Throughout the word of God, you'll
find names given to children because they had special meaning,
special significance. Sometimes a person's name would
be changed or a name would be ascribed to him either by another
man or by God, indicating a radical change in that person. Let me
give you just two or three examples. The name Adam means red earth. indicating that Adam was created
by God from the dust of the earth. The name Jacob means cheat, supplanter. But when God revealed himself
to Jacob, he changed his name to Israel, which means prince
with God, because as a prince, he prevailed with God. When Moses
was named, his adoptive mother, Pharaoh's daughter, named him
Moses, which means drawn forth, because she had drawn him out
of the water. Our Savior was named Jesus. Jesus
means Jehovah who saves, because he came to save his people from
their sins. In the Bible, the name given
to a person says something about that person. The same thing is
true concerning the names of the Lord our God. But no single
name is adequate to describe God's being, His character, His
person, or His work. Therefore many names are given
by God in Scripture by which He makes Himself known to man.
And the names used to represent our God in scripture are names
given to describe His glorious character, revealing His great
attributes as God, saying something about the work He performs in
His redemptive purpose of grace. God's name tells us who He is
and inspires faith in Him. The psalmist put it this way.
They that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for
thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Now let's
turn to Romans chapter 15. In this 15th chapter of Romans,
as the inspired writer brings this epistle to its conclusion,
he gives us three names for God. I want us to look at them together.
As we do, I ask God the Holy Spirit graciously to inscribe
his name upon our hearts and teach us to trust him. First,
look at verse 5. Here in Romans 15, 5, our great
God is called the God of patience and consolation. What a great
name for God. the God of patience and consolation. Now the God of patience and consolation
grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to
Christ Jesus, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify
God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The God of patience
and consolation. The word consolation is similar
to the word comfort, but really it means more. It is one who
gives comfort, one who makes comfortable, one who administers
comfort to another. It is God who is our consolation,
our consoler who gives us comfort. He's the God of patience. He
who is the God of all grace, And the God of love is the God
of patience and consolation. He who teaches us patience and
consolation by the things written in scripture is himself the source
of patience and consolation. The God of longsuffering and
comfort. In the opening verses of this
chapter, The Apostle Paul teaches us to be patient with one another. He teaches us to be patient with
one another, that we may console, that we may comfort one another.
But he knew well that his exhortation would fall on deaf ears, unless
the God of patience and consolation would work in us patience and
consolation by his almighty grace. He who is our God, is the God
of patience. What does that mean? I've been
looking at these names of our God for many, many, many weeks,
seeking a message from God on these three names. What is Paul's
statement here? He who is our God is the God
of patience. He is the God who effectually
and graciously teaches patience and works patience in us by His
grace. You see, patience is the fruit
of the Spirit. It's produced in chosen, redeemed
sinners when they're born again by the Spirit of God, given life
and faith in Christ. When they're made new creatures
in Christ, God teaches us patience. By his grace, certainly his word
teaches us patience. How often we are taught of God,
wait, wait, wait, just wait, just wait. Would to God I'd learn
to heed his word. Would you like to learn to just
wait on God? Just wait. God'll take care of
it. God'll work it out. God'll perform
his word. But by nature, there's no patience
in us. So he constantly bids us wait. He teaches us to wait on him
and be patient before him by his providence. Because we're
so hard hearted, so hard of hearing, and so determined not to obey
by nature, When God says, wait on the Lord. And he works patience
in us by his grace. Then he says, I'll fix it so
you will. And he teaches us. Tribulation worketh patience. You know the patience of Job? read the early chapters of Job
and you will find out that though he at first showed great patience,
great patience, and then you get into those middle chapters
and he wasn't so patient after all. Job, he snapped pretty good. And then after much tribulation,
he learned patience and he bowed and worshiped God in his providence. Here, our hearts are reminded
and directed to the God of patience, that we might rejoice in his
