Sermon Tone Analysis

Suffering.

Hurt.

Rejection.

Surely God wouldn’t let righteous people go through hard times.

God guarantees our lives on earth to be healthy, prosperous, and for us to have money.

Honestly my friends, no way.

This is such a lie that we can believe that can leave us doubting God’s goodness.

It can lead into thinking that God is mad at me for something I did.

It is a lie that God guarantees our lives on earth to be smooth sailing.

God never promises us an easy life, but He does tell us that He will be with us always and that includes our trials.

The Psalmist Asaph knew this.

That we would understand deeper what Asaph was inspired to write here.

That God is leading me along with His right hand.

Humbling to think about, how as a child we would need to be guided along.

And to submit to and realize that we need God’s guiding hand now, our whole lives, into eternity.

My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Jesus reminded His disciples of the truth that He is always with them.

In all that I have planned for you, I will be with you through all of it.

Jesus left physically, but sent His Spirit.

God never promises us an easy life, but He does tell us that He will be with us always.

Let that be a comfort to you in the midst of trials.

That is a foundational truth as we seek to be joyful through trials.

He is with us always.

Our God went though trials.

In a few moments we will be partaking in communion, remembering our Lord’s death until He comes.

I was reminded about how Jesus went though far more suffering that we could ever imagine.

I also remember how He deserved none of it.

Jesus is with us through trial, He went through trial Himself.

And He considered it a joy to go the cross, didn’t think of the shame that He would endure, and is now seated in glory.

The foundational truths are that Jesus went though trials and is with us through trials.

God never promises us a trial free life, but that He will be with us and grow us the whole way.

I am reminded of this truth that is displayed at the beginning of James.

When trials come there is an opportunity to have supernatural joy and to grow.

In every trial there is an opportunity to have supernatural joy and growth.

A trial can be emotional, relational, or physical.

A lot of times we can try to run and protect ourselves from hurt, and I acknowledge we shouldn’t go out looking for a fight or a chance to be hurt.

We do need to understand that when trials do come, because that is life in this fallen world, there is an opportunity to have supernatural joy and to grow.

As we go though this passage it answers some key questions for us.

Who is able to count it all joy?

Believers!!

Each of us who has placed their faith in Christ.

In James 1:2 it says count it all joy, or pure joy, my brothers.

I am able to count it all joy with God’s help, you are able to, count trial as pure joy.

Remember our foundational truths from Psalm 73, Hebrews 12 and Matthew 28 that our Jesus went through trials, He is with us through our trials.

We have nothing to be afraid of.

It is an joy to share in Christ’s sufferings.

To know what Christ went through for us in His sufferings.

We shouldn’t go through trials with an Eeyore attitude.

Do you remember that donkey from Winnie the Pooh.

Oh man, but it is so easy to get that way.

So easy to let the lies creep in that no good can come from what is happening to me.

With God’s help, we must go through trials with pure joy.

What a challenge God’s Word always puts right in our face.

To have joy, an inner peace not reliant on good circumstances.

Joy, peace in knowing God’s got this.

He has a plan to grow me towards Him, not throw me away from Him.

Believers are able to count it all joy.

No other group of people.

In youth group we are studying the origins and beliefs of different religious systems and combating them with the truth of God’s Word and the gospel.

This last week we looked at Jehovah's Witnesses.

They would claim to be Christian.

They have no hope.

We looked at 1 Peter 1:3 which reminds us of our living hope.

Our hope is a tool we can use in witnessing.

Apart from Christ there is no hope in trials, and while trials can draw the unsaved to Christ, in the life of a believer trials can grow us in ways we would otherwise never experience.

Who is able to count it all joy?

Believers.

Second question.

When should we count it all joy?

When we experience trials.

Notice that emphasis.

Trials are to be expected.

If you are not going through a trial currently, they are sure to come.

Don’t let that discourage you.

Remember the foundational truths that Christ went through pain and heartbreak and rejection and He conquered and is with you now, and He will be with you when you are going through a trial.

Trials of various kinds.

There are a few different ways trials are used in the Bible.

Here, with the various kinds of trials it is talking I believe about a testing of integrity.

External trials, when things happen to you.

Difficult interactions with co workers at work, sickness, pain, the death of a friend or relative, the rejection of others, the list goes on.

Some trials we see as huge, life changing, others are smaller.

Trials are to be expected, there are various types of trials.

Bigger, smaller, emotional, spiritual, relational, physical, they will come.

We must understand now that when trials come there is an opportunity to have supernatural joy and to grow.

Who is able to count it all joy?

Believers.

When are we to count it all joy?

When we encounter trials.

Trials that will come, no two trials being the same exact in nature, but all trials the same exact in purpose.

And in knowing that there is a purpose behind trials, it helps us to have joy in the midst of them.

They are not for nothing, they are meant to grow us.

Our 3rd question is.

For what purpose do we go through trials?

They are to grow us.

They produce steadfastness, perseverance, endurance.

Let trials mold and shape you in ways that easy living never could.

When we are steadfast, when we continue on, we are joyful, in our relationship with God through the midst of the rough storms and waves in life, it builds us into perfect and complete believers.

Perfect meaning mature in this passage.

A full or complete work, maturity in the lives of believers, that is what trials bring to us.

I believe our first response in encountering a trial coming into our lives should be to surrender whatever the trial may be over to God and to ask honestly, “God, how do you want me to grow through this?” Now if only I can remember what God’s Word wants me to do in the moment.