this long. So, you know, you could do these things.

Hey, there's a limb up there eight feet. Extend the handle and I can do it. It's really and it was really on sale. It was only half price. And so my wife keeps wondering why we took the Mazda today and not the carb.

That's because the pruning shears are in the Mazda. So now she knows. I mean, it was only $20. I mean, that's not bad. However, that's what was called an impulse buy.

Okay? Instant what? Gratification. I see it. I want it.

Plastic, here you go. Pay for it later. That's the world in which we live. And though it seems maybe a little bit funny at times, sadly, is destroying. It is destroying families.

It is destroying lives. It is destroying the testimony and growth of Christians because we want everything right now. The idea of waiting for marriage is considered obsolete. People don't wait for marriage anymore. Sometimes they don't even bother to get married at at all.

The idea of working your way to the top for many is not acceptable. I need to get paid $40 an hour now when I start. Shouldn't have to work up from whatever the minimum wage now, which keeps climbing. We want the good life now. Young people come out of high school and college expecting to have more than their parents did at 50.

Rarely does that happen because it takes what? Time. You have to have what? Patience. You have to have patience.

Good things come to them that wait. And that isn't just a good slogan. That that is that is the truth. The same is true regarding our spiritual maturity, growth, knowledge, understanding, strength. You have to be patient.

It takes time. It takes time. It takes time. You have to grow in your knowledge, your love, your faith to be more and more like Jesus Christ has called you to be. You can't expect to be this giant of the faith overnight.

Some things do take what? Time. And you have to be patient. And you have to keep at it. And as you do, you will begin to get stronger.

You will begin to grow. You will begin to get victory over things in your life. But you have to keep working at it. Little by little, step by step. We sing a song with the kids.

Little by little, inch by inch. By the yard, it's hard. By the inch, you want to cinch. Never stare at the stairs, just step up the steps. Little by little, inch by inch.

Growing in Christ takes work every day. Reading your Bible, learning to pray, build godly habits, seek help divine, great things are done one step at a time. Little by little, inch by inch. I was gonna use Joshua as an example this morning. He wasn't supposed to be in here.

He supposed to in children's church. So now he's gonna get to hear it. But Joshua and Ian have been working out, I don't know, several months now. And they go nearly every day and they work out. And somehow Joshua is getting stronger.

I don't understand it. But that's the way it works. But it doesn't happen what? It doesn't happen overnight. You have to be patient.

You have to trust the Lord. You have to put one foot in front of the other and not give give up and not give in. There are two Greek words used regularly in our English version translated patience or long suffering. The first is macrothymia. I won't spell it for you.

Macrothymia. It's most often translated long suffering. It's a character trait which indicates an ability to put up with a lot, to endure and suffer long with the shortcomings and irritations of others, or to endure other troubles which come our way in life. It is very much connected to the idea of endurance in the face of trials. Enduring and suffering long with others, both of these things.

It's the word used here in second Peter three nine where it says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is what? Longsuffering to us. We're not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God is longsuffering. That means he suffers long with humanity, with their sinfulness and rebellion so that more souls might have the opportunity to come to the what?

To come to the savior. Praise God for his long suffering. With me, with you, with others who need him. He could have written off humanity long ago, but he's still suffering long with us. It's the same word used here of the fruit of the spirit in Matthew five twenty eight.

Galatians five twenty two and twenty three. Where the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, what? Longsuffering. How does the spirit reveal himself in the attitudes and life of the child of God? He progressively reveals himself through long suffering, through learning to suffer long, through having an attitude of patience with the trials of life and with the people of life.

Sometimes, we feel like we must suffer long. Sometimes, others may feel like they have to suffer long with who? Us as well. One of the things that helps us to change is being long suffering. One of the obstacles to change is not being long suffering.

Praise God, he is. And as a child of God who has received his spirit, you should be growing in that regard. The other word for patience is hupomene. It is the word most often translated patience. It expresses an attitude of hope and patiently waiting for something to be fulfilled, to come to pass.

It can also express hope in God and others as well. It's it's the word used here in second Peter one six, and to knowledge temperance, to temperance, patience. It is a virtue which opens up many doors in our life to change and keeps us hopefully looking forward and growing. Like Paul said, I've not apprehended. I've not I've not arrived, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward to those things which are before.

For the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Did Paul have anything to be patient about? He went to cities. He preached the gospel. Sometimes, some people listened.

Oftentimes, they they mocked him. They scorned him. They argued with him. Eventually, they called the authorities on him. They kicked him out of town.

Paul is such such an example of long suffering and patience. Sometimes he would spend weeks and months in these cities trying to minister to these people who, like many of us, were hard headed and didn't wanna hear and didn't wanna listen. But he didn't what? He didn't give up. He just kept kept going till the Lord till they changed and till the Lord led him to the next place.

And so many times, time after time, people that initially were were very contrary became great ministers for Christ like Paul himself for the Lord was patient with him. God has made us many promises in his word. You don't get them all when? Today. Some of them, you're going to need to be what?

Patient. Patient. Lord doesn't doesn't promise everything is going to be one big party here on earth. He doesn't. He promises he'll be with you.

