Maturity Through Adversity

I want to begin today’s sermon by singing for you a very old hymn written by a very prominent hymn writer. This writers name is John Newton. If you’ve ever heard of him, you would well recognize his contributions to be some of the most beloved hymns we sing today ones like Amazing Grace. It wasn’t too long ago that I was introduced to another incredible song he wrote called “I asked the Lord that I might grow.” The song started as a poem that Newton wrote before being turned into a song and sung in many congregations in the 1800’s. The poem or song begins with a question for the Lord. Much like we often desire, Newton desired to grow in faith, love, and grace but as he tells in the poem, it was not in the way anticipated and He wrestled with God about it before God fully reveals His ways to Newton.

So as we sing this, may this song be to you an instrument to help grasp to the truths of God’s Word and encourage all of us toward godliness. This again is called “I asked the Lord that I might grow.”

Sing: I asked the Lord that I might grow

What is it that we learn from the song? One, that we ought to be careful what we pray for haha. But truly, John Newton prayed for the right things. He prayed for the things that the Bible taught him to pray for, just it came in ways that he did not expect or perhaps desire. The truth is difficulties are coming. But difficulties are part of the journey.

As I think through our Christian lives, they are filled with challenges, struggles, hurdles, and stressful situations. This past year has been a challenging year.... pressures in Pastor ministry have been on a high… from the many tasks that need to be filled between leading music, preaching, teaching adult ministries, counseling, leading the youth ministry and college and career ministry, meeting with people, trying to lead other’s in disciple making ministries, discipling young people and one turning their back on your and walking away, lots of meetings about vision, overall more and more demand of my time & more and more of feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. This has caused me to at times this past year think about quitting ministry. But it’s also been a difficult year for our church. We’ve had multiple families in our church lose loved ones… including a family losing their 10 year old child and a wife losing her husband at 50. I preached the message that week after the 10 year old passed away. One of the hardest services i’ve ever been apart of. Spending long nights ministering to them and caring for them, working with them and being burdened for them, it’s been exhausting. We celebrate the remodel project of our church but that has been also with it’s own set of challenges. Then we’ve had the trials within our own family from health and hurts to even the raising of our 4 young children between ages 3-8 and one on the way. Balancing life and family is not easy. Learning to communicate, learning to love, growing in our relationships with each other.

External and internal challenges and trials. Perhaps you guys can relate to this. Life is full of trials. Some very large and others long and constant and for us as humans, we just want it all to end. We as believers know God is good and good is all powerful so we often wonder why God hasn’t done anything about our hurts why God hasn’t removed the thorn in our sides. We wonder where He is and what He is doing. That question hasn’t been around for alongtime, and perhaps we even know the answer to it, but it’s something that we need almost daily reminded off because knowing what’s true and believing and accepting it as truth are two different things because our human minds have a hard time wrestling with evil. So today, I do want to spend time thinking through a very familiar passage of scripture and give us a reminder again of God’s purpose in trials… Maturity through Adversity.

PRAY

As we open up our Bibles, we read in James 1:1

James 1:1 ESV

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

James is addressing a particular group of people, the Jewish people (the twelve tribes) who by God’s allowance have been “scattered abroad” around the world.

And why is it that they have been scattered around the world instead of in their own homes in Jerusalem and all throughout Israel?

These Jews were “brothers” meaning followers of Christ but because of their faith were harshly treated and persecuted. They hard reality to this persecution is that it came mostly from within their own nation and from within their own families. Religious Jewish leaders wanted nothing to do with Christ, so they literally sent out men like Saul to rip Jewish christians from their homes and slaughter them. So thinking they’d avoid the trouble, moved away from the persecution found within Palestine to other nations. However, trouble followed them there. They would now be living in a Gentile world that was hostile to Jewish faith and hard on them to live uprightly in a wicked world.

