Considering Trials

Life can difficult.

There was a tragic shipwreck.

The only survivor washed onto the shore of an uninhabited island.

Helpless, he cried out to God to save him.

Every day he’d scan the horizon, looking for a passing ship, hoping someone would rescue Him.

But nothing happened.

Eventually he succumbed to the truth that this island was his home.

With the few possessions he had, and from what he foraged for, he built a small hut, to shelter him from the weather.

One day, after hunting for food, he came home and found his small hut on fire.

He watched helplessly as the dried palm leaves, produced thick clouds of black smoke into the sky.

He was broken.

Grief filled his soul.

He didn’t have it in him to rebuild.

He was done.

Early the next day, a ship came to the island and rescued him.

He asked how they knew he was there.

One of the crew members said, “We saw your smoke signal in the sky.”

The lone survivor found joy in the previous day’s tragedy.

How do you respond to tragedy?

You may not find yourself on a deserted island.

But you will encounter trials.

How do you respond?

This morning we will be in James 1:2–4.

James will give us 3 responses to trials that Christians must be prepared for.

Please open your Bibles to James 1:2–4.

Read James 1:2–4.

Let’s look at Joy in Trials.

James says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,”

Don’t read this - Joy in Trials

In Acts 5, the apostles were arrested for preaching Jesus Christ.

They are brought before the Jewish leaders and questioned.

They are told not to preach in Jesus’ name.

They then are beaten and released.

The apostles leave the counsel, and in Acts 5:41 “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”

They left rejoicing.

How did they do that?

How did they suffer, how were they beaten, and then leave, rejoicing?

How do they think of being beaten as something that you must be worthy to receive?

This was something that on some level they found joy in.

II Corinthians 12 Paul begins boasting of his weaknesses.

He talks about having a thorn in his side.

He had an opponent that was attacking him.

Day in, day out, this thorn, this person was not just a hindrance, he was harmful.

Paul was in agony over this person.

And Paul repeatedly prayed to the Lord to remove this thorn.

“Get this person out of my life.”

“I’m miserable with him.”

Perhaps, you’ve prayed something like that before, regarding a situation in your life.

A person.

Health.

A condition.

There is some trial in your life, and your prayers are consumed by this trial.

“Lord, please get rid of it for me.” is your prayer.

Well, at the end of the passage, Paul rejoices because through his trial he learned of God’s grace.

He said, in II Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Ultimately, he rejoiced, because in his weakness, he relied on Christ, and lived on the presence of God.

That suffering, drew him closer to the Lord.

Another example of joy in suffering, is Eric Liddel.

Eric Liddel is most famous for the movie, Chariots of Fire.

He ran the 400 meter dash in the 1924 Olympics, setting a world record that stood for 12 years.

The movie talks about his refusal to run on Sundays.

It tells the drama of the stance that he took.

What most people don’t know about Eric is what happened after the Olympics.

He went to China and became a missionary.

When World War II broke out, Japan was an unstoppable military force moving into China, and conquering much of the main land.

The Japanese rounded up prisoners and put them in internment camps, concentration camps.

The prisoners there were slowly starved, and violently treated.

Eric Liddel was put in one of these concentration camps.

There he would end up dying.

He never let up.

He never complained about his situation.

He had a quiet spirit that found joy in the Lord, and it was demonstrated in his life.

Even though he died in that prison his fellow prisoners saw someone who rejoiced.

They described him as:

Having an unruffled spirit.

A constantly smiling face.

Always cheerful.

It was said that, “Every day to him was … precious. He threw himself into it to make others feel better about the situation all of us were in.”

What’s the common denominator in these examples?

Joy.

Facing hardship, facing trials, facing disappointment - the response was joy.

How do we get there?

Many Christians don’t live joyful lives.

They look more like those in internment camps with Eric Liddel, but they don’t look like Eric Liddell.

Many Christians live lives that are defeated, and lethargic.

It’s amazing how fast we plummet into depression when things happen.

Starbucks forgets to put an extra shot in your coffee, and it’s as if you’ve been defeated already.

You’ve missed the rapture.

The Tribulation has begun.

Woe is me, for I am undone!

How do we find joy?

Before we talk about finding joy, let’s look at the circumstances of life.

What is in store for you?

I like to know, what am I getting into?

James says, to be joyful, “when you encounter various trials.”

Notice how that’s written.

James doesn’t say, “Consider it all joy, my brethren if you encounter trials.

It’s when you encounter trials.

They are certain.

We may not know when, or how, but we know they’re coming.

Part of the dealing with trials and having joy is you must know that they’re coming.

In I Peter 4:12, Peter said, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

One of the reasons why we walk around so glum and sad, is because trials hit us by surprise.

We say, “It’ll never happen to me.”

We have this idea that if we are a Christian, life will be easy.

Or that if you are a Christian and have God on your side that He will spare you from trials.

You put in your time at church and God will keep you from trouble.

You give on Sundays, and it’s like you’re purchasing a “Get out of Jail Free” card.

James is telling us that they will happen.

You don’t know when trials will happen.

But expect them.

