The Test of Small Things

We are starting a new series this week that will be going on for quite a while and this series we're going to be doing something quite differently and I'm going to explain that in just a little bit. And so if we could let start off in the Bible as we usually do so that you know, if everything else goes wrong from here, at least we wear the Bible, right? So lets us start off in James. We're going to look at James chapter 12 notes James chapter 1 verse 12 and this is what it says, if your faith remains strong even while surrounded by life's difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God true happiness comes as you passed the test with faith and receive the Victorious Crown of Life promised to every lover of God powerful passages. We kick things off. And what I want to do is pray that that as we walk through Series again I say this every serious but it really is my heart that this would be more than just a series for us. And this would be more than just a package Jim sermons and messages that I felt would be cool because that's not at all how we approach things here encounter. That's not how I think I really feel that God would have us walk through this and and so let's pray that God would really in bed into the core of who we are all of what we're going to talk about over the next little while as prey father. We just thank you again for who you are and again for the opportunity that we have to gather together. I just pray that this morning as we kick off this sermon series one that we would understand the concept of this and that our hearts would be open to receive what you want to say and then through it all God. That is we go through these different tests and understand what you have for us and each one God. I just pray that any preconceived notion of how we've done life so far and hand what we would expect in the future gotta pray that you would align them with You're well for us that we would go after what you want for us that we would see what you want for us. So, we just place are cells in your hands gone in your name. We pray. Amen. Well over the next little while what we're actually going to be doing is something that I've never really done before we're going to be going through a a book and this book is been absolutely powerful for me and my life and inform my walk with Jesus. It's been absolutely incredible. I so much so that I bought each each of our league team members one of these books so that they can go through it and have their lives dramatically changed and I'm like, you know what that we don't want it to end their we need it to get to our church. And so now we are we are going to press in a little bit more we're going to see what we can get in and grab from it as a church now. Okay, so just in case you're wondering it is built on biblical from it's not like it was not V book. Are we allowed to do that in church? Yes, we are. Okay, it's all good. But the book is called The Proving Ground hence the screen in that that's actually a capture of the the book cover. It's called The Proving Ground reason why it says 2.0 is because the Proving Ground was a book that was written by a pastor pastor Kevin Gerald years and years and years and years ago over a decade ago and it's going through a couple different revisions and couple different things and this is the latest version. And so this is like the up-to-date the one that we are going to be picking apart and stuff like that. And so this book pastor Kevin walks through and he speaks house in life. We Face multiple different tasks and along the way we we we walk through these tasks in these tests proved our personal potential and when we pass these tests we that we we move forward into the more that God has for us and I I love it because when I was calendaring this this sermon series and this time of Are you know I'm going through it was last summer and we usually do our calendar for the whole year in in in the summer time, which is which is why you you don't hear me preaching a whole lot in the summer cuz we do quite a bit in the summer, but we counter the entire year. So we're getting now to January of 2019 in the summer of 2018 and I'm like, what do you have for us? What what do you want and I really felt my heart just like stirring about something where where God wanted to see our character developed where God would want to see us now doing some in word reflection on our own lives and our own self as a church body and is it as a people and as we would look into that that we would go through the through that inward reflection and thought we would now desire the more that he has for us, but we would come to a place where we would expect more as well. And I love what's happening with this word expect over s man, you know everything Week, it just keeps developing more and more in my heart. It just makes me just stirred even more to expect more of God every single week. It seems that there's just a little bit more that he has for us to to unpack this idea of what he wants us to expect and how and why and and all that kind of stuff and really what I feel that he's doing with this word expect over us and even last week what an incredible message if you weren't here first of all, if you haven't been here over holiday, so you need to listen to December 30th December 30th message. That's the word expect you're going to you're going to be lost this year. If you don't listen to that message, so listen to that message, but then you got to listen to the next one because it's just as good. We're at we had Pastor Steve Falkner our president and our