Please Review the Text of James 1:2-3 Before Reading the Pastorís Sermon
1 James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
James 1:2-3
The Four Main Biblical Truths That Will Be Examined In Todayís Sermon Are:
1) Nothing Can Happen to a Child of God That Does Not First Go Through the Mind of God. (Job 1:8-11)
2) Everything God Does is for the Best. (Jer 29:11)
3) God Guarantees a Way to Win Through. (1 Cor 10:13)
4) Trials Have a Divine Purpose. (Rom 8:28)
Good Troubles
There is a pastor in America who has a motto secured onto the wall of his office. This motto is a contemporary paraphrase of a biblical truth- a truth that is the launching point of my morning message. It reads: "Hallelujah Anyhow". Its origin is from James 1:2F which literally says:
"When your world is falling apart, when your problems are enormous, when temptations assail you on every side, praise the Lord"!
This portion of the Word is expounding a very important principal: lifeís trials and troubles are meant to be positive experiences. They are to be edifying adventures.
Now few believers in Christ realize this principal right away- though it is possible. No, most come to realize it through the passage of time as God gives them one opportunity after another to learn how to rely on His power to live victoriously.
Are You In Game Shape?
Most spiritual truths have a physical counterpart. In the physical realm, we all know the importance of intense physical training by an athlete in order to prepare for a sporting contest.
Remember as kids how we used to warm up for our turn at the baseball plate, by swinging two bats. Or when we would prepare for a competitive event by throwing medicine balls and lifting weights. I vividly remember training for a tug-of-war contest by pulling against a Dodge æ ton power wagon. Now that was one great competitor!
Athletes have to burden their muscles so that they might be strengthened and thereby become better equipped to face the really big tests that lie ahead them.
People, the Bible is sharing a spiritual parallel in this portion of the Word. As believers in Christ, the Lord has given us the potential to become "Olympic-class" spiritual athletes. In order for this to happen though, we need to be in "game shape". Spiritual weights, namely the trials of life, build us up inwardly so that when the really big troubles hit, we can win.
Our problem, of course, is that we have a tough time accepting these trials of life for what they are. Generally, we forget all about their importance in the "spiritual building" process and not infrequently bemoan our lot in life.
"Why me and why now?" is often the expression you will hear rather than, "Wow, God has something incredible in store for me"! When you think or talk in a defeated manner, you have lost an important spiritual perspective.
James says count all your perceived troubles as joy. Consider them as pure joy.
"Be Happy", are the words Kenneth Taylor uses in the Living Bible, "for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow, and donít try to squirm out of your problems."
I like this translation from Taylor. He often seems to find just the right modern expressions to cast fresh light on old truths. More often than we care to admit, we tend to squirm out of our problems instead of rejoicing in them.
Everything God Does Is For The Best
Always. Always. Always remember that nothing can happen to the child of God that does not first of all go through the mind of God. God is omniscient (all knowing). He knows exactly what you are up against and has permitted your trial for a perfect reason.
Godís omniscience is best illustrated in the book of Job where we see that Satanís capacities to inflict or entice evil in our lives is totally under the restraining power of God,
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:6-8)
For God to be able to say this, He has to have an intimate knowledge of every human being. Whether it be His exact knowledge of how many hairs are on our head or the precise location of an atom within any cell in our body, or every intimate thought you will have in 2 hours 33 minutes and 55.23415 seconds from now, no detail, however small it may be passes through the great sieve of God. There is a reason He can rightfully call Himself God All Mighty!
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou has blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. (Job 9-11)
Satan is conscious of the fact that there is security for the believer in the hand of God. He had no doubt been testing these defenses and been unsuccessful in penetrating them until God gave him a controlled opening with Job.
The same is true today. God will give us the necessarily peace we need no matter what Satan hurls his way at us- if we rely on His provision. This provision gives us a "peace which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). A miraculous peace that allows us to withstand the darkest of circumstances, with joy.
Now please refer if you will to verse 12.
