Trials and Tests

Paul Van Stralen

James • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

James 1:1–18

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2015-07-26 (am) Trials and Tests

Today, we being a new sermon series on the book of am deeply indebted to Pastor Matt Chandler’s teaching on this book, and have used his insights in preparing this series.

Before diving into our text, just a wee bit of background, the author of this book is Jesus’ step-brother, James. You will remember that James and his siblings didn’t believeJesus claims to be God’s son. They tried to stop him from what he was doing. But he came round. Why? Well, if you encounter someone who claims to be God, they need to prove it by dying, being raised from the dead, and prove they’re alive by eating a bit of bread and fish. That’s what Jesus did, right in front of James, who then, believed. James went on to become one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, until he was martyred for the faith by having his head bashed in. He willingly let that happen, because he believed, his step-brother was the son of God. James lived out the faith he writes about in this letter.

Read 1-4 Expect Trials

Expect trials; rejoice in them, because God is good. Trials happen. Not, they might happen, they happen. If you’re not in a trial right now, you will be, for sure. Many of you are in trials right now.

An example of a trial is a difficult marriage, being sick, the death of a loved one, a child who is going astray. That’s why James says we will face trials of many kinds. There are many trials. Trials, if they are not happening right now for you, are building, coming, like an approaching storm. It isn’t just one trial; it is days of trials, many trials.

The Bible paints a realistic picture about life. It is not perfect, perfection is coming, but it isn’t yet here. We’re waiting for it to come. But we live in a dirty, messy world where people get sick, people die, people are wrongly accused, and people are tired, weak, and heartbroken. But by God’s grace they endure, they are strengthened, renewed, heartened. And in the midst of it all there’s joy.

God commands us to take joy in trials. How is that even possible? Two ways: first, we have to look at trials as a means to maturity. Look at verses three and four, “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

How does growth and maturity happen? Does it happen when things are good and easy? How do you build muscle mass? You lift heavy weights, you face resistance. How do you learn, you fail and you try again until you get it right. Not only is this true for the physical world, it is true spiritually. We grow, we get stronger, we mature when we face resistance, when we fail and try again.

We desire the opposite. We want maturity without trials and tests. We’d rather be content and complacent. A.W. Tozer compares this attitude to a field. A fallow field just lies around and does nothing. It fears no plough, no pain, and no struggle. But it experiences nothing of new life, new growth, and new potential. When the farmer comes, and lowers the plough and tears into the soil, the field experiences pain and discomfort. But it breaks up the ground, so that seeds can flourish and grow.

The plough represents the trials and tests. God breaks up our ground, so that we can grow. When you’re in the midst of a trial, it is hard to see the power and might of new life. But those who’ve gone through it know that what comes is totally worth it.

Read Verse 5-8 Depend on God

Second, trials remind us of our total need for God. When things go well, who gets the credit? WE do. When things go wrong? We blame God. I can’t believe God is letting this happen to me.

That’s the reality of our sinful hearts. So, as we go through trials, ask God for wisdom, to understand what He’s teaching us. Ask God, and he’ll respond. When I’m in a trial, I know that God is going to teach me, help me grow up, spiritually. Remember that if you get Christ but lose everything else, you have everything. But if you get everything else, but don’t have Jesus, you’ve lost everything.

Ask for wisdom. Hold onto God, asking for help. There’s two requests, first, “God, give me wisdom.” Second, “Strengthen, increase, my faith, erase my doubts.” tells us the story about a father who brings his demon possessed son to Jesus. He asks Jesus, “If you can do anything, help us!” Jesus replies, “If I can? All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately, the child’s father says, “I believe, help my unbelief.” And Jesus steps in and heals his boy.

You see what happens, when we turn to God, when we ask for wisdom, when we face our doubts, and we also say, “Help my unbelief, my natural tendency to mistrust your ways, your means, your abilities,” Jesus steps in and acts. He gives the mustard seed of faith that enables him to work in our lives.

The reality of life on earth is that it is a struggle. You will battle with doubt. Don’t feel shame our guilt, for having doubts, doubts happen. You’re struggling, you’re having a hard time in the midst of a trial, and you’re like, “I believe, help my unbelief!” And bam! God works in you. Yes, we struggle, we all struggle, but God honours that struggle.

