From Trouble to Triumph
Victory Temple A/G
P. O. Box 911
Waco, Tx 76703
By Pastor Danny Williams
James 1:4-11
There are three type’s of people here this evening.
1. those in trials.
2. those coming out of trials
3. those going into trials ( but you don’t know it yet. )
So there is a word for everyone here tonight.
Either you are in it coming out of it or you are heading towards it.
The first thing we need to deal with is that God wants to communicate with you on a deeper level.
He really doesn’t want to have to correct you through your circumstances.
He wants to correct you through his word.
But if you will not hear his word then he has to deal with you on a carnal level and speak to you through your circumstances.
Now he can speak through your circumstances but he wants to speak to your Spirit.
In Revelation 3:20, He speaks to the Laodician Church.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock (which is an action) if any man hear my voice,
Notice he didn’t say I stand and call. He said I stand and knock. (Which is an action) but in the mist of the action he says, “If any man hear my voice”
So what God is saying is “I’m speaking to you through what I’m doing.”
Why is God speaking to the Laodician church through what he is doing?
Because they won’t hear any thing else.
Because they are Luke warm. Unconcerned, because they have lost their fire and there fervency.
And any time you lose your fervency for God, He has to speak to you through your circumstances.
If some of us would have listen to God when he first spoke, you would not be in the Crisis your in now.
But If you wont listen through your spirit, he has to speak to your
1. Check book
2. Family relationships
If we are not hearing on this Spiritual level, God will move down and speak to anything that will cause you to hear.
The first thing you must do is ask What are my problems really Developing?
How do I come from Total Trouble to Total Triumph?
You have to start by looking at the trials, before the triumph
Understand: Trials are meaningless, suffering is senseless and trials are pointless, unless there is some good purpose for them.
You need to understand that God has a goal in mind. He has a plan, He has a purpose!!!!
The Bible refers to Seven reasons to for Trials.
1. To test or strengthen our faith. (James 1:2)
2. To humble us, or to remind us to trust in the Lord. (II Cor. 12:7)
3. God allows trials to come to wean us from our dependence on worldly things. (John 6:5-7)
4. To draw you to hope. – the harder the trial the more you want to go home. (Rom. 8:18-25)
5. To reveal what we really love.–Abraham’s sacrifice. (Gen.18:1-18)
6. To teach us the value of God’s blessings –(Ps. 63:3-7)
7. To develop His Saints – ( II Cor. 12:10)
How a person handles trouble in life will reveal whether there faith is living or Dead, genuine or imitation.
Now there are at least two things that James says about suffering in this paragraph.
We looked at them two weeks ago, lets review for a moment.
1. Suffering is inevitable.
He does not say, "Count it all joy, my brethren, if you fall into trials," he says, "Count it all joy when you fall into trials.
2. Trials are not optional - " Suffering and Trials are a normal part of God’s process to bring us to His full glory.
Recently I heard a story of a man who was riding on a subway. It was quite crowded and he had to face the door. He was prone to motion sickness and he began to get quite sick. The train raced into the station, the door opened, and the man became violently ill. The doors closed and the train sped on into the night. There happened to be a man standing on the platform waiting to get on the train at this particular door. In utter dismay he turned to the man behind him in line and said, "Why me?" I think that is sometimes the way we feel.
"Why me, Lord?"
But we shouldn’t be surprised.
Suffering is no accident. It is the normal experience of every believer.
James writes, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . .
" We understand that The word translated "various" is the Greek word on which our word "polka dot" is based. Or multi colored
It means variegated or diversified.
The point seems to be that we suffer in different ways.
But everyone suffers in some way. It is your faith that is being tried.
What area’s are you suffering in? How have you suffered?
1. Sickness and disease.
2. Pain of a failed Relationship.
3. The Loss of a love one.
4. A Failed Career, or business effort
5. Or may be your life long dreams where shattered by someone.
6. Those things you have hope from for Years.
7. That Sin You just can’t seem to get a handle on.
8. Those Financial wars that never seem to leave.
9. That relationship with your spouse, Children or Co-worker.
Can I tell you something?
How you handle the pain just might determine how fast your deliverance will come in those trials.
But. II. The second thing he says is that suffering is purposeful: " . . . for you know that the testing of your faith produces patience.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY SERMON where I left off !!! I love it!!!
Vs. 4 but let patience have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Look at Vs. 4 The word LET (1:4) - The key word is "let" and refers to a "surrendered will."