12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
From this verse, we see God lowering His defenses on Job and very deliberately letís Satan have a go at his servant.
Now your first reaction to this verse might be, "With friends like that, who needs enemies?!" Such a response, of course stems from an inability to see the trees from the forest. It is a lack of conviction or awareness of the truth that everything God does is for the best.
Recognize that His wisdom, righteous power and love guarantees this Biblical truth. His perfect wisdom, ensures the application of solutions that man is incapable of conceiving. He brings quality answers to our toughest problems. His righteousness excludes sin so that it is impossible for Him to wrong someone. His love ensures that He will discipline us when there is a need, and yet He will bear every burden that is beyond us.
He promised this to us when He said,
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
We Can Pass Through Troubles Victoriously
Remember as well, Godís power facilitates the determination of His heart.
And in Jerermiah. 29:11we know what the determination of Godís heart is when He says,
I know the thoughts and plans I have for youÖthey are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hopeÖwelfare and peace.
Sounds great! But how do we relate it to the experience of Job? This man passed through extremely stormy waters.
And thatís the point! He did pass through. Victoriously!
But how? Please open up your Bibles to 1 Cor. 10:13 from the New International Version (NIV) and weíll see just how.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
In my mind, this is the most important verse in the Bible dealing with temptations, tests and trials. Commit this verse to memory!
It contains Godís promise that with every such experience there will always be way of escape.
Be aware though, that the path to victory may not always be easy. Nevertheless, it is the right way of escape. While there may be times in which running away from a temptation is the right way of escape, Joseph running away from Potifharís wife was one such example, Godís notion of escape usually involves overcoming temptation head on. He always gives us a way to win through. That is, to stand up under (i.e. not to collapse) in the face of any temptation.
Beloved, I believe this with all my mind and heart. I believe it because of the testimony of Job. And I believe that this was the principal reason that God allowed Job to pass through such a dreadful experience. He was Godís chosen instrument to bring you and me unto the conviction that God is faithful and that Christianity offers us the wherewithal not only to hang in, but to win through.
Now isnít this supposed "horrible" experience worth praising?! Not only did Job come out of this experience stronger in faith and his walk with God, but he also became a victorious testimony for millions upon millions of Christians throughout the ages. Jobís victory shows us the incredible enabling power that God gives us through the Holy Spirit to endure any crisis that comes our way.
In order for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be meaningful, it has to be proven. The followers of Christ canít be a bunch of cream puffs or paper tigers, because such things collapse under the slightest pressure. The world needs hope, it needs something to trust in and lean on. That means Christians have got to be put through their paces. The world has got to see it in ourselves, recognize how far weíve come and just what we really can do in and through Christ.
It is by the application of this same principal that we train soldiers. We push them out of airplanes and down the sides of mountains. We move them through raging streams and snake infested swamps. We drive them around the clock with little water and even less food. We do it all so that a man can face and conquer every imaginable fear, so that when he goes into battle, the only thing he has left to defeat is the enemy. All else is behind him.
Of course, many soldiers do not know Christ. They do not have access to His incredible enabling power. Jesus does not expect us to rely on our strength but rather His own. Each trial that we go through is not a test of our strength but Jesusí. Our job is to rely on His strength by placing our faith in His enabling power. Each trial then is an opportunity to strengthen our faith by personally witnessing the difference that He can make in our lives. When confronted by an intense trial simply say to yourself: "Just watch the Lord Jesus provide me with a way out so that I can stand up from under it"!
So donít feel sorry for Job. If you were to talk with him near the midpoint of his intense trial, heíd echo the sentiment recorded in Acts 5:41. He would tell you that heís rejoicing in fact that he was counted worthy enough to suffer for the Lord. He would be rejoicing with you that he is being used by the Lord to be part of His unfolding plan and purpose: bringing men to salvation. He would be doing this despite not knowing what lay ahead. He simply trusted All Mighty God- who somehow was in the process of harnessing Jobís seemingly dark circumstance into a glorious light-filled event. And, as the final chapters of this wonderful book point out, he was absolutely right.
