Why Does God Allow Trials in the Life of the Believer? - II

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Okay so you go your problems and assume no you find a way to remember that God is the sole of your life working for his glory and your good old really can use it as an opportunity clean Christ to others. We never had a problem never know God can solve never let God solve our problems (know God can solve their problem today on a new beginning. Greg Laurie points out our trials for an opportunity to put our faith to work and to put our faith on display good insight from one of the top 10 most requested messages here going through a tough time today.

Why does God allow to go through trials testing happens. Let's look at Bell James chapter 1 talk about this for many verses. But this of your anchor text reverses to the four my brother's rights. James counted all joy when you follow the various trials, knowing that the test of your faith produces patience.

But let patience have its perfect work in you that you may be mature. Lacking nothing. Okay, so we wonder why does God allow trials. God allows trials in our lives, so we will grow up spiritually, you want to be a growing Christian right, God will allow trials in your life so you will grow up spiritually. The JB Phillips translation of verse four says let this process go on to you become men of mature character is number two God allows trials in our lives.

And that's true. But even when things look bleak all things work together for your good in God's glory. Again, even when things look bleak all things work together for God's glory and your good God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer. There really are no accidents there. Just Providence. And that's a good thing to remember Job story shows us that the devil can do nothing on the life of the believer without the express permission of God while remember the story. One the Angels of the Lord went to present themselves before the Lord and Satan was among them. Because Satan is a fallen angel and got started bragging on Job you remember God said to the angels, Satan there as well. Have you considered my servant Job perfect and upright man when the fears God and shuns evil and the devil began to challenge that assertion of the Lord, but we might ask a question. Why would God allow Satan to hassle his deceit went on to say you know what Job fears you because you bless him. Job follows you because you give them a lot of cool stuff paraphrase their Job is your servant because of what he gets out of it but if you had any calamity if he lost his possessions to be lost is lively, good. Certainly if he lost himself, he would curse you to your face and God actually allow the devil to wreck havoc in Job's life with limitations just a book.

But why would God. God loves someone why would he allow it. Even the devil can serve the purposes of God. Now God will not allow me to be tested about which I'm able. But what with the temptation. Give me a way of escape, that I may be able to bear it. Simple way to sum that up. God won't give me more than I can handle but God will allow these things like because in the way the devil can sometimes do God's work will be determined if I'm a wheat or a tear is Jesus mentioned in this parable it will determine if I'm really a believer or not a believer. Trials will only make unbelievers stronger because they will cling more tightly to Christ for that same trial may turn a nonbeliever away because they were never clinging tightly to so in a way these trials testing's can help determine if you're really a Christian and Job's wife certainly wasn't supportive. After all, the calamity befell him and is broke out of Boyles and and he's lost everything she says so what are to just curse God and die really. Job said you would say that when you were driving the Mercedes so it doesn't appear that she ever believe I don't know about her at all, but he clung to the Lord. But listen, God works.

He sings out for good. Did you read that crazy story in the news about this man that was bitten by a shark coming that's about the worst case scenario. I guess the only thing worse is being eaten and swallowed by a shark. This man was bitten by a shark with the article pointed out that the sharks saved his life to hear about this, as it turns out what he was being treated for a shark bite. It was discovered he had a tumor on his kidney.

And it was cancer, but apparently if you had not been bitten. This would not of been discovered by then it could have been too late. Yet the cancer removed and did not receive any radiation or chemotherapy in this man. His name is Eugene Finney said I'm thankful for the shark attack.

He said this shark saved my life.