He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He promises he's reserved in heaven a place for you. Many other wonderful things in Christ Jesus. But you need to have a little bit of patience. You need to learn some patience.

Isaiah 40 verse 31, God expresses as he does that this is something he uses in our life to help us to grow. Isaiah forty thirty one, they that what? Wait. Wait on the what does that require? Patience.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. But you need to what?

You need to wait. You need to learn some pain. You need to and all of it comes back to this, you need to trust in the Lord. You need to trust him. He knows what he's doing.

At times you go you look around in life and go, I'm trying to do my best for Lord and look what's happened. This happened, that happened. Have what? Patience. Trust in the Lord.

You may be trying to in a relationship with somebody and it just doesn't wanna fix. Be patient. Trust in the Lord. You're struggling in your own mind and heart with temptation and change. Wait patiently.

Trust in the Lord. One day you will look back and you will see that waiting, hopefully, patiently for the Lord that you soared by his grace. Consider Abraham and Sarah in all the years they waited for a son. God came through. Consider Joseph in the prison in Egypt for several years.

God gave him a vision when he was a kid and said, excuse me, your brothers and sisters one day are going to bow to to you. What is Joseph doing? He's in a what? He's in a prison. Nobody's bowing to him.

But did God rectify that? Of course he did. God had a plan. Consider David anointed to be the next king of Israel as a teenager. Nearly twenty years later, he's still hiding in the wilderness from Saul.

Did he become king? Yes, he did. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint. Consider Zacharias and Elizabeth, Hannah, Isaac, Rebecca, all conceived children late in life. Consider consider the man beside the pool Bethesda who waited for years to be healed. And one day he met who? He met Jesus.

And it all changed. The man born blind. The man the lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple, the lady with an issue of blood. We really need to learn to trust in the Lord and to patiently wait. God knows what he's doing.

He hasn't forsaken you. He will not leave you. All things work together for what? For good to them that love the Lord to those who are all the called according to his purpose. Praise the Lord that he is patient with us.

He is long suffering. Long suffering with humanity in this world. Long suffering with you personally. Bringing us to Christ. Long suffering with us in our weakness.

He is patient. He is merciful. In Psalm one zero three thirteen and fourteen, it says, like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him for he knoweth our fame. He remembereth that we are but what? Dust.

God knows what you are. God knows your struggles. Jesus personally knows your struggles. Hebrews four fifteen, for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Jesus knows what you're going through.

Be patient with him for he is patient with with you, like a parent with a child. Doesn't take too long as a parent to figure out your child was not born with all the knowledge and maturity that they're going to need later on in life. It's gonna take like, you know, twenty, thirty, forty, sixty years. It doesn't happen overnight. And so we learn to be patient, hopefully.

Praise God, He's patient with us. We learn to learn to be patient with others and trust God that he is going to work it out. Just keep doing what is right. Keep being loving and kind. Suffer long.

Trust in the Lord. Just two more thoughts and we'll close. Psalm thirty seven four verse four is my wife's favorite verse. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass.

He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait, what? Patiently, with hope and trust for him. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way because the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Trust in the Lord.

Wait patiently. It's going to pay off. For in due season, we shall reap if we, what, if we faint not. Trust in the Lord. He will bring it to pass.

He will bring it to pass in your life. He will give you the victory. He will give you the strength. He will give you the maturity. He will help you through whatever mountain you were climbing.

And be patient with yourselves. It does take time. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to fail at times. We're going to have to learn some lessons the hard way.

But God has always been and will always be there for those who love and trust him. He will never leave you. He will help you. Be patient. It takes time.

When you fail, confess it. We confess our sins, he's faithful in what? Just forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Get back on your feet. On your knees before the Lord, trust him.

He will change you. He will change you. I have seen God change many of you. It is exciting as a pastor, as a parent, as a teacher, to see God changing people. He will.

He is. Don't give up. Be patient. Don't be content in ignorance. Gain somewhat knowledge.

God will do great and mighty things in your life. And most of all, there is no change apart from who? From Jesus Christ. You cannot change yourself in regard to eternity. And the change that must be made, the rag cannot cleanse itself.

Bible says our righteousness are as what? Filthy rags. We must come to Christ for cleansing who shed his blood on the cross of Calvary for you. If you have yet to receive him as Lord and Savior, he can change your eternity this very day. He can change your life.

He will make you his child, but you must, in faith and repentance, come to Christ to be your Lord and Savior. I would love to show you from God's word how you might make that decision today. As we sing a hymn of invitation just a moment, I plead with you. Come. I'll meet you right down here.

I plead with you if the Lord has spoke to your heart today, whether it be about salvation or something else, you don't have to sing when we're singing. It's more important that you talk to who? That you have a talk with the Lord. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you, Lord, for your love, your mercy, your patience with us.

Lord, help us to recognize that you are at work and to trust you. And Lord, these things do take time. We thank you, Lord, that you understand what we're going through, and Lord, you have the victory and you can help us to have it too. Lord, fill our hearts with your word, with your love, with faith and hope and understanding that you're still working on us. You're not through yet.

And Lord, we pray if there's one here that's yet to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, if there's any doubt at all that they might come today as we give this hymn of invitation, We might be able to show them how they might be saved today and know it. In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen.