Forge PatchException / Sponge Could Not Apply Patches on Server Startup

What the log looks like

net\.minecraftforge\.fml\.repackage\.com\.nothome\.delta\.PatchException
Sponge could not apply one or more patches\. A required class was loaded prematurely!
An essential class was loaded before Sponge could patch it

How to fix it

1. Rename your SpongeForge jar inside the mods folder so it sorts first alphabetically (for example, rename spongeforge-...jar to _spongeforge-...jar or aaa_spongeforge-...jar) so Sponge loads before other coremods.
2. Alternatively, install and launch the server through SpongeBootstrap if you are running Minecraft 1.10.2 so Sponge initializes prior to coremods like Applied Energistics 2.
3. Check that your Forge server build matches the Forge build number in the SpongeForge filename (for example, spongeforge-1.10.2-2281-... requires Forge 12.18.3.2281, not an older build like 2099).
4. Update Applied Energistics 2 and SpongeForge to their latest releases for your Minecraft version, as early 1.10.2 alpha builds (such as rv4-alpha-11) had known coremod loading conflicts with Sponge.

Check your own log