So how does James respond to seeing and hearing of this tribulation? He addresses it head on. Sometimes we worry that addressing difficult situations with people might make matters worse, but James knows that what they needed was the truth, the truth that will enable them to walk uprightly even during those hard times. So James sets out to give them proper understanding of why this was happening, how they should view it, and where they should put their focus on. And that’s what we will look at today, starting with our first point.

I. Why does God allow Trials?

A. Reveal Us (v.2-3a)

James 1:2–3 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

First of all what constitutes a trial. Trial literally connotes trouble or literally anything that breaks the pattern of peace, comfort, or happiness in someone’s life.

If we were to look at the verb form of this word, we would see it means “to put someone or something to the test” with the purpose of discovering that person’s nature or that things quality. So that’s what James intends to do here. Allow them to see what they are made of, reveal what is there.

What James say trials reveal…

1. What we Value

James first instruction for handling trials was for them to “count it all joy.” What a remarkable thing to tell someone! Hey awesome, you guys are experiencing difficulties, let’s celebrate, let’s throw a party. Certainly not what we would think to do for someone going through tragedy and difficulty. But thanks not entirely what James was telling them to do.

The word “count” must be understood in it’s original language. Just like in languages today, some foreign languages don’t have an English word counterpart. Words that don’t really translate over into English. The same is true with Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. To best understand the Bible, we should make every attempt to understand what the original language it was written in says.

The greek word for “count” is translated often in financial terms and contexts. It means literally “to evaluate, or to consider”. What James is wanting them to do is evaluate their trials on what is most valuable. Our values (or what is valuable to us) determine our evaluations of things. Therefore, we often live and have meaning in what we find most valuable because we evaluated that thing we are living for to be worth the time and best overall.

So James wants them to take a step back and evaluate their trials in light of what God is doing, that would change the way they perceive their trials and that should bring them “Joy”. And what is God going to do with trials? Will see this in a moment with more clarity, but God intends to increase godliness through those trials.

So thinking about ourselves, If we value comfort more than character, if we value material & physical things on this earth even good things more than spiritual, we will find it hard to have joy. These trials will be upsetting to us. But if we value character and godliness in our lives, than our attitudes will be in similar thinking to Paul’s when he said in 2 Cor. 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 ESV

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Notice what Paul says. Where did Paul view the trial coming from? God. Because he recognizes why the trial, in this case the thorn in his side, (most theologians think it was some physical ailment), was given to him. It was given to him to keep him from being conceited or proud. Satan goal is to keep us in pride and sin, the goal of this trial was to keep him humble. God allowed Satan to do the harm to Paul but it was for Paul’s good. Also, Paul knew that God was ultimately in control of his trial because Paul went and pleaded to God for the weakness being taken away.

What did Paul take away from this? A couple of things. Persecutions, hardships, weaknesses, and calamities are even for my good and God’s glory. He learned that the end of the trial isn’t what is most valuable or what is to be most sought after. He saw and experienced that the trial had a greater power to do through him what couldn’t be done without.

Paul also learned how to pray. 3 times he pleaded for God to take away the burden but by the end he was glad that God did not take it away. And so it should be said that Paul learned to pray correctly. It’s not wrong to pray about our trials. In fact, God wants us to take them to him. Casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you. But what God wants us to be most interested in is what He is most interested in. His glory and by extension of that, us to be like Christ. Godliness.

Returning to our passage, James tells us that we should evaluate our trials with joy because we value what God values. It’s a hard command, but it’s an important one to run the difficult race well.

Why James starts with this command is because he wants his readers to understand that our outlook determines our outcome.

In other words, how we start is how we will finish. If we know, what’s coming up, why it exists, what we should expect, and it’s value, then that will help us to run that race well. If we determine to evaluate our trials as things to be joyous of knowing what they are accomplishing then we will see them in a different light when they truly do come.

Trials reveal what we value.

Trials also reveal our faith.

1. What Faith we Have.

We will get to that in a moment, but first let’s return to our passage. Notice three important truth about trials...

3 Important Truths about Trials

-Trials come to all

It says in the passage, James 1:2

James 1:2 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

It’s “when” not “if”.

I can’t believe this is happening to me.

