James - Is it worth the Trial
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Bike Riding - Tour de France - low-moderate intensity - Long stints.
Running - 3-5 runs per week - 80kms a week
Swimming - Event - Reducing rest - breathing
Put them together - Iron Man - Massive List.
James - trying to make Iron men - In this section, small ideas, by themselves is really important - but together = 1 big idea all around Trials.
Title: Triumphant in a trial
My Hope: Your perception of your situation will shift - Love for God will grow - Willing to Surrender.
**prayer**
Series: A Beautifully crafted punch in the gut - For those that want to follow Jesus -
Letter of James - Last week - Who James is *little Recap*
This week - start James 1 -in small parts - Deep Dive
Sculpture fascinating - Michael Angelo - “The Awakening” - believed Sculpture was a tool of God - Revealing what was already in the marble - his job - chip away - I see David, I’m gonna let him out
God sees you - Peice of Rock for His Glory - wants to let you out- How? Click his fingers? No, He is michael angelo - Chip away.
James is seeing finished work of what Christ can do - has hammer and chisel - chip away.
Ok, like triathlon - First 3 verses, starting line.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 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.
Dumb Verse - Understand in supernatural context - 3 things to understand.
Condition| Command | Promise
Condition - When - First thing to notice- not if | When -
Greek: When you fall in | not “sailing down river, BOOM” | no - it’s coming.
God has hammer and Chisel - He Cares
Various = Multi Coloured - All shades of Difficulty - An absolute rainbow of dissapointment -
that’s when command to have joy.
I remember when wore white shoes - spilt my coffee, alright Lord, all joy .
No not those Trials - I’m talking Cancers.
Transparent here - Just me and Emma’s Direct Family.
Estranged Family Members | Cancers | Addiction | Depression | publically attacked | Privately attacked | Betrayel | Death | Been through Courts | Discriminated against - Top of list.
And James saying - When you face a multicoloured array of trials - should take great Joy.
I ask, you ask - Why? James says, becuase of the 3rd thing - the Promise.
you KNOW it develops something - that something is worth the process. Devlops - Steadfastness.
Stadfastness = Ability to stay up under something- being developed a strenghening componnet.
Weight training
Wants you perfect and complete.
Man - but how are we meant to know this? Well, it’s time for the swim leg.
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.
Let him ask God - Don’t understand it? Ask God. Doubt? take it to God, lack faith?
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Lacking Faith? get into His Word - Doubt? Take it to God.
2 main ideas James is talking about;
1 from God, 1 from you.
1st from God = God turns all things for good - You need to know, God purposed trials to eventually bear good fruit and be blessing to you | need to know, God has not left you
2nd - You need to accept discipline
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?
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.
You were MADE to be DISCIPLINED -and IF you ACCEPT - IF opened to training = You, receive - PROMISE.
This something Joseph understood -
But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Pain will release something good | God allows Satan to sift us for His purpose - might mess with your theology
but - biblical Fact - you can’t get around it, or rebuke it with Bible.
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
God cares more for your holiness, than your happiness - why? because holiness brings you Joy.
Swim legs suck
Ok, out of water | Get on bike | Deep in trial
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.
Let Poor Boast in God - Let the Rich be Humble | Here is a tip; Promise is for everyone
Quick ride - Onto the run
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Now - All these things are important in and of themselves The swim, run, bike ride.
but James is talking about overall picture of Trial and Promise
Point; Temptation offered by Satan, enticed by self | Never God | Jesus wasn’t tempted by God, he was Tested, Temptation from Satan.
We can be tempted because of own Desire;
“A “Desire” is a self-centered longing of what we ourselves want rahter than a concern for what God wants for us”
“Lured and Enticed” = Fishing Metaphors - Lured out of God’s Will. Our heart is enticed to step away from God’s Will
Guess what - More often then not, we Desire out of trial, Why wouldn’t we? don’t believe Promise - We give up on the command.
So interesting talking about it in running leg - Because after the Swim, Bike Ride, man You’re done - and at closest to prize, you are at your most tired - And Enemy creeping around table.
The Message today is not “Try Harder to stay in a trial” Message today = “You have a loving God who knows what He is doing for His Glory and You’re good”
You have a condition - When - a Trial is coming, you have a command, Count it all Joy, and you have promise, produce steadfastness” -
So what do we do?
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
We need to eat today - Not just hear - eat.
1. Accept God’s Discipline
It’s ok if you want to use Hammer and chisel today. Common trap “Why is this happening”
Well, I know it’s coming - I knew God said hard times may come - I can jump over “why is this happening” and sak “What are you doing in this moment”
2. Thank God for the hardship you’re in right now - Be a doer and hearer. you might say, no way…I am full of Faith, God’s gonna change it.
Listen - James never says “Just let it happen” -
not but what I am saiyng is KNOW that the Lord is making you more mature and complete through process.
3. Reshape our view of Hardship -
Church - Let’s stop napping - Oh trials, I’m glad, because I ordered sweater, when came - large - ordered mediums - no mediums left - not what we talking about.
Macca’s getting order wrong does not qualify.
God brings Beauty out of Ashes | Gardens out of graves | Lifted Jesus out of Grave, Death, Hell - He will bring resurrection to you - on His Terms.
Lastly -
4. Let the pain, and let the trial, hardship cause you to LEAN on JESUS, not BLAME on JESUS.
“God will never put you in a situation you can’t handle” - Wrong - He will - never situation HE can’t handle.
That’s the whole point of maturing, coming to revelation that Jesus in Me is enough | In Trial, everywhere.
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.
You know though- Haven’t finished our Traithlon just yet - Skipped a Verse.
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.
You know - a Triathlon amazing feat - might be remembered 5, 10 years - Eventually; forgotton.
Doesn’t matter what trials you’re in - You’ll never be forgotton by our Lord - Eventually it’s going to resolve - in eternity - With him - Forever.
stop kicking when God trying to pull Splinter - Yes pray for Breakthrough but be grateful for hammer and chisel today.
*pray*