goodness and imitate him. In all things, God must be the
pattern after which we mold our lives. In all things, God must be the
pattern after which we mold our lives. Being the God of patience,
he bears much and bears long with the children of men. I shouldn't
have to remind you of this or myself, but reminded we need
to be. How patient, how forbearing,
how long-suffering God our God is and has been with us. Patient, long-suffering forbearance
I see in God our Father. It's portrayed in that particle
sun, the story our Lord gives in Luke 15. The sun demanded
His father give him his goods and give him his inheritance
and he took it and wasted it and riotous living. And all the
while the father is watching over the son. That's something
that is written between the lines in the parable. When the son
returned home, his father had full knowledge of everything
that his son had done. Apparently it had one of his
servants go watch over the boy all the days of his rebellion. I'm not certain about that, but
I am certain of this. Our God in his patient forbearance. watched over us with his own
eye of love and omniscience, his own eye of grace and mercy,
his own eye of tenderness and care all the days of our rebellion. And he sent his servants, angels
of God, made to be ministering spirits created by God specifically
to be ministering spirits to those who should be the heirs
of salvation. And the father patiently waited
for his son to come home. He worked it so that he would,
but he patiently waited. So God patiently waits to be
gracious. Oh, how patient, how long-suffering
our God was with us in the days of our rebellion. And when we
turned and came, he ran and fell on our necks and kissed us, welcome
home. The patient, long-suffering forbearance
of God our Savior is also manifest in the days of our rebellion,
in the days of our languishing since he called us, in the times
when we're fallen, how patient, how long-suffering, how forbearing
he's been. We have those times of languishing,
those times of spiritual darkness, and we just refuse to hear His
voice. Sometimes He doesn't speak, but
when He speaks, we refuse to hear His voice, and we will not
turn. We will not open our hearts to
Him. We will not call on Him. And he with patience, long-suffering,
forbearance, graciously holds us and will not let us depart
from him. And when we're fallen, he picks
us up. Oh, what a name for God, our
savior, the God of patience. God, the comforter, our blessed
spirit. When our hearts are hardened,
he is patient. When we yet still harden our
hearts, He's patient with us. Truly, we must account that the
long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. The prophet said,
I've already quoted it, he waits to be gracious. He waits to be
gracious to his own, and he waits at the appointed time to be gracious.
He's never hurried, but rather he comes in grace at his own
appointed time of mercy when it's exactly best for us. But that's not all. In all their
afflictions, he is afflicted. Oh, how tender, how gracious
our God. Is God patient with us? Yes,
pastor, God's patient with us. How patient we ought to be with
one another. Patient with our brothers and
sisters in Christ. Patient with unbelievers and
rebels. Patient even with our enemies.
How patient his servants ought to be with those we serve. Over and over again, God's servants
are taught in scripture. Gospel preachers are taught to
be patient, patient in afflictions, patient in need, patient with
men, following after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness. Listen to the scriptures. We
exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the
feeble-minded, support the weak, Be patient toward all men. Oh,
pastor, hear yourself now. Be patient, be patient. I can't
work God's word in those to whom I preach God's word. I must never
imagine that I can. And if I recognize that I can't
work God's word in those to whom I preach his word, God teaches
me patience, to wait for him to apply the word as he will.
This is a true saying. If a man desire the office of
a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless. The husband of one wife, vigilant,
sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach,
not given to whine, no striker, not greedy of filthy liquor,
but patient, not a brawler, not a brawler. The pastor must not
strive with men about words. He must not be an argumentative
fellow who disputes with folks about things, but rather just
declare the word and wait. The servant of the Lord, Paul
says, must not strive, but be gentle unto all men. apt to teach,
patient. What does that mean? In meekness,
instructing those who oppose themselves. If God, per adventure,
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
I had occasion this week to correspond, as I do most weeks, with several
pastors. Two of them were going through
a little difficulty. An old friend, much discouraged
because the congregation lead bulletins laid on a pew, throw
them in a trash can, never make any comment concerning them.