The adversity (Satan) is not what always stops us.
We draw up short of the purpose of the suffering because we refuse to allow the pain of a complete work to be done.
We know God is working but It almost seems unbearable sometimes to handle it.
Example: How many have had a career or relationship end because someone ran from growing pains.
Listen Church Life is a process, sometimes is painful but It will be worth it when you endure.
Learn to Love life.
You know when you make that decision, Life will be more enjoyable.
Learn to accept things you can’t change any way…….
You say Pastor, Easier said than done.
Ok, Before you stone someone lets look at the process
Somebody say Process…………
The process begins with suffering, which leads to patience or endurance and this results in a perfect and complete Person.
The word "perfect" means mature;
And The word "complete" refers to all our component parts.
Meaning God’s ultimate goal is to make you perfect and complete, mature in every part, lacking in nothing. (Fully developed)
What a strong expression -- lacking nothing!
God wants you to be a strong person who is able to face any situation.
When adversity comes you will stand in Faith knowing That God has strengthened you.
He has made you mature and complete Powerful.
Church: Satan is terrified of a Confident Christian, And Horrified to see a Mature, Confident, We can face anything Body of Bible Packing, Demon rebuking Saints.
Amen? But before you shout me down.
There is only one way he can get to Triumph and it is : through the route of suffering.
Suffering will do one of two things
1. It will drive you to God,
2. or it will drive you to despair.
I believe that we all want to be driven to God, and you lay hold of his resources, then he makes his power available so we are able to endure.
Look at Vs. 4 The Greek word used for "endurance" means to remain under, to hang in there, to persevere in any situation.
I like that, Hang in there. No matter the pain, or discomfort.
Don’t let the discomfort get you down. Why? Because It is Building Character.
Character is a fire tested person. He is stable……..
Vince Lombardi had a plaque on the wall of the Packers dressing room: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
Learn How to Trouble Your Trouble,
When Trouble Comes say ok trouble, You should have messed with someone else, No I’m going to whip you two.
See: If Satan knows you are weak, He will keep harassing you.
Like a bully- Do you know to get rid of a bully? Go get you big Brother. (Jesus)
See, it may be a tough fight, but Hear me tonight “Tough times never last, only tough people do….
I know some people like that. The have faced something’s in life.
They are tough, they can stand fast, they can endure, no matter what the pressure may be.
See, Church God looks at your life and mine, and he if he sees inadequacies and areas of conformity .
He moves, to complete us in those areas.
And he does so by bringing suffering into the very area that he wants to build.
EXAMPLES:
Suppose he sees lovelessness in your Heart. Do you know what he will do? He will bring you into contact with the most irascible, unloving, difficult person you ever met.
And you will learn to love him by counting on Jesus Christ or you will be miserable.
Or suppose there is an area of defensiveness, or maybe there is jealousy, or an unforgiving spirit.
He will bring something into your life that will reveal what you’re really like, and you’ll have almost no choice but to lay hold of the resources of Jesus Christ.
By so doing you will become mature in that area.
And so the Lord will go right through your life from A to Z, and he will mature you in every area.
However the only thing that will impairs the process is our refusal to yield.
Why? Because it Hurts, Growth is painful isn’t it?
If we do not allow endurance to have its perfect work, if we resist and struggle against God, then he can’t achieve his desired end and we fail to mature.
You see, Jesus wants to make us into good wine.
So he takes the grape and squeezes it between his fingers.
And if we be come unyielding and resist his fingers, then he cannot do his work. But if we yield, he makes us sweet wine.
The problem is that sometimes we do not like the fingers that God uses.
Do you realize that the people who are squeezing you right now, the circumstances that are pressing in on you, are the fingers of God?
They are simply extensions of the hand of God.
That is why Peter says, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
That is one of God ‘s methods
God is behind those fingers.
The suffering you are experiencing now was determined from eternity to perfect you. And so James says, "If you let patience have its full effect, you will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
That expression is so encouraging to me.
Lacking in nothing.
The Bible tells us that strength comes out of weakness.
When you learn to yield to suffering and accept your weakness and allow Christ to have his way in your life, then you are strong; but it is only when you are weak that you can learn this principle, and you can become a mature, complete individual, lacking nothing.
James now begins to consider some of the things that impede this process in our life.
The first of these is found in verses 5 through 8.
Look at what he says Vs. 5. - If any man- that means you and me….