first lady here we had and they were just incredible. First of all look so good last week. He was so pumped. Prices of church. I'm not lying. We went out for lunch after he was just so excited to see how far we've come and what we're pressing into and he was really Blown Away by the team of people that are here that just serving give themselves. I'm just so thank you. Thank you. Thank you, but he spoke a message last week about planning. I didn't talk to him at all about what to preach. I'm like your president. You can hear Holy Spirit speak something and I don't know that we'll just need to hear that and he comes in and preaches a message about planning and as he's preaching it's all clicking and I'm like hot course we have to plan in order to expect anything. And so sometimes are just our lack of planning leads us to a lack of expectation doesn't it? And so he preaches this message wedding and I'm partnering with God for our lives for the the more that he has for us and we can come to a place where of course we can expect from him. Cuz when we do our part, of course To do his part. It's just ain't it was absolutely incredible. And so if you didn't listen to last week, you need to you need to you need to listen to it. It's on our Facebook page. You can see the video is hardly see Pastor Steve cuz it was really dark. That's why we have this light on this morning. And if you still can't see me, this is as good as going to get right now. So this is what we got. So at the idea behind the book so that you know, it's something that we really need to get in order to see us step into this next season that we have. This next season that God has for us as a church and listen, we don't want to settle here and and I know that that we are loving this new venue last week. That was just a buzz me about this place. We had like record low attendance, but it was just like this is awesome. This is so good. We had to like praise two times harder because we are missing so many of you and What's feel amazing, but listen like with all of this and all the amazing things that God is doing in the new faces that he's bringing in in the not settle for this. Cuz God has more it isn't about just this and I know that it's comfy in this and knowing this we got this new venue. So why do we need more people? You know, we got this guy wants to do more in and through us. So, of course he wants to do more in your life, but he wants to do more through your life as well. He wants to people that you know to encounter Jesus that don't know him. And so that's what we need. We need to grab hold of what this book talks about so that we can really go in and go go for a right like, you know, our worship phenomenal. Our team is getting better and better. It seems every single week, even when we take away the in years cuz the router just stopped decides to stop working for some reason and you know that all happened this morning you didn't even know. You know, I just like we want more we want more. And the incredible thing in it is is that not only do we want more we can expect more we can expect more from him. This, this book is called The Proving Ground The Proving Ground is a a concept it's a term used it in business. It's using many different Arenas in business and Sports in whatever you can think about it in new new product development, but really what it what it is. It's it's it's a place where a new product a new Talent a new procedure what-have-you is tested its tested in it. You know, you think about, you know, the Yeti Coolers that are bear proof, you know, those got to go through testing to prove that they're bear-proof. You know, you think about my Hydro Flask water bottle, which I really desperately wish I had right now we think about that and it needs to go through testing to prove that it can stay cold for like a bajillion years. You know everything that that comes about even people like a a sports person player like a hockey player has to go through AAA testing to prove that they can do what they can do because on the testing ground is where things are proven where a potential is proven, you know, I used to say I used to say when I was a part of youth ministry that the absolute best thing about youth ministry was also the worst thing about youth ministry and that was that you could see the personal potential of every student that was a part of your ministry. You could see directly into their lives and see what they were capable and see what they would God could use them for and the worst thing of it all was seeing that as well because oftentimes is a young person you're not living up to your potential and you know what I'm really finding out is that If I think that just continues on in Ministry and it in life as we get older, you know, I see so much potential in us as a church in you as individuals and I'm not satisfied with not seeing all of that potential Matt and I don't know about you. I'm not satisfied with that in my own life. I want to see me excel in every area that God would have me excel in I would I would want to see myself pressing in go uncomfortable pressing in and going after every last little bit of what God has for me is a person and all of that happens to testing that's how we prove it. That's how we prove as we go through that and and wild as inspiring as it was as a young youth pastor to see young people full of potential. It was also absolutely crushing to see some of them fall so short of what they were capable of And I don't want that for us or for church or anything. Thank you, Jesus. Look at this. My wife is amazing get my Wi-Fi and everybody.