But a double minded man is the one who says, “I won’t worry, because God won’t help me anyway.” He doesn’t even try praying to God, because he doesn’t believe he’ll do anything. All he does is give lip service to God. Examine your own heart and life. Am I coming here, but I don’t really believe? Am I coming here, pretending that I’ve got it all together, but I don’t? If we’re just faking it, we have to stop.

Read verses 9-12 Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

If the first struggle is against doubt, the second is against comparison. We compare ourselves to others. A few months ago, researchers concluded that regular use of Instagram leads to depression. Why? Well, if you’re having a hard time, you’re going through a trial, and all you were able to do was sit around all day watching TV and eating ice cream. No big deal, we all have days like that. But then, just before you go to sleep, you look at social media, Instagram or Facebook. There, everyone is awesome. Everyone looks great, everyone’s having a great day, and all the families are perfect. But you’re not. You’re in a trial. You think, “Really God, this is happening to me, but what about them?”

I’ve thought it. You’ve thought it. But then, if you’re open to God, really open to him, the Holy Spirit hits you, he hits you with . You realise that you’ve become the complaining older brother. You’re comparing yourself to others. Stop it.

That passage teaches us that God’s plans don’t depend on you. That God can redeem anyone, even the family that looks perfectly put together, but really isn’t. God doesn’t need you to work out his will. He will bless you, he will use you, but he isn’t dependent upon you. Stop comparing your life to others. You have no idea what people are going through, all of us are very good at hiding some of the most horrible things.

Everyone goes through trials and difficult seasons. Sometimes we live in blue sky. Sometimes we live in clouds and thunderstorms, with pouring rain. God is leading us to maturity. God is showing our dependence upon him. God knows we need encouragement.

Read verses 13-15 Trials Are Necessary

Trials are necessary for maturity. Trials show us our dependence upon God, God is the only thing we really, truly need. And don’t forget that doubts will come, be prepared for the battle. So be careful, there’s temptation and sin. Don’t blame God. Trust that God has you, he’s holding you.

Read verses 16-17 Be Prepared

Be prepared, the flesh, the sinful nature will try to fool you. You’re going to compare yourself to others. You’ll be tempted to think that God isn’t good. Don’t let yourself be fooled. Every good and perfect gift is from God.

Rest on this truth. NO matter how hard the storm, the trial is; God’s gifts are greater. Think about all the things you are able to do, even in a trial. You can get up, you can move around, you can breathe, you can do a lot of things. All those are gifts from God. We will do things today, that most of the world won’t do. We’ll have two more meals, most of the world gets only one. That’s a blessing we have, from God.

Our friends, our spouses, our family, all come from God’s hand. What about money in your account? From God.

There’s no variation, no change in God. God isn’t fickle. God doesn’t look at you and say, “You didn’t pray to me yesterday, therefore, you’re not getting that bonus. You sinned on purpose yesterday; I’m going to make it hard for you to breathe. You said something mean, no lunch for you. God knew what you would do, even when he was on the cross. He knew all your failures, all your failed attempts, but he gives you grace. Do you think that God has a hard time looking at you? Do you think you just aren’t good enough? All the anger, all the disgust that God had for you, he put on his Son instead. It was bad, it was brutal. But now, when God looks at you, he sees you through his Son. He sees you cleansed, made right, beautiful, lovely, pure and holy. He loves you.

Don’t think of yourself as you were. Yes, you were terrible, but God put that on the Son, on the cross. All the bad, evil, terrible stuff has been dealt with. God won’t change his mind about you. He chose you once and forever.

Read verse 18 God Chose You

You think you fall short. You think God’s unhappy with you, you hate that you struggle with doubt. Doesn’t matter. God chose you. He’s making you into a first fruit. Before the tree can bear the most fruit, it must be pruned. If a tree isn’t pruned, it becomes weaker and less fruitful. Sometimes there are things that attack the tree, that a tree surgeon has to come and deal with.

Imagine if the tree could cry out, no! Not the saw, not that branch, I need that branch. But if the branch is diseased, it needs to be cut off. God is for you. Trials will come. Trials are happening. Consider it all joy. God is good, he’s working for you. He’s working in you. Trust him.