The other thing about trials is they are varied.

Your trial will be different from my trial.

One person might be tested in health, while another is tested mentally.

One person is tested physically, and another is tested financially.

But when you encounter trials, because you know they’re coming, how are you to respond?

You see the answer at the beginning of verse 2, “Consider it all joy ...”

This is a command.

This isn’t a suggestion.

James isn’t giving us 10 tips to a happy life.

This is the Word of God, written to Christians.

It’s got the authority of God behind it.

This is theopneustos, God breathed.

He says, “Consider it all joy.”

You must have joy.

Why do we need the command?

Because it’s not natural for us.

Our flesh says, “Carpe Diem - Seize the day.”

Our flesh says you are your own master.

You write your future.

And when things don’t follow your plan, then there’s anger, resentment, disappointment.

That’s the natural response.

But God says, “Consider it all joy ...”

And this is different from what your initial reaction may be.

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, ...”

You need to be transformed.

Have your mind renewed.

That’s why this command is there, because we don’t naturally think this way.

If you have the Holy Spirit, then evidence of His presence in your life is that you are joyful.

Think of the fruit of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love … joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness … and the list goes on.

There is a need for Joy.

And so when you encounter trials, the first response must be joy.

Second, we look at The Purpose of Trials.

Some of you need a reason.

You’re very much like the kid, who when told to do something answers back - “Why?”

God says “Consider it all joy” and you say, “Why?”

Verse 3, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

It’s good to know that there is a purpose behind trials.

There are 2 reasons for these tests.

First, they test the quality of your faith.

That’s why it says, “knowing that the testing of your faith …”

They are not testing if you have faith.

The assumption is you already have faith.

Who is James writing to?

He’s is writing to Christians.

He said in verse 2, Consider it all joy, my brethren ...”

Fellow believers.

Fellow Christians.

If you are a believer you have faith.

You cannot be a believer and not have faith.

It doesn’t say that the test is to see if you have faith.

It says that it is a testing of faith.

Something you already possess.

This is testing the quality of your faith.

Think of a diamond.

There are 4 quality tests of a diamond.

Clarity - how clear is it.

Cut - The shape of it.

Carot - How big is it.

Color - Is it clear, or is it yellow or brown.

James is telling us here that trials test the quality of your faith.

How do you respond?

Do you quickly cave?

Do you lash out in anger?

Do you respond like Job’s wife?

Curse God and die.

How you respond to trials tests the quality of your faith.

The second reason for the testing is that it produces something.

It brings about something.

There is a purpose behind the trials.

This means that whatever you encounter in life, it is not haphazard, or random; it is purposeful.

God, who is sovereign over your life, brings these tests into your life, so that they would produce something in you.

So that they would change you.

So that God would continue the good work that He began in you.

One commentator said, “The idea, then, is not that the trials determine whether a person has faith or not. Rather they strengthen the faith that is already present.”

You can start to see how we can find joy in trials.

Because whatever you are going through is for your benefit.

The Lord is bringing this into your life to change you, to shape you, to make you more and more into Christ’s image.

I find joy in that.

A whole lot more joy than if life is completely random.

If God is not sovereign over these trials, then I’m worried.

Because it means God doesn’t really care.

And it means there’s no purpose to my suffering.

At the same time, if you don’t have joy, if you get angry at your trials, who are you really getting angry at?

God.

You’re really angry at God.

You’re questioning His plan for your life.

The proper response to trials and testing is to direct your focus to the Lord.

Do you ever find that your times of deepest sorrow, and struggle are the times that you are closest to God.

You pray all the time.

And those prayers are real.

Your walk suddenly becomes 10 times stronger, because everything you’ve read in Scripture has to be faithfully applied.

That’s God’s plan.

James says that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Endurance is the ability to stand under something and not be crushed by the weight of it.

It’s the ability to endure pressures.

When metal is tempered, it’s heated to a high temperature.

Not too high, but just to the point, where it begins to break down a bit, and almost crystallize.

That crystallization, hardens the metal, making it stronger.

But the tempering can only happen, if the temperature is heated up.

The work that God is doing in your life is like the tempering of steel.

He heats it up.

It’s painful.

It’s a trial.

But look again at verse 3, it is also producing endurance.

Think of Peter, and the night that he betrayed Jesus.

Peter denied Jesus 3 times.

Before any of that happened, Jesus told Peter, “... I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter was tested.

He went through a trial.

But the Lord was using that trial for a reason.

After the test, Peter was tempered, he was stronger.

And he would be used by God to strengthen his brothers, to minister to the disciples.

He became a strong influence in the church.

That strength came from this experience.

And in your life, you have gone through trials, the Lord has let them happen to make you stronger, so that you can minister to others.

Think of your experiences.

These have happened to you for a reason.

They temper you, so that God can use you for His purposes.

The reason for testing is to strengthen you.

And you endure it because you know the Lord is using it for your benefit and His glory.

If God is sovereign over your trials, and if He is using them for your benefit, then you can experience joy because you have contentment.

Joy is being content in every situation, in an unnatural way, because of a trust in God, who is sovereign over all things.

