IDENTIFY THE TESTING PROCESS AND LEARNING TO THRIVE IN THE TEST ---
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This lesson is printed in two parts, but needs to be done in several sittings. This is part two.
TEXT:
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
I. THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS ANY CHRISTIAN WILL KNOW THE TESTING PROCESS. TESTING IS NOT A ONE TIME EVENT, IT IS A PROCESS.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
A. WE WILL FACE TEST IN MANY AREAS ---
1. TESTS OF THE MIND
2. TESTS OF YOUR WILL
3. TESTS OF YOUR EMOTIONS AND YOUR CONTROL OF THEM
4. TESTS OF YOUR BODY
5. TESTS OF THE SPIRIT AND TRUSTING GOD’S WORD.
B. WE HAVE DISCUSSED SEVERAL ISSUES IN THE PREVIOUS LESSONS.
We said: Identify tests, expect tests, thrive during testing.
II. GIVING CAN BE A BIG TEST.
YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVE, BUT YOU CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT GIVING.
A. CAIN AND ABEL FACED A GIVING TEST?
CAIN GAVE OF HIS FRUIT...
ABEL GAVE THE FIRSTLING ...
Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
B. HOW INSANE IS IT TO WANT THINGS TO CHANGE WITHOUT A CHANGE IN GIVING?
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For
with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
C. MANY GIVE ACCIDENTLY, THEY JUST HAPPEN TO HEAR A NEED AND GIVE.
GOD LOVES PLANNED, PURPOSED GIVING
2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
D. THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH, TAKERS AND GIVERS.
WHICH ARE YOU?
WILL YOU PASS THE GIVING TEST?
III. THERE ARE SOME EXTREME TESTS THAT CALL FOR SOME MIGHTY MOVERS FOR GOD... THE THIRD DAY TEST! OR THE TEST OF LAYING DOWN YOUR DREAM BECAUSE GOD ASKED YOU TO DO SO ----
A. IS IT WRONG TO TEST FAITH?
WHY DID GOD TEST ABRAHAM’S FAITH --- DID GOD NOT KNOW?
B. SOME TESTS REQUIRE GREATER THAN FAITH TESTS BUT THEY ALSO INCLUDE
PATIENCE TESTS.
C. THE JEHOVAH-JIREH TEST: GOD IS OUR PROVIDER.
Sometimes FAITH will be put to a severe, difficult testing process.
Isaac is the HEIR of the PROMISE...
Abraham heard the orders from God.
D. Abraham did not hestitate, he headed toward the mountain!
Genesis 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon
one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the
burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you,
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them
together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the
lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid
him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and
offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
IV. HOW ABOUT THE TEST OF VERACITY ---
HAVE YOU EVER FACED THE ISLE OF PATMOS TEST?
WE MIGHT CALL IT THE BACK SIDE OF THE DESERT TEST?
A. VERACITY:
devotion to the truth
power of perceiving the truth
to conform to the standard of truth
THE DESIRE TO PLANT
B. John served God with a great fervent spirit.
John was banished as a cast away, on the Isle of Patmos.
Patmos was a small rocky, barren island in the Aegean Sea.
C. JOHN WEPT MUCH ON PATMOS, HIS TEARS WERE A PRAYER LANGUAGE TO GOD.
Rev. 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
D. THE WATERS AROUND PATMOS WERE A PRISON OF SEPERATION FROM HIS FRIENDS AND FELLOW BELIEVERS
E. While facing the great test on Patmos John received a clear revelation from a Holy God.
John saw the Lion of the Tribe of Judah worthy to open the seven seals.
F. On Patmos John met Him which was, which is, and which is to come...
John met the the God of the Covenant in person.
G. MOSES WAS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DESERT ---
GOD HAD SOME GRADUATE SCHOOL LEARNING FOR THE MAN RAISED IN THE PALACE OF PHARAOH!
Moses learned to take up for the underdog.
He learned patience.
He learned how to recognize God and HOLY GROUND --- the burning bush.
H. In Moses first 40 years he thought HE WAS SOMETHING --- In Moses next 40 years he thought HE WAS NOTHING --- In Moses next 40 years he learned GOD IS EVERYTHING!