I’ve heard that statement so many times this year from people going through trials. And not to be insensitive here, but Biblically, we shouldn’t be surprised.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Acts 14:22 ESV

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

1 Peter 4:12 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

God in many places has told us to expect difficult trials. He was so gracious in warning us ahead of time and evening preparing us for them, but we are like the irresponsible teen who forgets to study for the big exam or forget there was an exam coming. They knew it was coming up, but got distracted even though the teacher had told them it was coming. We need to spend ample time preparing for the trials and tests that come through prayer, study, and being together with God’s family the church.

-Trials are not accidents

“fall into” KVJ/ “meet” ESV trials. Understanding this word thoroughly, we grasp that these trials are not a “stupid accident”. A random event that occured for no reason.

Philippians 1:29 ESV

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

Your trials have been ordained by God.

We often tell counselees this in our counseling rooms. Your suffering isn’t pointless. None of your pain is wasted.

If my pain was just bad luck, and I’ve just got to deal with it, that doesn’t inspire much hope. Sorry pal, things happen, sorry you drew the short end of the stick… in other words, better you then me. But that’s not the way it really is. God ordains suffering for your good and His glory.

We’ve been told time and time again about God’s character. He does not take pleasure in afflicting pain. But when He does allow it, it’s always for our good and His glory. His plans for us have a purpose. Even when it was obviously men’s doing in sin, God uses that for His glory.

Without pain, their is no gain. That’s a sports analogy we often use. James also uses sports analogies. If we endure the pains and sufferings of our trials, what awaits us…

James 1:12 ESV

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Receives the crown of life.

Jesus is an example of that.

First the Cross, then the Crown

First the Suffering, then the Glory.

-Trials are various

“various kinds/diverse”- trials of life are not all alike. What maybe a major trial for one person may hardly be for another. Because God knows each of our hearts, He knows how best to test and try us.

This may sound like the oddest trial to some of you, but off all the difficult trials we’ve faced this year, news of another child coming was the hardest hitting trial for us.

So with this facts about trials understood, what else do trials reveal. Verse 3 has the answer

James 1:3 ESV

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Again the word “trying”/ “testing” = proving or approval

1 Peter 1:7 offers so help in thinking about this subject.

1 Peter 1:7 ESV

so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

How is it more valuable than gold… would be a good question to ask?

Let’s talk about this. What does a gold prospector bring his ore sample to an assayer’s office to be tested? He wants to know if his gold is valuable. See the sample itself may not be worth more than a few dollars or it might be worth millions. What makes it worth so much is the approval or the official statement of the assayer.

With God, His approval- His testing of our faith- is far more valuable than that million dollar gold ore because God’s testing assures us that our faith is genuine, that our eternal salvation, which again is far more precious, is actually real. God tests us to reveal to us our own faith and to what degree of faith we have. As a child of God, we will at some point turn to God and give it to Him completely, but our faith is often competed with by our own self and our own desire to work it out on our own. Abraham was an example of that. God tested him several times during his lifetime. Several times, instead of turning to God for help, he manufactured his own solutions (think of when he deceived about Sarah being his sister)… those events show his lack of faith, or when he laughed at the messenger of God for saying he would have a child at an old age, several times he relied on what he knew and tried to handle on his own. None of those times went strikingly well for him. But then towards the end of his life, God obviously matured his faith so that when God asked him to sacrifice his own son, he did not hesitate to do so because He knew that God would provide. He trusted God entirely.

“O ye of little faith.” That’s what God said to Peter when He tested him on the waters of the stormy sea. Peter started strong but then placed his faith in what he could understand and what he could see and that’s what eventually caused him to sink. In both cases, God uses tests to help us understand how strong our faith is. When trials come, where do we turn. Is it to God right away with certainty in our understanding. Much like Job 23:10

Job 23:10 ESV

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Or is our faith rooted in what we can do and how we go about it. Either way, trials reveal who we place our trust in and how certain we are in that.

What else do trials do?

