Trials Research 2
But God has a plan for your trials, too.
1. God purifies you through trials..
Just like fire removes the dross from gold and silver, afflictions and trials can cause us to turn away from things that we might otherwise tolerate in our lives...It=s not so much that God is punishing you...as it is we start taking inventory and we start eliminating contraband that is hindering and entangling us.
2. God Promotes you through trials...
Over and over the Bible teaches us that after we have been tested, that God exalts us. He gives us greater and greater assignments. I=ve mentioned before that one of the things that I love the most about our church is that I have seen the way that the remnant is perceieved has changed. There was a time when everyone wondered, AWhat=s wrong with these people?@ Now, the most venerated people in the church are the people who were here through the really rough times.
3. God proves you through trials...
there=s a sense in which if you were never tested...you would never know how strong you were. You would never know, AAm I following Christ because of convenience or commitment?@ Trials help you find out.
(5) God points to you through trials...
You know there are so many skeptics in our world. They will never believe in the power of Christ unless they can see with their own eyes...someone who has been through a terrible trial and still loves Christ...And sometimes, just like Thomas wanting to see the scars with his own eyes...they=ll never believe a testimony that they can=t see with their own eyes.
And that kind of brings me to the next thing to remember when you=re facing a trial;
4. REALIZE THAT YOUR PERSEVERANCE WILL INSPIRE UNTOLD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
We just sorta passed over it, but did you see what Paul said encouarged him? The faith of the Thessalonians.
Who hasn=t been inspired by the courageous story of Helen Keller or Corrie Ten Boom or Joni Erickson-Tada?
Those are the real heroes of the faith...Don=t you think? I heard a pro football player stand in front of a group of high school kids and flippantly say, AWhen I graduated from college I signed a contract to play in the NFL for over a million dollars and I=m here to tell you, money isn=t everything.@
And I wanted to say, AI=m here to tell you, that=s easy for you to say.@
Who are the really inspiring Christians? They aren=t the beautiful people...They are the normal people who=ve been roughed up, bruised up....tested.. Who neither have the goods of the world,nor they seek for them, yet they stand for Jesus...
I just want you to remember, when you=re facing a trial with perseverance, God will use it to inspire countless number of people. They may or may not tell you. You may or may not be able to say who...but trust me...people are watching. Don=t give in...Others are drawing strength to face every day, just by knowing you did and you are.
5. REMEMBER THE COMING DAY OF THE LORD
1 Th 3:13 "May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."
Blameless and holy in the presence of our God...
You know what happens to so many of us? We somehow think that trials and afflictions are excuses for ungodliness. Extinuating circumstances.
ATrials make you better,@ we=re told. Not always. I know lots of people who have been through trials and they didn=t make them better, they made them bitter.
Trials can make you better. But you have to make a choice about how you=re going to respond.
Believe me, I don=t understand why God lets us go through trials.
I don=t know why all of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted. I don=t know why you face some of the trials that you face or why I face some of the trials I face. But I do know that God expects something from me...
ABe holy, because I am holy.@
You see...Christians keep in mind that one day...we=re going to stand before the Lord...and on that day...we don=t want to be ashamed about how we lived when we were on earth...we want to be pure and blameless.@
I don=t understand all the trials we face...but I do know that God has given us a promise.
And that promise is that He will never ever leave you or forsake you, and that some day, we=re going to be in heaven with him.
ILL: Hugh & Betty Drury... AMy grace is sufficient for you...@ ADo not cry for us brother. For if it had not been for leprosy, I would have never found the Savior.