["You are either in a trial, just come out of
a trial, or you are headed for a trial." Bill Stafford]
A.
Promises For Trials (vs 4; Rom 12.1-2) [-
There Are Two Promises or Truths About Testing.
The most apparent and first
question normally asked when one is subjected to a trial or temptation is, “Why?
Why am I being subjected to this trial?
Why do I have to go through this time of distress and suffering?
Can any good come of all this pain?”]
[Illustraton:
The Metamorphosis of a Butter fly –
A young boy once watched a butterfly struggle its way out of its cocoon. Having
watched the long arduous process the boy asked himself, “Why does the butterfly
have to struggle so hard to free itself from its cocoon. So, the next time he
had a cocoon he waited until the butterfly was beginning the process of freeing
itself from its cocoon and he help the butterfly free itself.
However, much to his regret he watched as the butterfly flopped down and
flopped around, but the butterfly could not fly.
By helping the butterfly free itself the young boy robbed the butterfly
of the process that would have strengthened its wings, hence the butterfly did
not have the strength needed to fly away.]
[This is a revealing truth for the Bible states,]
[Romans 12:1-2
1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable
service. 2 And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye
transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.]
[The Greek word used here for transformed is the same word
that we get our English word metamorphosis from.
God is trying to transform you into a remarkable Child of God.
He works that transformation or that metamorphosis through the trial and
temptations He allows into our lives.]
1.
God wants to bring Cooperation in my life
(vs 4; 1 Pet 1.6; Psalm 119.67,71; Rom 5.3) -
But let patience have
her perfect work,. . . –
We must cooperate with God when he
brings trials into our lives because,]
a.
[Trials are
necessary for a
season]
[1 Peter 1:6
6
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season,
if need be,
ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:]
[God is not
frivolous nor vain. Our Heavenly
Father allows things into our lives for a reason.
Your ability to find joy in the midst of your trials is a reflection of
whether you really trust God or not.]
b.
[Afflictions
teach us God's Word – If there is ever a time when a Child of God ought to
be cleaving to the Word if God it is when they are going through trials.
]
[Psalms
119:67
67
Before I was afflicted
I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.]
[Psalms 119:71 71
It is good for me
that I have
been afflicted;
that I might learn thy statutes.]
c.
[Temptations
Teach Us Submission - In order for trials to accomplish God's intent in our
lives we must choose to cooperate with the process.
The difficulty is that we often do not understand the process, yet we
must surrender any way.]
[Spurgeon said, "when we can't trace
His hand, we can trust His heart."]
[We tend to be impatient with the process ]
[Romans 5:3
3
And not only so,
but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;]
[The word tribulation here means being rubbed on every
side - Going agate hunting.]
[God wants us to be complete and mature, but in order
for that to happen we must cooperate with God.]
2.
God wants to bring Completion into my life
(vs 4; Rom 8.29) [- But let patience
have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. – My trials will
makes me whole]
a.
[Perfect –
τέλειον
(gk) teleios]
(1)
[In classical and Hellenistic Greek
τέλειος
refers to perfect, without defect (of sacrificial animals), complete,
fully developed, adult.[1]]
(2)
[Perfect here does not mean sinless, it means reaching the end
for which it was intended. It means to carry on to the end of completion.
It means to be fully
matured.]
[Through trials God is trying to bring his child to an
expected end. What is God’s
expected end?]
[Romans 8:29
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.]
["Testing,
trials, and troubles are God's pruning shears, purging fire,
His carpenters bench in order to
make us what we need to be.
So, if his reason for trials becomes
a reality in my life,
I will rejoice in my trials knowing
that God's promises were true."]
3.
Three reasons to learn to rejoice in your trials:
a.
Trials
purify your faith
b.
Trials
produce patience.
c.
Trials
perfect character.
["God is not in the business of
changing your circumstances, but He is in the business of building your
character."]
B.
Provisions For Trials (vs 5-8) - God
offers us help.
1.
God Gives Wisdom (vs 5; Prov 4.5-13; 9.10;
Psalm 111.10, Prov 8.13; 1 Pet 5.7) [–
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
["We need to understand our trials
from God's perspective."]
a.
[What is wisdom?
Wisdom is knowledge applied to life. Wisdom is a gift sent from God.]
[James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning. ]
[Wisdom is being able to see life's trials from
God's perspective.]
["When you look at a carpet lume
from underneath it looks like a mass of colored strings. However, when you
look at it from above you see the beauty of the rug."]
(1)
[Wisdom is the endowment of heart and mind, which is needed for
the righteous conduct of life.]