Actually, I'd written to him to encourage him because of his
abilities and gifts in writing. And he expressed some discouragement. He said, the folks seem to never
have anything to say about them. And I wrote to him something
a friend stated. This pastor said, I've been writing
bulletin articles for our congregation for 50 years. In all those years,
I don't recall a half dozen encouraging comments from anyone. Many don't
even bother to take them home. And then he said, what a sad
commentary about the people for whom we labor. Be patient. All the more reason to labor
on. The servant of the Lord must patiently serve his God. A younger pastor friend, going
through some great frustration, wrote to me. Some difficulties. And this is what I wrote to him.
These are my words to him. Never carry your anger and disappointment
into the pulpit, never. Rather, always seek to do what
we're commanded to do in preaching. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Pastoring is a relentless heavy
burden. It is not for the faint of heart.
If God has put you in this work and given you the high honor
of this gift, you must constantly seek his grace and strength to
supply you with a tender heart for his people. A deaf ear to
criticism and slander. It's hard to hold your tongue,
but you'll never regret holding it. It's easy to speak your mind,
but you'll usually regret speaking it. Ask God to give you shoulders
broad enough and strong enough to carry piles of rocks and hands
gentle enough to wipe the tears of a baby. a backbone of steel
as wide as a freeway, and the height of a rhinoceros, you're
going to need it. I continued, I'm fully convinced.
There is no work more demanding, less appreciated, and more totally
consuming, and no work so honorable, so blessed, so satisfying as
the work of the ministry. As I read That passage in Isaiah
52 to you earlier, I couldn't help but to think of the difference
between those who say, how beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings that publisheth peace. And those who came up
mocking Elisha, go up thou bald head. How differently men receive
the word. But God's servant must patiently
do the work, regardless of how men respond. Is God patient with
us? than how patient we ought to
be before him. Wait patiently, my brother, before
God's providence. Wait patiently for him. Shelby
called my attention to something that came across her desk early
this week. And when she read it to me, we both found it both
delightful and instructive. One Sunday morning, at a small
southern church, a new pastor called on one of the older deacons
leading the opening prayer. And the deacon stood up and bowed
his head and said, Lord, I hate buttermilk. Needless to say,
the pastor opened one eye wondering where the deacon was going. And
the deacon continued, Lord, I hate lard. And his pastor was sure
enough perplexed. But the deacon continued, Lord,
I ain't too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix them
all together and bake them in a hot oven, I just love biscuits. Lord, help us to realize when
life gets hard, when things come up that we don't like, whenever
we don't understand what you're doing, that we need to wait and
see what you're making. After you get through mixing
and baking it, it'll be something even better than biscuits. Amen. Oh, let us wait on God. In every circumstance, in every
trial, wait before the God of patience. As he is the God of
patience, the Lord our God is called the God of consolation.
All true, real comfort comes from him. Our Lord Jesus, his
dear son, is called the consolation of Israel. The Spirit of God
is sent by Christ to be the comforter of Zion, the comforter of his
people. Comforting us with the knowledge of our Savior's accomplishments
in redemption. Comforting us with the knowledge
of free forgiveness by his precious blood. Comforting us with the
blessed comfort of faith and joy in believing. He's the God
of consolation. Now look at Romans 15, five and
six again. Now the God of patience and consolation
grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to
Jesus Christ. That you may have the same mind,
that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that we might be like-minded
one toward another, united in the cause of Christ, patient
before God, patient with one another, of one mind, of one
heart, of one doctrine, speaking the things of God to this generation,
and that we might exercise that same patience and consolation
toward one another that we have found in Christ our Lord. God,
give us grace to love one another as we're loved of Him, to forgive
one another as we're forgiven by Him for the glory of God. that God may be glorified by
us while we walk through this world. Look at Romans 15 and
verse 13. Romans 15 and verse 13. He who is the God of patience
and consolation is God who makes himself known as the God of hope.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Happy is he who has the God of
Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. The God
of hope. Again, what a great name for
our God. In verse 12, the apostle speaks of the Lord Jesus as the
root of Jesse, whom he has given us grace to trust. And now trusting
him, we have a good hope through grace. Faith in Christ gives
sinners a good hope, a good hope. A good hope is a hope that's
confident. A good hope is a hope that stands
you in good stead with peace before God in the days of your
life. A good hope of heavenly glory. What is that good hope? It is
hope through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God's darling son,
our substitute. I trust in Christ, the root of
justice. That one whom God has sent for
the Gentiles to trust, I have before God, because I have perfect
atonement. The Son of God, my Savior, has
satisfied the justice of God for all our sins. We then have
nothing to fear from God. We have a good hope through grace,
hope because of perfect righteousness. God demands perfection and in
Christ we have that righteousness, that perfection that God demands.