Joy is knowing that God is on His throne, even over your painful circumstances.

Trials then become a launching point to trust in God, and find God even more pleasing.

It’s not that the trials are fun.

I don’t find joy in the actual trial.

My wife broke her foot 3 weeks before giving birth to our first son.

I didn’t shout on the mountain tops, “Yes a broken foot!”

But that event prepared me to serve my wife during labor and her recovery.

And I found joy in that.

We find joy, knowing that the Lord is these trials for a reason.

And this joy is seeking God’s plan and glory through your trial.

Right now, I imagine there is something going on in your own life.

How are you responding to it?

Look for the will of God behind it.

Look for His purpose in your trials.

They’re not meant to destroy you.

God’s using them for your good.

Knowing that and seeking that, brings joy because God’s active in your life, sculpting you.

Lastly, Look at The Endurance of Trials.

What’s the worst part of exercising … it hurts.

Sometimes people talk about the burn.

You run, and soon, your lungs are on fire, and they hurt.

You lift weights and your arms feel like jelly, and they burn.

You don’t want to go a step further, because lactic acid is flooding your muscles, and feeling as if hot coals are eating away your body.

And yet, as much as it hurts, you have to keep going.

That tearing down of muscle is what makes you stronger.

No pain, no gain.

James gives us a final command in verse 4, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

That statement is a little too passive in our Bibles.

“Let endurance …?”

It should read, “You must let endurance have its perfect result.”

It’s not optional.

I’ve seen people at the gym who have a personal trainer.

The person gets tired.

He’s doing curls, and wants to quit.

He says, “I can’t do any more.”

And the trainer, says, “3 more, let’s go. Don’t stop, keep going.”

When things get hard, there is a temptation to quit.

Your kids have been getting on your nerves all day, and you’re about to blow a gasket.

Your patience is low.

The marriage is hard, it’s lost that loving feeling.

Life has become like one long workout at the gym, and the lactic acid is spilling over, and you want to stop.

James says, you must endure.

Let the trial and the test have its full effect.

Have you been prescribed antibiotics?

The doctor gives you a little container with enough antibiotics for 7 days.

How much of it are you supposed to take?

All of it.

What if you feel better?

You take all of it.

The entire dose.

Because you need to eradicate that infection.

That’s the idea that James is getting across here.

You don’t quit the process early.

You take the full dose.

Why?

The idea is that currently you aren’t perfect or complete.

You’ve got weaknesses.

And the Lord wants to bring you to completion.

Think of a butterfly.

It goes through a metamorphosis called chrysalis.

It goes from a larvae to a worm into a cocoon and escapes a butterfly.

Suppose you found the butterfly still in its cocoon and you tried to free it early.

What would happen?

You’d kill it.

It’s not done changing yet.

And this is what the Lord is doing to you.

He wants to make you complete, but you must go through the whole process.

The idea behind perfect and complete is maturity.

The Lord is maturing you.

He’s taking you as a child, and he’s bringing you into maturity.

How do we do this?

First, understand it takes time.

As a child you went to school.

You began in kindergarten.

And at the end of that first year of kindergarten were you done with school?

No.

That was just the beginning, because next was 1st grade, then second grade.

You then moved up to middle school.

After a couple years, you were promoted to high school.

Then after 4 years, you graduated.

It was a process.

It takes a long time to graduate from school.

It takes years of studying and being developed.

It’d be nice if you could just instantly become Christlike wouldn’t it?

It’d be nice if you just instantly knew all of God’s Word.

It’d be nice if you were instantly mature.

I’ve often prayed for God to change me, but to do it instantly.

“God take this from me, just don’t let it hurt too bad.”

But it doesn’t happen that way though.

It takes time.

It takes patience.

Sometimes it takes years.

This means it requires endurance.

It takes perseverance.

Second, it means surrendering to God’s will.

To stop resisting.

To resist is to resist what God wants for you.

Instead, embrace the process.

You are not the final product.

There are weaknesses in your life that need to be addressed.

Seek to know your weaknesses.

Find them out.

Ask someone to point them out to you.

Talk to a more mature believer and ask them to diagnose you.

And then joyfully embrace the process, knowing that God will finish what He starts.

I am so comforted by Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Look how this shapes your prayers.

You know there’s trials.

You know the Lord is sovereign behind those trials.

And your prayer is to endure those trials.

I don’t want this sermon to be theoretical.

Because you are either in a trial right now, or you will be.

So give a deep look at your life.

What is it you are going through?

The response should be joy.

As things get hard, always remember that there is a purpose behind it.

The Lord is strategically shaping you.

It’s going to require endurance.

All of this assumes that Jesus is actually Lord of your life.

This is different from pop psychology.

Pop psychology says it’s your life, and have your own way.

This is the reality of seeing your life as belonging to Christ.

You are His.

He owns you.

He guides.

In order to:

Have joy in trials,

Find a purpose in them

And to endure them -

You need to know who is planning these things.

The Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you surrendered to Him?

Not only acknowledging His reality, but submitting to His authority?

If you haven’t done that, do that today, this very hour.

Pray