That's a little trick just to give you a moment to drink. right Arsenal man is so good to give him a hand. That's great now.

So good. All right. Well, where was I guess the problem with most of this with with the the testing that we face in life is that oftentimes? We only see the testing that we face is problems. We're facing a problem in life. And in fact, really, I don't think his people even really like that term testing we feel that testing should maybe end as we finish school and we're like no more testing in my life. I'm done. You know, I couldn't wait to be done school. So that no more testing had to be done. But the reality of it is will always be walking through testing. It just looks differently and you know it but what can happen I guess is the question that I want to ask is what can happen. If we look at the problems that we face as not just problems in our lives, but it's Proving Grounds. As Proving Grounds if we could change the way that we see those trials that we face in life and become become more welcoming of them is Proving Grounds, which would really be opportunities to help move us forward in life and forward in our in our relationship with Jesus and give us opportunities to prove ourselves. We would see purpose in our problems and look at the opportunities to just look at them as opportunities to just prove ourselves and that's when we know that we're ready for more as when we prove that we're ready for more. You know Jesus did this in John chapter 6 will be on your screen says this says lifting up his eyes then and seen that a large crowd was coming towards him. Janice can you flip the screen? John chapter 6 verse 5 5S is lifting up his eyes then and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward in. Jesus said to fill up. Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat now listen here. Jesus turns to fill up. I love this is probably one of my favorite passages of scripture. By the way. This is the feeding of the 5000. This is like are there so many servings in this that just excite me. It's so good. There's gold in there. But like Jesus looks around. There's a huge crowd of people, you know, we know feeding 5000 we know that that's mainly talking about man. So there's women children all sorts of people is a massive crowd of people. Okay, and now Jesus turns to fill up and says, hey man, like this is so cool. This is awesome. Now, how how do we get bread? How do we feed all these people are probably hungry. They've been following us for a little while like where can we get some bread for this? And so he puts in front of Philip a question and then look at the look at the next verse. In this he says this send this to test him for he himself knew what he would do. Jesus didn't didn't know the answer to the question. Okay. So this way we can see is a Biblical concept now where Jesus himself is now putting to the test cause anything bad to happen in Phillips life will get to that in a little bit. But he now uses this opportunity to test Philip you can read on for yourself. Philip doesn't do so well in that test Philip goes like I have no idea how long it's going to take 202. Sorry, which is like like over half a Year's wages. So he just freaks out has no idea how it's going to happen. He doesn't do so well on the test, but God what he does in life's moments and circumstances. He uses those to prove us to test us and I know that we're not fond of this whole term and we don't like to be put to the test and some of us even really start to get this bad theology in this when we start to think of this this theology that says that God is the architect of my bad situation that he put me here and cause this to happen this storm of life that I'm facing so that he can test us. Have you ever heard anybody say before that, you know, they're walking through a storm or trial in life and you're there so they say things like, you know, God this did this to me or you know, God's just tempting me. That's just wrong. The Bible deals with this actually in James chapter 1 verse 13 through 15. It says this when you were tempted when you were temp when you are tempted don't ever say God is tempting me forgot as incapable of being tempted by evil and he is never the source of Temptation instead. It is each person's own desires and thoughts that drag them into evil and lure them away Into Darkness evil desires give birth to evil actions and When sin is fully mature it can murder you Manilow. Translation it can murder you it will be the end of you so my friends don't be fooled by your own desire. Listen, God doesn't just sit up in heaven in his comfy armchair looking down on everybody and all the sudden, you know, he places us in a bad situation thinking. Oh, I wonder if you'll get through this one. That's not who God is and it's funny because when we walked through those situations sometimes that is our thought but that's not who I got is however, God will use those situations for our own good he'll use those situations and and he'll use them as Proving Grounds. He'll use them to really see us flourish and Thrive if you know Temptation comes from Satan it doesn't come from God in sand and temptation is really just used by Satan to entice us to send that's not what a test does a test. However, I testing out of her is something that is used to prove who we are and what we already know. You don't listen to what he says before in those in diversity in the verse just before this James chapter 1 verse 12 and says this if your faith remains strong even while surrounded is the verse we started off with even while surrounded by life's difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God in Port listen true happiness comes as you passed the test with faith and received the Victorious Crown of Life promised to every lover of God when we pass the test. You know those tests that you faced they are filled with questions filled with questions. Every test that you have has a question it, you know, and I test that you may take would be like, how is your eyesight? Are you able to see normally or properly a driving test ask? Are you good enough to be on the road? Some people don't know how they made it through that one. But you know that we are when we walk through test we are going to be asked a question. There's going to be a question behind it all in the the first test. So we're going to look at this morning and this week. Is can you handle more? That's the question that we're going to ask us then our cells are and I love how it's all frame cuz we're sitting here at the precipice of a new year thinking of everything that God has for us and what's in store for us as individuals a church, and the people that we may encounter along the way and we think about them or that God has for us. That we can expect more. And I guess the first question that we have to ask ourselves is are we capable of handling more?

