FOUR TOOLS WE NEED TO MAKE IT THROUGH TIMES OF TRIAL
JAMES 1:1-8 JAMES, A SERVANT OF GOD AND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES SCATTERED AMONG THE NATIONS: GREETINGS. 2 CONSIDER IT PURE JOY, MY BROTHERS, WHENEVER YOU FACE TRIALS OF MANY KINDS, 3 BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH DEVELOPS PERSEVERANCE. 4 PERSEVERANCE MUST FINISH ITS WORK SO THAT YOU MAY BE MATURE AND COMPLETE, NOT LACKING ANYTHING. 5 IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM, HE SHOULD ASK GOD, WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY TO ALL WITHOUT FINDING FAULT, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM. 6 BUT WHEN HE ASKS, HE MUST BELIEVE AND NOT DOUBT, BECAUSE HE WHO DOUBTS IS LIKE A WAVE OF THE SEA, BLOWN AND TOSSED BY THE WIND. 7 THAT MAN SHOULD NOT THINK HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THE LORD; 8 HE IS A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN, UNSTABLE IN ALL HE DOES.
INTRODUCTION: A YOUNG MAN APPROACHED THE FOREMAN OF A LOGGING CREW AND ASKED FOR A JOB.
“LET’S SEE YOU FELL THIS TREE FIRST” SAID THE FOREMAN. THE YOUNG MAN STEPPED FORWARD AND SKILLFULLY FELLED THE LARGE TREE. THE FOREMAN WAS IMPRESSED AND SAID TO THE YOUNG MAN: “YOU CAN START ON MONDAY.”
MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY CAME AND WENT. ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON THE FOREMAN CAME TO THE YOUNG MAN AND SAID: “YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR PAY-CHECK ON YOUR WAY OUT TODAY.” STARTLED THE YOUNG MAN EXCLAIMED, “BUT I THOUGHT YOU PAID ON FRIDAY!” “THAT’S RIGHT,” SAID THE FOREMAN, “BUT WE ARE LETTING YOU GO TODAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE FALLEN BEHIND. OUR DAILY FELLING CHARTS SHOW THAT YOU HAVE DROPPED FROM FIRST PLACE ON MONDAY TO LAST PLACE TODAY.”
“BUT I WORK REALLY HARD,” SAID THE YOUNG MAN. “I ARRIVE EARLY, I LEAVE LATE AND I EVEN WORK THROUGH MY BREAKS. PLEASE DON’T JUST FIRE ME.”
THE FOREMAN KNEW THIS TO BE TRUE, AND SENSING THE YOUNG MAN’S INTEGRITY, STOPPED AND THOUGHT FOR A BIT. THEN HE ASKED: “HAVE YOU BEEN SHARPENING YOUR AXE?”
THE YOUNG MAN REPLIED: “NO SIR. I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOO HARD TO TAKE TIME FOR THAT.”
IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE THROUGH OUR LIVES A FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, WE NEED TO HAVE OUR TOOLS SHARP MORE THAN WE NEED TO HAVE OUR LIVES BUSY.
TRANSITION: I WANT TO GIVE YOU FOUR TOOLS TO HELP YOU THROUGH THOSE TIMES IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU ARE BEING TESTED BY TRIALS.
I. TOOL #1 HAVE A JOYFUL ATTITUDE JAMES 1:2
a. WE NEED A JOYFUL ATTITUDE
i. IT IS COMMANDED BY GOD
ii. GOD NEVER GIVES US WHAT WE DO NOT NEED
iii. GOD NEVER COMMANDS US TO DO WHAT IS NOT ESSENTIAL
b. SINCE JOY IS A COMMAND
i. MY ATTITUDE TO THIS COMMAND OF GOD (AND ANY COMMAND OF GOD) IS IMPORTANT
ii. MY ATTITUDE DETERMINES MY OUTCOME
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN MAXWELL, ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, HAS SUMMED UP THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE THIS WAY, “WE CHOOSE WHAT ATTITUDE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.” AND “YOU CAN’T BE A SMART COOKIE WITH A CRUMMY ATTITUDE.”
c. THE KIND OF JOY GOD EXPECTS CAN ONLY BE HAD BY DEPENDENCY ON GOD
i. ALL JOY
ii. PURE JOY
iii. GOD IS THE SOURCE OF JOY
iv. JOY IS GOD’S RESOURCE TO GIVE!
d. UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT PURPOSE OF TRIALS ALLOWS US TO HAVE JOY
i. GENESIS 50:20 YOU INTENDED TO HARM ME, BUT GOD INTENDED IT FOR GOOD TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT IS NOW BEING DONE, THE SAVING OF MANY LIVES.
ii. ROMANS 8:28 AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
HAVING JOY DURING A TRIAL IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MY ATTITUDE DETERMINES MY OUTCOME BY ALLOWING ME TO LIVE ABOVE THE EVENTS OF LIFE AS WELL AS THROUGH THE EVENTS OF LIFE!
II. TOOL #2 HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING MIND – JAMES 1:3
a. “YOU KNOW” MEANS TO HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING
b. WHAT WE DO KNOW WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH A TRIAL
i. GOD HAS NOT LEFT OR FORSAKEN US
ii. I AM SECURE OUR SALVATION
iii. I HAVE NOT LOST THE PRESENCE OF GOD
iv. I AM SECURE IN MY PURPOSE FOR GOD
c. WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH A TRIAL
i. I NEED TO KNOW THAT I CAN ASK GOD FOR HELP TO GO THROUGH THIS TRIAL
ii. I NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD HAS ALREADY BUILT ME TO GO THROUGH THIS TRIAL. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 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 ALSO PROVIDE A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN STAND UP UNDER IT.
iii. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT MEANT TO GO THROUGH THIS TRIAL ALONE. GALATIANS 6:2 CARRY EACH OTHER'S BURDENS, AND IN THIS WAY YOU WILL FULFILL THE LAW OF CHRIST.
iv. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE BEING PREPARED FOR A FUTURE. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF COMPASSION AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT, 4 WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR TROUBLES, SO THAT WE CAN COMFORT THOSE IN ANY TROUBLE WITH THE COMFORT WE OURSELVES HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD.