He was manifested to take away our sins and in Him is no sin. And I have hope with regard to
tomorrow in spite of all that I know about
myself, in spite of all that I see around me, in spite of
all that I have seen, who endured for a while and perished. Oh, Don Fortner, how do you,
how do you have hope of perseverance and preservation? My hope is
in the Lord. He promised he would never leave
me nor forsake me. He would give his people one
heart and one way that they should not depart from him, and he's
promised he will perform that good work which he has begun
in us. You see, our salvation is altogether
God's work, not ours. Now, may he fill you with joy
and peace in believing. A good hope. gives joy and peace
because we believe God. You can get hope other places,
and you can get peace other places, but it's just the pleasure of
seeing that endures for a season. You can get it from spasms of
religious emotionalism. You can get it from fits of religion. You can get it from pills the
doctor prescribes, or you can trust Christ. Here is a good
hope that fills us with joy and peace in believing. He is the
God of hope. And Paul says, now this is my
prayer that you may abound in hope. You see, the more you know
the Savior, the more you're given faith in the Savior, as you walk
with God by faith, we learn hope as we learn faith. We learn peace
as we learn faith. And he does this through the
power of the Holy Ghost. God, the Holy Ghost, our comforter,
sent to the Savior to be another comforter to comfort us. We have patience and consolation
from God, just in proportion as God, the Holy Ghost, gives
us faith. just in proportion as he gives
us faith. And that he gives us good hope
regarding all the fullness of his salvation. Come back to Isaiah
26 for just a minute. Isaiah 26. In that day shall
this song be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation will God appoint for
walls and boards. Open ye the gates that the righteous
nation which keepeth truth may enter in. Thou will keep him
in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth
in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever. For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength. Now that brings us to this third
name. Romans chapter 15 and verse 33. Now the God of peace be with
you all. The God of peace. That seems
to have been Paul's favorite name for God. He uses it repeatedly
through his epistles. The God of peace. made peace
between himself and his people by the blood of his own darling
son, the Lord Jesus. He declares his thoughts toward
us are thoughts of peace. Isn't that wonderful? His thoughts
toward us from everlasting are thoughts of peace. He entered
into a covenant of peace with his son on our behalf. A council
of peace is between them both. Christ our savior is the prince
of peace and the way of peace. It pleased God to reconcile us
to himself by punishing his dear son in our place. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. It is God the
spirit who gives sinners when they are born again by His grace,
when He gives them faith in Christ, it is God the Spirit who gives
us peace in believing. True, solid, conscious, lasting
peace. Peace with God that passeth understanding. And let me call your attention
to one last word. The last word of chapter 15,
amen, amen. We seldom think much about the
word because it's used so commonly in scripture and used so commonly
by us. This word amen means surely,
so be it, so shall it be, certain, sure, all of those things. but
it is also a name which our Savior takes to himself. In Revelation
3, in verse 14, he says he is the amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Paul here to
these names and all that he says in this chapter says amen. Christ is the amen to the God
of patience and conservation. Our God is a God of patience
and consolation. Looking to Christ, I say, amen,
he is. He is the amen to the God of
hope. Christ gives us hope before God. He is the amen to the God of
peace. Believing on the Son of God,
we have peace. Now, look at chapter 15, verse
five. Now the God of patience and consolation
grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Jesus
Christ, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God,
even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound
in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Now the God of
peace be with you all. Amen.