Can we handle more? What a great question. Can you personally have no more? Can we corporately as a church handle more? With this word over a suspect. We need to know that it's and it's all in the test itself that we're going to look at. The test is called the test of small things the test of small things and really that's how we can determine if we are ready for more is if we can handle what we already have right? This is I love this one in this is one that I want. I walk through with my leaders consistently always in and always have a Ministry is can you handle the little things that are already given to you before we give you anything else and we'll get into that in a little bit if they can handle the question asking this if we can have more if they can handle it if they can Stewart. Well what they already have then maybe they can have them or they can function properly with what they already have them. Maybe you can handle a little bit more in some people you don't start to go off in an In-N-Out some of you in this room is already starting to think along this this vein and I want to stop here they start to talk about millennials. And they start to think about an entitled generation antenna generation that doesn't want to work for anything but thinks that they're entitled to just how then just be they deserve to give it to have everything handed to them in one on. I'm not a millennial. I'm like, I'm in that weird generation. That's come right after Millennial, but I don't really fully feel a part of of my generation that I'm lumped in. I don't really know how they break those up anyways, but I I'm not a millennial but I absolutely hate the talk that that is out there of Millennials because one thing that we really need to understand is that a millennial generation is only a product of the generation before them that talk them. And so really a generation that is walking in some of the difficulties that has fingers on them from a generation that comes before them really should be looking at the Isle of their concept. Somebody told me to never Point your point three fingers package yourself. And really that's the understanding that we need to have in this but listen, this isn't a millennial issue. This isn't just a millennial generation will hear about this is for us all we all need to understand this in and grab hold of this and see what what God would have us evaluate and look at in our own lives. We hear people being told to generation being told you can do anything you want anything you do anything you put your heart to you can do it that you've been everybody's been given participation Badges and now their product of that and so we have to understand that there's more to it. Yes, but now we got to come alongside a generation who maybe hasn't heard it completely or wholly and in in in how to Move forward in life. And so this is a test that we walk through is a test that we find ourselves when we see someone else chosen for the job that we thought we should have been picked for. This is the test that we find ourselves in when we think things would be so much easier if we just had more of that I had more money if I have more more resources if I had just a little bit more Authority in this situation, I'd be able to say to it to fix that. This is the test that we walk through do this and every Arena of life this concept holds true in your workplaces. This absolutely holds true most workplaces. If you know, we'll have a hiring process where they will start from within before they search outside. Yeah, there's internal applicant bulletin boards. There's usually an internal applicant process first, or maybe if you're not a part of a union or part of a large company that you just don't even say anything they just say I want you. And really what they're doing in all of this is that they would they would understand this concept that I I see what they're capable of already and I seen that they're capable with what they're doing so I can trust them with a little bit more. I can trust them with this better job that that that we need to fill and so they will give it to somebody that they already know is capable with what they have the most likely trust them with more because they proven themselves with what they've had even administer, you know as a pastor when I'm considering giving somebody important responsibilities in our ministry here Encounter Church. I always look at how they have handled themselves thus far right? I'm going to look at them as individuals and huge red flags will go up. If I see like this lack of ambition just walking around with me, you know with what we've already given them easily. Can you be a greeter or can you be on our set up tear down town team and we would love that and they calm and just walk around in his life. Good don't care then why would I trust them with anything more? There's no way or if they can't even be on time. They can't that tells me they can't control their schedule. So how are they going to control a schedule of people there now leaving? It's just not going to happen. It's not going to work. It's concept holds for everything. You know, somebody can't meet deadlines. Why in the world would anybody give them more? So, where are you at in this? Sometimes what can happen in this is that we trick ourselves, you know, we were facing this test and we're walking through it and then our minds are powerful. They're awesome. And what we do is we come up with a ton of excuses, you know, it's like well, I'm only like that because I'm made for better. You know, I'm made for greatness. And this is just this is beneath me. Nobody would ever say that I don't think in here but like, you know, are are are portraying ourselves may actually say that and so we need to understand there's more to it than that, but we come up with these ideas will if I just if I had that job, I'd really be able to Showcase my talents a lot better than what I can right now if I had that position, you know, I would that I really wanted in and then my heart would just be stirred on fire for that for that job. Of course, I'd be on time. I'd be there early every single day. I'd be there ready to go with bells on it if I had more resources or more Authority if I had more I would just be able to