JUST A QUICK THOUGHT HERE ABOUT OUR PURPOSE HERE AS A CHURCH. AS A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS EACH SUNDAY WE GATHER TOGETHER. THAT IS WHAT WE DID WHEN WE CAME TOGETHER TO WORSHIP OUR CREATOR. WE ARE ALSO A COMMUNITY THAT GROWS TOGETHER. WHEN WE LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD AND APPLY THAT WORD TO OUR LIVES, THE RESULT IS GROWTH. WE ARE ALSO A COMMUNITY THAT SERVES TOGETHER. THIS MEANS THAT WE DO NOT FIND OUR PURPOSE AS A CHURCH UNTIL WHAT WE HAVE COME TOGETHER TO DO – IE: WORSHIP AND LEARN IS TAKEN BEYOND THESE WALLS AND PUT INTO PRACTICE IN THE WORLD!
III. TOOL #3 HAVE A SUBMISSIVE WILL – JAMES 1:4
a. THE ONLY WAY OUT OF A TRIAL IS THROUGH IT
b. GOD’S WORK IN US COMES AS WE GO THROUGH THE TRIAL
c. GOD’S INTENT IS TO STRENGTHEN US, NOT TO HARM US
i. PERFECT US – DEVELOP SPIRITUAL MATURITY IN US.
ii. TO COMPLETE US – TO MAKE US WHOLE
iii. SO THAT WE LACK NOTHING
1. OF SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE
2. OF SPIRITUAL VALUE
iv. TO DEVELOP A CHARACTER THAT SEES THE WORK OF GOD THROUGH IT ALL
GENESIS 22:2 THEN GOD SAID, "TAKE YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON, ISAAC, WHOM YOU LOVE, AND GO TO THE REGION OF MORIAH. SACRIFICE HIM THERE AS A BURNT OFFERING ON ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT."
GENESIS 22:12 "DO NOT LAY A HAND ON THE BOY," HE SAID. "DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO HIM. NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD, BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT WITHHELD FROM ME YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON."
HEBREWS 11:17-19 BY FAITH ABRAHAM, WHEN GOD TESTED HIM, OFFERED ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE. HE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE PROMISES WAS ABOUT TO SACRIFICE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, 18 EVEN THOUGH GOD HAD SAID TO HIM, "IT IS THROUGH ISAAC THAT YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE RECKONED." 19 ABRAHAM REASONED THAT GOD COULD RAISE THE DEAD, AND FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, HE DID RECEIVE ISAAC BACK FROM DEATH.
1. ABRAHAM REASONED THAT GOD WOULD DO SOMETHING TO ALIGN THE TRIAL WITH REVEALED WILL!
SUBMISSION TO THE WORK OF GOD PERMITS GOD TO REFINE OUR CHARACTER.
IV. TOOL #4 – WE NEED TO HAVE A BELIEVING HEART – JAMES 1:5-8
a. THE KEY HERE IS THE ASKING. WE ARE TO ASK IN FAITH
b. WE ARE TO ASK FOR A GODLY UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRIAL WE ARE GOING THROUGH
i. IF WE HAVE THE FIRST THREE TOOLS IN PLACE – A HEART, MIND AND WILL IN THE RIGHT PLACE, THE FOURTH TOOL OF BELIEF COMES EASILY.
ii. FAITH COMES BY HEARING GOD’S WORD
1. THE BIBLE YOU HAVE IN YOUR HANDS IS GOD’S WORD
“A BIBLE THAT’S FALLING APART USUALLY BELONGS TO SOMEONE WHO ISN’T.” ― CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON
2. GOD ANSWERING PRAYER IS GOD SPEAKING TO YOU
YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF IF GOD IS THE STEERING WHEEL OR THE SPARE TIRE OF YOUR LIFE!
c. THREE THINGS GOD HAS PROMISED WHEN WE ASK
i. GOD WILL GIVE LIBERALLY – WITH NO ULTERIOR MOTIVES
ii. GOD WILL GIVE WITHOUT FINDING FAULT OR UPBRAIDING
1. THIS LITERALLY MEANS TO CAST IN ONES TEETH
2. GOD WILL NOT GIVE US A PUNCH IN THE MOUTH WHEN WE ASK FOR WISDOM
iii. GOD WILL GRANT WHAT WE ASK WHEN WE SEEK HIS WISDOM
d. WHAT GOD ASKS
i. ASK IN FAITH AND PERSEVERE IN THE ASKING
ii. DON’T DOUBT
1. TO DOUBT MEANS TO BE A DIVIDED SOUL
2. TO DOUBT THE PURPOSE AND PLAN OF GOD IN ONE AREA HAS A DOMINO EFFECT ON EVERY AREA.
3. WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO TRUST GOD IN ANY AREA
A BELIEVING HEART WILL ASK GOD FOR WISDOM IN HOW TO BEST GO THROUGH THE TRIAL WE ARE IN
SO WHAT IS IN YOUR SPIRITUAL TOOL BOX WHEN YOU ARE FACING A TRIAL? I TRUST THAT IT IS A JOYFUL ATTITUDE, AND UNDERSTANDING MIND, A SUBMISSIVE WILL AND A BELIEVING HEART.