B. Refine Us

James 1:3–4 ESV

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What does trials do in our life? They produce character and in this passage, we see that he produces patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when things are tough.

Patience in the Bible isn’t simply passive acceptance of the circumstances. It’s closer to courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty.

Patience is a difficult character trait to learn. If you could think of an age group that seems to be the most impatient, who would you say that is. Maybe my answer is based upon the context of where I live, but I deal with an immense amount of impatient little people in my home. Their lack of patience shows their lack of maturity. Mature folks understand that there are good things in story for those that wait. And they endure the hardships knowing what’s at the end of them. My immature children are still learning the truth of that. They give up quickly on tasks because it’s not working right away. They want what they want now not knowing there is actually greater enjoyment when work is involved. You and I are not much different than this at times. We want God to fix our problems now, but God wants us to learn patience that we might actually thrive in hope and anticipation of what is to come even more. Learning patience in our trials give us greater hope in God in the present difficulties and well as greater anticipation and hope of what God is going to do in the future, namely anticipation of our heavenly home! Hope that is well founded never leaves us out to dry. When our hope is in the Lord, he doesn’t leave us in shame and disarray but with a greater sense of His power, care, control, and sovereignty over our life and this world.

Endurance is a critical characteristic to grasp. One cannot learn endurance though through simple study. Endurance has to be learned through experience as well. Trials are important in sculpting us to have patience, endurance, and even hope that does not leave us ashamed.

There is another important word found within verse 4.

It’s the word “let”. Let patience have its perfect work.

God will do as He sees fit but there is also the balance that the saved man or woman has to work out their own salvation with fear and tremble.

There are several ways we can fail to let God work through patience.

- Unwilling to accept the trials we are going through.

We fight with God, we fight with others, we distance ourselves from everyone and live in anger and bitterness. Unwilling to say ok God, whatever it is that you have for me is right, no matter what I think of it, you have planned it all for the best. That’s the most obvious way we can fail to let God work through patience. In which case, God is going to chasten you as his child and reveal your sinful heart. Reveal your anger, pride, fear, self-dependency, idolatry, selfishness, and all those other things. We sang about that in John Newton’s song.

I hoped that in some favored hour At once He’d answer my request And, by His love’s constraining pow’r, Subdue my sins and give me rest. Instead of this, He made me feel The hidden evils of my heart

God isn’t about that. Sometimes we think we need to barter with God. But even that reveals our will. “If you do this for me, I’ll do this for you.” “You give me what I want, and I’ll give you what you want.” And what does God want? He’s wants our hearts, our undivided attention and worship. He is a jealous God who will not split time with another idol. He alone will be worshipped and adored. He alone will have first place in our lives. So our bartering with Him is not likely to work.

-Trying to avoid all places of trials

Another way in which we can fail to “let” patience work is by trying to avoid all places of trials. Live as safe as you can. Now ultimately, you can try as much as you want, but trials will come. God sees to that. The other thing is that perhaps if we are not facing trials, then we are in the exact place of spiritual rebellion against God that Satan wants us to be. Disallusioned that we are not walking with God but actually being of no effect to Him or His kingdom at all. I’m not saying that we try to find trials, but we as human beings are so adverse to conflict that we often run away from the things that we are supposed to be running towards. Not speaking the truth in love, not taking stands, not sharing our faith, not living all out for God, not using our gifts in the church because we’ve been burned by others, etc. etc. etc… Our problem more often that not is that we love comfort and hate difficulty so we often miss “letting” God work out patience in our life by hitting the easy button of retreat and that cannot happen either.

Let me finish this thought with another great passage along these lines.

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Suffering - Endurance- Character- Hope

Hope = will not let us down or disappoint us.

If through this Biblical process, suffering leads to hope then we can say this as well that....

Suffering will not let us down or disappoint us as well.

Hard commands, “Count it all Joy” “Let Patience have it’s perfect work”

James doesn’t merely finish with the command nor with the purpose of trials but he finishes his writing by telling His readers how to obey these commands.