A Cruel Father or Loving Father?
Of course, what Job endured was not an easy experience. Indeed, it was so difficult that at one point he wished that he had never been born. His wife, seeing how much he was suffering even suggested that Job get God so mad at him that Heíd do him. She advised her husband to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9 and 3:3f).
What an awful mistake that would have been! It is always at these moments where we unknowingly are near the peak of a spiritual mountain that we backtrack and lose an incredible blessing. It is like plucking out a beautiful plant just as it is about to sprout out of dark soil.
Pardon my phrasing for a moment, but what type of God do you believe in? One that pulls names out of a hat and hurls trials on His children for no reason whatsoever? Or One Who loves His children so much that He would physically die for them? One who loves us so much that He will not only give us eternal life when we die but wants us to become more like Him in the here and now.
In order for this transformation to happen, we need radical surgery-which is seldom pleasant but always necessary. Only God can perform this surgery. Now you can go kicking and screaming through His series of necessary "procedures" or put your faith in His perfect abilities and await in confidence, His incredible results.
Job Had To Suffer Big Time
Iím sure that some of you may still question whether what Job went through it was "fair" or not. Couldnít God have at least held back on some of the torment that his beloved servant went through?
These are reasonable questions. To deal with them let me say two things. First, we need to remind ourselves that if a trial is to serve its purpose, it must not only be real, it must be seen as real. If the Lord Jesus had not sweat "great drops of blood" as He faced Calvary, how could we have ever begun to comprehend the weight of the penalty that He bore on our behalf? And without this knowledge, weíd neither recognize the exceeding sinfulness of sin, nor the wondrous nature of Godís love towards us. Right?
Beloved, Job had to hurt big time, if the message of the sustaining power of God was to be seen and believed.
The second point that needs to be stated is that what Job was called upon to face was not so dreadful that he buckled under the weight of it. Once again, let me remind you that his victory is very important for it bears witness to Godís faithfulness in trials. As I stated earlier, 1 Corinthians 10 tells us that God will not permit us- that is, we who are children of God, to be tested beyond our capacity to endure.
I find that just fantastic. Not only does this whole thing prove Godís faithfulness, but it demonstrates His infinite and particular awareness of the heart and soul of each and everyone of us. He knows our staying power, pain thresholds and emotional stability. All and everything of us that is caught up in the process of working through lifeís trials are included in Godís awareness.
And then, to top this all off, His absolute sovereignty comes to bear. Knowing us and the situation, He so influences things that Satan can never gang up on us. The way to win is always there. Of course, winning brings strength and a growing capacity towards victorious habits.
Focus On His Promises
Why do so many of us fail so badly so often when faced with trials? Probably because we focus too much on the problem and too little on the purpose behind it. Sadly, we focus too little on the promise of victory and the power that is ours to claim.
Remember, one of the few limitations that God has imposed on Himself is that He cannot lie. This means that any promise that He makes, He is obliged to keep. Anything that He expects you to perform, in this case, enduring a trial, He will give you the enabling power to succeed. Otherwise He will not live up to His end of the bargain and thus be a liar. .
So long as you rely on Godís sustaining power, rather than your own, you will be victorious. God says so.
I recommend that you memorize Romans 8:28 where Paul tells us to know as a God established fact "..that all things work together for good..." And I would suggest that you write down the four truths that you were presented at the beginning of this sermon and put them somewhere handy so that you can pull them out when trials hit. They are guaranteed to lift you and coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to actually face tough situations joyously. You will do this because you believe in victory.
Let us close with the hymn "Stand Up For Jesus". Please pay particular attention to the stanza: "Stand in His strength alone" and "Ye dare not trust your own." In my mind, both these stanzaís succinctly summarize the essence of the Christian walk and the basis in which we can claim victory from any trial.
Pastor Thorold Marsaw
Newtonbrook Baptist Church
North York, Ontario
M2N 2R2
Canada
(416) 225-6571