Never been there before. Listen, what we need to understand is this it's not what we have that's important. It's what we do with what we have so important to understand that what you have right now in life by way of resources by way of position thority of whatever you have right now. God has entrusted with you. Now, you do the most that you can do with what you may consider to be so little And then see what happens. You'll be trusted with more possibly. Because here's the thing. It's what we do with what we have that proves our personal potential to handle or we will never be given more until we can prove that we are able to handle what we have right now that our capacity is able to go for more. This is a Biblical concept Luke chapter 16 verse 10 says this one who is faithful in very little is also baseball in March. I'm going to read it from this one. I think this is a different translation. The one who manages the little he has has been given the faithfulness and it with faithfulness and integrity will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little that they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more plain English, you know, we have to prove we're walking through a test the test of small things with this word expect over us this year. This is the test. We need to pass. This is the test that we as individuals need to pass with God. There's always more. But are you ready for more? Are you able to handle more? Are you capable to hold onto to grab hold of to walk in more? Are you able to help us pass this test? And I love these number one in it. You can read it down is see your problems as opportunities instead of looking at the problems that we face or that you know, my boss man. My boss is so like just like such a drag like won't give me any opportunity and so angry all the time when I show up late which you should be and all of these that you know, you're looking at your your position your I should have that job not this one. I should have more money if I had more money to my budget would be so much easier if I had more resources more

You're walking through a mess of life and you're trying to figure this all out your like men tithing is too hard because I need more money so that I can tithe. We're looking at it backwards. If you can look at the problems that you face is opportunities look at them as Proving Grounds. Look at them his opportunities to pass the test and step into the more that God has for you. This isn't a weird concept me know every stage of life where we're walking through 10 starts his were born in and to leave the hospital. The doctors will evaluate us still test us to see if we're even healthy enough to leave. You know, we go through school putting out tests and doing spelling test grammar test is all excited about teaching.

Tickets are red pen out anyways.

We go through tests all the time we go through driving test IQ. Test Health tests personality tests all the time. It happens as well. But we need to see those are those problems are those those moments as life moments with circumstances as opportunities number to the test or treat small opportunities as if they were your Doorway to Greater ones. So now seeing what you have already been given some of you are looking at your job right now, some of you are looking at your lack of budget as you're trying to fit it all on the paper some of you are looking at the people around you in life your your workplace your and you're just and all you're seeing is lack. All you're seeing is like Madness is just I I just need more money. I just need more of that if you if I would just have a little bit more. It would be so much easier want first of all, I've had I've had income all along the range. I remember when Janice when I first got married, I was making $9 an hour and I'm supporting her as she finished your practicum at school not getting paid a cent $9 an hour living in the Lower Mainland in Burnaby. Our rent was $500 a month in this little one bedroom apart or basement Suite that the people above us were just the sweetest Indian people that would bring his food because they knew we were starving and you know, we don't have any heat control. So we'd sit in front of our oven with it open and to heat up our feet and Wheel of Life. all along the way where I worked for a laboratory company the same time genocide that and we were making tons of money that we were being dumb with because we didn't take Financial stuff with our church like them of you have A bunch of doesn't get easier with more money. You still have to figure it out and you still have to put God first when you tie it just happens when you put God first in that area. That's when it all comes in the line. So it doesn't matter about that. But you got to look at all of the opportunities that you already have to prove yourself. Prove yourself. Those tests are just doorways to Greater opportunities. Number three show motivation in the small things of your everyday life. Not not only look at them as doorways to Greater opportunities, but now show the people around you show yourself show God that you are going to do everything within your power. Everything within you are you're going to excel at what you have been given you say I think I can do better with more but I'm going to show you that I'm going to do the absolute best with this right now. And then when your trusted with more you can do the same thing with that and show that you're worthy of even more beyond that but that motivation has to be there. It needs to be there a number four. Don't make excuses.