Lacks wisdom—Let him ask of God. --That doesn’t mean after you have tried it your way over and over. And worn your self out.. NO NO
This takes place just as soon as the Trial comes.
But do the first step, don’t ask first
The first step, is you need to do is admit that you can’t figure it out your self.
If any of you Lacks wisdom…..
Admit that you lack wisdom.
But notice what he says, Let him ASK of God – (Pray) that means you have to do something, God isn’t going to Just give it to you He will never impress on any one who doesn’t want his Help.
Look at Jer. 29:11-13
Asking God is never an option, it is, Mandatory.
Sometimes God may allow trouble to continue until you seek him.
– and he says always Ask for wisdom, not a way out
– Because when you come out of the problem He can get the Glory…. (God favorite thing to hear is, “God, I don’t know what to do, Would you please Help me.”) and he gives
– Wisdom is applied knowledge; it is knowledge put to use.
See, Most people have knowledge but have no ability to use is.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
See, Wisdom is the ability to apply the Knowledge to the situation.
He is the God who gives it , and he delights to pour out his wisdom.
Vs. 5…Look at it who gives, Liberally, Generously (FREELY). Meaning He gives it abundantly and fully.
Jesus said He will give if you ask. Matt. 7:7 Ask and It shall be given,
Vs 5…..Without reproach or King James says (Upbraideth not. ….meaning, With out casting insult.
In other words God gives wisdom, no matter what. Even if you have sinned.
See: the Paramount purpose of wisdom is to keep you out of sin.
God gives Wisdom even if you are not aware you have committed sin.
Question? Is that possible? To have sinned and not know it?
Look at Psm. 19:12 Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults]. Vs. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
NiV says 12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
Vs. 5 …..And it will be given Him- So wisdom is a gift.
Question? Does God give wisdom with no strings attached?
VS. 6 – One string attached: we must ask in faith.
Martin Luther said this was the best verse in the whole book of James,
James teaches that Faith is the essential to Prayer. Having Confidence in Prayer,
What did Jesus say to everyone that was Healed? Thy Faith has saved thee and made thee Whole.
Now, James is not talking about the initial faith that places us in Christ, or even the faith that sustains our relationship with Christ.
To James, faith is total abandonment of your own self and a complete Yielding to the will of God.
James is saying that we can have wisdom if we are willing to do anything that God wants us to do.
With nothing wavering, No doubting ,,
If we are willing to stay in that hard place, If we are willing to go, where we don’t want to If we are willing to lose our job, that means more to us than him If we are willing to give up our unsaved girl friend or our boyfriend, If we are willing to let our child go, If we’re willing to do anything God wants, then he will give us wisdom. Then He will let us know what to do.
Look at Prov.3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and {lean not} unto thine own understanding. Vs. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Look at the rest.
With nothing Doubting, and he give the example, for he who doubts, is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the sea.
Believers who doubt, In other words, His request isn’t really a request at all, and When God isn’t trusted it always goes from Bad to worse.
What causes Doubt?
Immaturity, In Christ, Not personality (Look At EPH. 4:13-14)
Vs.7. – For let not that man suppose (Think) that he will receive any thing from the Lord:
He says don’t expect anything from God. If you doubt, because Doubt blocks up God’s blessings, Doubt causes faith not to work.
Vs. 8 he is a double – minded man, unstable in his ways.
Although he claims to be a believer his actions prove he is an Un-believer.
Double - minded is like a person who is faced with his future in front of him and His past behind him , and he tries to face both ways at the same time.
If we are double-minded, that means, we want what God wants . . . but we also want what we want,
And he has no stability
Close,
What ever your facing, Ask your self : How do you deal with life’s curve balls?
Has life handed you a lemons? Someone has suggested, "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade!"
Lemons are turned into lemonade by having a joyful attitude that is rooted in an
1. understanding heart,
2. a surrendered will,
3. and a believing heart.
These are not the product of discipline alone, but of love for God (James 1:12).
When you go through something ask your self some tough questions
1. What are the possible benefits hidden in the problem?
2. What do you need to know that God’s wisdom will supply?
3. How can you use this problem to bring glory to God?
To restate the principle: the basis on which God gives his wisdom is our willingness to do anything that God tells us to do.
Look at the problem with your eyes on the benefits, not on just the barriers
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for your Word that cuts so cleanly and speaks so pointedly to our need. It will not let us get away with emptyness and indifference, but deals with us in every area of our life. Thank you for bring us close to you and letting us know that you are their. We love You tonight.
Altar call…….