(2)
[God tells us about wisdom,]
[Proverbs
4:5-13
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget
it not; neither decline from
the words of my mouth. 6
Forsake her not,
and she shall preserve thee:
love her, and
she shall keep thee. 7
Wisdom
is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with
all thy getting get understanding. 8
Exalt her,
and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost
embrace her. 9 She shall give to
thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10
Hear, O my son,
and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of
wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou
runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13
Take fast hold of
instruction; let her not go:
keep her; for she is thy life.]
b.
[Where do I find
wisdom?]
[Proverbs
9:10
10 The fear of the LORD
is the beginning of wisdom: and
the knowledge of the holy is
understanding.]
[Psalms 111:10 10 The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do
his commandments: his praise
endureth for ever. ]
[Proverbs 8:13 13 The fear
of the LORD is to hate evil:
pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate.]
c.
[When do I need wisdom?
When I lack it.]
(1)
[Lack (gk) - Is a banking term that means being short of
money.]
d.
[What should I
do when I lack wisdom? Fast,
read, and pray.]
(1)
[God wants you to cast all your care upon Him.]
[1 Peter 5:7
7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.]
e.
[Why do I need wisdom?
To see God's purpose in the trial.]
(1)
[If God were to show you the finished product of your trial you
might say, "Send another trial."]
(2)
[Wisdom allows us to not waste the opportunities to grow.]
["We may not like trials but we need
to know how to respond properly to them."]
f.
[Why is wisdom so
important?]
(1)
[Because
of timing –
Wisdom
Asks when. You may know God
wants you to do something, but when He wants you to do it is just as important
as the fact that He wants you to do it.]
(2)
[Because of
choosing –
Wisdom
Asks what. When your seeking
wisdom you need to let God show you how to respond.
Whether to rebuke, admonish, or exalt.]
(3)
[Because
of maturing –
Wisdom Asks why. What can I
learn from this.]
2.
God Gives Prayer (vs 5; Matt 7.7; Psalm
66.18; James 1.17;4.6) [– “If
any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.”]
a.
[Pray without
fail - Ask of God in James 1.5 is an active/present/imperative in the
Greek. It means do it, do it now,
do it without fail.]
(1)
[Asking, knocking, and seeking (Matt 7.7).
This is a continuation of asking and seeking of God.]
[Matthew 7:7
7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you: ]
(2)
[Without a right relationship with Jesus Christ you don't even
have prayer in your life (Psm 66.18).]
[Psalms
66:18
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the
Lord will not hear me:]
b.
[How
God responds when we ask (vs 5) -
If
any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him. ]
(1)
[The Simplicity with
which He gives - God gives liberally, abundantly, or openheartedly.]
(2)
[The Spirit in which He
give - He upbraideth not - God allows us to come without reproach, He does
not rebuke you. God want you to
come to Him.]
(3)
[The Security
with which He gives - It shall be given - God likes to give]
[James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning. ]
[James 4:6 6 But he giveth
more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto
the humble. ]
3.
God Gives Faith (vs 6-8; Heb 11.6; 1 John
5.14-16) [-But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the
wind and tossed. 7 For let not that
man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man
is unstable in all his ways.
- Four words regarding Asking In
Faith:]
a.
[Confidence
(vs 6) -
But let him ask in faith, . . . - ask
in faith - Trust that God will answer according to His will.]
[Hebrews
11:6
6 But without faith
it is impossible to please
him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. ]
(1)
[God answers according to His will.]
[1 John
5:14-15
14 And this is the confidence that we
have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.]
(2)
[God responds in His timing.]
["You are willing to believe when
you can say, I have nothing to prove, but someone to please."]
b.
[Concession (vs 6) -
But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering.
. . . - Don't come halfway committed to God.
Surrender to your Heavenly Father and His goodness.]
(1)
[There was a man walking along a cliff and he slipped and fell.
There was one little limb, which he grabbed.
As he was hanging there he called out, "is there anyone up there that can
help me!" A voice returned and
said, "let go and trust me." The
man then called out, "is there anyone else that can help me?"]
(2)
[Many Christians approach God thinking they'll pray, but they
have a plan 'B' in case God doesn't come through.]
(3)
[Don't think that you can trust Him in this trial alone, when
you are not about to trust Him in other areas of your life.]
(4)
[Wavering
speaks of:]
a)
[Instability - They are like the waves of the sea.
They are restless and there is no consistency.]
b)
[Uncertainty - They are driven by the wind and tossed.
Any uncertain person who believes one moment and doubts the next.]
c.
[Clarity
(vs 7) - For let not that man think
that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. - This pictures a man that does
not believe he can trust God's advice.]
d.
[Conviction
(vs 8) -
A double minded man
is unstable in all his ways. -
Double minded in the Greek means two souled.
It is a person with two minds.
A person who has two allegiances.]
["God's wisdom will lead us to consistency
and constancy."]
CrossRoads Baptist
Church, Nov 2, 2008
Evening