Let that hit you this morning don't make excuses. I love and his book pastor. Kevin says he's at week. We come down with this a case of excusitis. And and we just it's it's so natural to just make excuses for the situation that we find ourselves in. But listen when we make excuses, we take away the opportunity for God to really see a step into that next season to prove ourselves to be tested sure testing. Not not that much fun. I understand that. It's not the best time in life. It's not what not not this season that I love to live and you know, when you're when you're being tested chances are that's when you feel stuck spiritually because the next level or the next stage of life or season have you with it? It's right around the next corner, but you have to pass this test to move into the next phase of life. Don't make excuses with the keys coming back up. I want us to think about about it right now. I think about what it could be like if we got this.

Cuz just think about it for a second one question that's asked in the book at the end of at the end of chapter one, which is the test of small things. The one question that's asked is with the small thing. What small thing are you facing in life right now and I want us to do that right now. You can even buy your head if you want and just evaluate life and think and say God what what am I? What am I dealing with right now? What small thing am I facing in life right now? And maybe I feel stock and maybe I'm in this place where I'm not passing the test. I'm like Philip that sees the problem in front of me and says and just starts to freak out. So I have no idea how I'm going to do that. What small thing are you facing right now that God saying listen. Here's an opportunity to prove yourself. I feel that God's right on the other side of that cheering us on saying your you you can do this. I've designed you for this I've designed you for more than what you're walking in right now, but if you prove yourself. pass this test Not only will it be good for for you be good for the people around you. That's something happens. When you pass a test. Listen, I in school. I wasn't really that great at attending school. That was kind of where I lacked. I just didn't go to it a whole lot. But what I found was that if I could just pass the tests. I would I would be able to pass the grade. If and when I passed the test, there was just extreme joy because I knew what that meant for me in the future. I'd be able to move forward. There is great joy. That comes when we pass the test, there is a great understanding that stirs up with Ennis about what God has made us for and how he wants to use us when we pass the test, especially the test of small things when we say listen. I'm just going to show you what I'm capable of I'm going to kill myself and all the sudden God starts to show you and the people around you like You know, they're they're actually made for that. This is how I've designed them. This is how I've made them.

So what is the small thing that you are facing in life right now? G wagon if we got this Can you imagine if if if you as an individual got this that moment of feeling stock that dead-end job that that lack of money or lack of resources or lack of whatever and you're thinking if I could just have more if I could just be given this this opportunity or that I would prove myself but what God saying to you. I've given you an opportunity to prove yourself. Can you imagine what it would be like Ban, if you prove yourself with the little that you have already why why wouldn't your employer say, you know what we need to we need to get them into an upper level job. Why not? In Ministry, why not? In life, why not?

They wouldn't stop with you. Can you imagine what it would be like for us as a church if we just came to a place and said, you know what we are not going to be satisfied. With where we are at right now, we know that there's more but are we ready for it? We keep crying out to God and saying God we need more people to encounter you. We want more salvations. We want more people. Are we ready? For more people to encounter Jesus? How are we've been faithful with what we have already a week already seeking out those relationships that we have in our lives right now and and helping them encounter Jesus. Why would they give us more people when we're not faithful with the ones who've already? He's already given us some of you have people in your life that don't know Jesus that you have grown a relationship with and they are now ready for you to just speak life and just share the gospel and share your story and as you step out in our faithful with that why wouldn't God give you more? Why wouldn't God give us a church more more people encountering him. That's our vision. But that comes from the people that are faithful with the people that they already have in their lives. We want more we need to expect more. We got a pass this test.