V. THE TEST OF PALLIATION --- MAKING EXCUSES AND MAKING LIGHT OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS...
A. THE FIRST KING OF ISREAL --- SAUL --- MUST LEARN TO FACE THE TEST
B. THE WORSHIP TEST?
WILL SAUL RESPECT AUTHORITY?
WILL HE SUBMIT OR WILL HE UNDERMINE AUTHORITY?
1 Samuel 13:8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him,
that he might salute him.
C. SAUL’S BAD ATTITUDES ARE DEEPER AND VERY ROOTED IN HIS POOR ATTITUDES. SAUL IS NOT SORRY, AND HE BLAMES OTHERS FOR HIS MISTAKES.
1 Samuel 13:11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered
themselves together at Michmash;
D. SAUL SAYS: I FORCED MY SELF TO DO WRONG...
1 Samuel 13:12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself
therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
E. SAUL IS GIVEN ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, HERE IS THE NEW TEST --- SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE.
SAUL HAS CLEAR DIRECTIONS!
1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
F. TATTLE TAIL, TATTLE TAIL SINGING LIKE A NIGHTING GALE.
1 Samuel 15:14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
G. SAUL’S TEST OF HIS BEHAVIOR IDENTIFIES A TERRIBLE PARADIGM SHIFT
TO LEAN TO THE FLESH AND PUBLIC OPINION.
1 Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?
18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
H. SAUL IS GIVEN ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, ACKNOWLEDGE, CONFESS, AND REPENT.
1 Samuel 15:19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?
I. ONE MIST NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF DENIAL.
1 Samuel 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
J. THEN WHEN SAUL IS CONFRONTED AND FACES THE FINAL TEST, HE NOT ONLY BLAMES OTHERS BUT SAUL MAKES A CLAIM, WE DID THIS FOR AN OFFERING TO GOD?
1 Samuel 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the
Lord thy God in Gilgal.
K. AFTER REPEATED FAILURE AND BAD ATTITUDES GOD WILL REJECT THE KING OF GREAT POTENTIAL.
SAUL FELL A LONG WAY FROM THE MAN HE WAS WHEN HE WAS CHASING HIS FATHER’S DONKEY’S AND VISITED AT SAMUEL’S HOUSE.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
VI. CONSIDER HOW WERE THESE BIBLICAL PEOPLE TESTED?
CONSIDER HOW WILL YOU BE TESTED?
A. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY YOUR TESTING PROCESS?
B. BE WILLING TO GROW AND EXPECT THE TEST...
C. WILL YOU LEARN HOW TO THRIVE DURING THE TESTING PROCESS?
D. PONDER HOW THESE PEOPLE WERE TESTED?
1. Adam and Eve’s test?
2. Daniel’s test?
3. Namaam’s test?
4. Noah’s test?
5. Rahab’s test?
6. Samson’s test?
7. Judas’ test?
8. Lot’s wife’s test?
9. The test of Jericho?
10. Achan’s test?
11. Cain’s offering test?
12. Ananias and Sapphira’s test?
13. Moses’ test?
14. Miriam’s test?
15. The blind man with mud in his eyes?
16. The lady that was sick 12 years and spent all on the doctors?
17. The three Hebrew boys?
VII. WILL I LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TEST? EXPECT TEST?
THRIVE IN THE TESTING PROCESS?
A. THE THREE TESTS OF EXCUSES:
1. Materialism --- purchased land
2. Pleasure/ business --- got to prove my new oxen
3. Relationships/ scheduling conflicts --- I have married a wife
B. SEVERAL TEST OF CREDIBILITY --- INSPIRE BELIEF ---
1. AM I A BELIEVING BELIEVER?
2. WILL GOD DO THIS?
3. WILL GOD DO THIS FOR ME?
4. WHEN WILL GOD DO THIS FOR ME?
5. WILL I SUBMIT AND OBEY?
6. WILL I LOVE THE HARD TO LOVE PEOPLE?
C. My friend, God loves you, the test is part of life’s schooling process.
Let us submit, learn and pass the test.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass it on to others? This is a several part lesson.
It is printed in two parts.