II. How to Obey His Commands about Trials

A. Pray

James 1:5–8 ESV

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

We use this passage as a place for saying we should go to God when we need help figuring things out. But James had a particular person in mind who should go to God for wisdom. This person is the person who is struggling through a trial. It is that person that is in most need to direct their concerns to the almighty and the all-knowing. God may not always give the answers and He likely will not give it right away as that is part of the learning patience process but we are to ask and we are to ask in faith. With no doubts.

Ephesians 4:13–14 ESV

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

God will continue to allow that person to be swallowed up by shame, doubt, fear, confusion, and be unstable in everything he does until he surrenders it all to Christ.

B. Be Humble

James 1:9–11 ESV

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

In these verses, James reminds the readers that part of God’s testing requires that we be humble. As we read of Paul earlier, he gloried in his weakness. But those that resist God, those that aren’t willing to “let” patience have it’s perfect work, aren’t not simply going to slip away. God’s purpose’s in trials will be accomplished. God is called our Father and He is a good Father, a good Father who will see us through to the end and see that we are properly grown in the Lord. So when we resist, what does God do… “let the rich boast in their humiliation”.

Hebrews 12:6–11 ESV

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

And be ready to learn from God’s correction.

C. Look To the Finish Line

Remember how James started with joy. Here he finishes with joy. Blessed is the man that endures temptation. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.

As we stated before, suffering comes before glory. What is wonderful about our God is that He does care about our suffering, and He takes it so personally that He actually sent His own Son to experience suffering so that an end to our suffering could be attained. A suffering that we put on ourselves but God took seriously and made a way to have eternal life and joy. Not only that but Jesus Himself because of His salvation understands our suffering more than anyone else ever will.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

He knows and cares, but He also modeled for us what to do.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

What caused Jesus to endure the cross and despise the shame. The joy that was set before Him. He knew that going through this suffering would result in joy of God receiving praise and glory and honor, being seated at His right hand. He knew it would result in the joy of us being redeemed into the family of God and permanent heirs of the kingdom. Outlook determined the outcome. Jesus counted it joy and so should we. Let’s look to the finish line and count the cost.

We will fall, we will fail, Paul himself was grieved to the point of death itself.

2 Corinthians 1:8 ESV

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

Grief is part of the human experience. To not be grieved by immense tribulation and struggle would to not be human. But God gave us a process but which our grief turns to trust. It’s called lament. There are so many great books in the Bible that deal with this topic, namely Psalm and Lamentations. One of my favorites is Psalm 13

Psalm 13 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

David asks some hard questions, and it looks like he is complaining to God. But this is wicked complaint. This is godly wrestling through the struggles. First he directed his pray toward God. He couldn’t understand why this was happening or where God was, but as He directed his concerns to God we see him come to a realization of who God is and who God works. But I have trusted in what....

His steadfast love… That’s God’s character

He has dealt bountifully with me… The how God works

Grieving is a process, a process which needs to happen through godly lament. Where God takes our sorrow and turns it to trust.

God restores, God gives hope, God does not rest, and God has a purpose for the trials in our life. Those going through immense struggle, wrestle with this truth and put your trust in God alone, take courage in his power to save and to change and to mold and to make beauty out of disaster. God is not wasting your time or this moment in your life. Surround yourself in pray. Be direct in your thoughts to God. Lay it all out before Him, all the confusion and chaos, and heartache, but be prepared to be reminded of who God is. Spend much time is His word. Spend much time with other believers. The end of the book of James reminds us of that.

James 5:13–16 ESV

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

If you not the sufferer but are the one to aid the sufferer, be patient with them, be longsuffering with them like Christ is with you. Show love, kindness, support, and point them back continually in the truth of God’s Word.

God is good and will continue to pour out his love over and over again. And remember as James points out, that even our sufferings are good in the eyes of God for they produce in us the godliness that that is like Christ’s and detach us from the hold the world has on us.

“These inward trials I employ From self and pride to set thee free And break thy schemes of earthly joy That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”