They wanted to give the shark to put the man in the ward but he texted he was too busy fighting other people hoping for a positive outcome now, but that this is true, except the party just said I'm glad this shark bit me and sometimes something will happen. You think this is the worst thing that can happen then as time passes suddenly look back and actually that was a good thing. Actually, the Lord used that to make a very needed change in my life again, we love that verse Romans 828 all things work together for good to those who what love God and other called according to his purpose and that brings me to my next point .3 God's ultimate purpose for us in trials and really a life is to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. We say that again God's ultimate purpose for us through trials and really in life is to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. In his usual method for this is heavenly pressure wide to produce a family like this. Yes, we love Romans 828. But we forget that after that is Romans 829 those two verses together the big picture again. Romans 828 we know that all things work together for good to those that love God and other called according to his purpose. Verse 29 for whom he foreknew he also did predestined that they might be conformed into the image of his own dear son, people stand around and argue endlessly about predestination and who is predestined and who is not in the miss the point of why God predestined or chose us does predestination meet means God determined it before you were alive you were predestined why to be conformed to the image of his own dear son, God's long-term goal for you is to become like Jesus.

So there are things we go through in life and it's bad and then the bad thing can become a good thing. Like the guy with the shark bite. But then there are things in life that are bad, they stay bad and are always bad, right they never are good tragedies that wasn't good. Now maybe good came out of but it never becomes a good thing but we got doesn't say a bad thing. Always will become a good thing it says so because all things to work together for good. But here's the bigger picture. Some of the things that God is doing in your life are not to be discovered until we get to have you realize that all those things were designed to make you more like Jesus. So some benefits of trials.

We will see in this life and other benefits of trials will not be seen until the after life. Just know this God is at work might be through irritating people all irritating people that you ever stop and think that you are maybe one of those your kid no not me, it's the other people, not me. Well were probably all irritating to someone I'm sure might be an emotional low might even be a tragedy like the loss of a loved one, but we must remember that these pains are temporary. Second Corinthians 417 says our present troubles are small, they won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them will last forever so we don't look at the troubles we see now. Rather, we fix our gaze and things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

I love that verse so we will look a lot of times at the here and now we don't think about the by-and-by because looking at the bigger picture. You know, just like a kid in a kid only thinks of the moment. I want this toy I want to keep this candy at 188 this candy and have this toy simultaneously and the parent looking out for the greater good of the child says no you can't have that candy before bed know you can have that toy and are thinking of something that is better for you. In general, the kid doesn't understand until the child gets older. So maybe you're one of these situations. Right now you're back up against the wall with no way to look but good news.

God is still in the miracle master Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the strength they received from these daily messages God's word ministers to them and it often gets them through some of their darkest hours yesterday. I listened dear Sarah recently and I listen to your sermon about how you handled your son's tragic death stating something similar. My family was driving to meet me for Wednesday night Bible study at our church when they were struck head-on by an elderly man driving I think 16-year-old daughter and a four-year-old granddaughter in my 17-year-old daughter is currently at a rehabilitation center trying to recover from a traumatic brain injury. My stepdaughters was driving managed to escape within a few broken bones and a concussion is her four-year-old daughter that we lost. I'm grateful that God has led me to listen to your sermon and help prepare me for the spiritual and emotional struggles in my heart so that I could stand strong in my fee only continue to pray for my daughter's complete. Please continue to be revealing your sermons about death as they provide a wonderful foundation when things don't go their way and we expect them to God's word is such a comfort to so many difficult times, and if you like to share your story.

Why not drop Pastor Greg an email send it to great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org will Pastor Greg is offering some good encouragement today about the trials of our lives is one of the most requested studies of the year called why does God allow trials in the life of the believer available of harvest.org. Let's continue now. Point number four. Suffering can bring glory to God. Suffering can bring glory to God.

How so will any fool can be happy when the sky is blue and the sun is shining and everything's going well but when the storm is coming.

That's a different matter. Back to Job again Satan challenged God who was bragging on Job and said you bless him and that's why he follows use of the Lord allow the calamities, but wanted Job to the bottom of life dropped out.

He worshiped God, showing Satan was wrong in all of God's competence and Job was not misplaced at all.

And then there are those times when God can be glorified through just intervening to do numeric on me. Maybe your second and you go to the doctor and they say you have cancer and there's nothing we can do and you might as will get your affairs in order, because you may only have a few months to live. And then you go to church and you say I need prayer.

The Bible says that there's any sick among you call for the elders of the church you will lay hands on the person pray for them and anoint them with oil. The effectual fervent prayer of an evangelist will accomplish much. You know, and so you going to get prayer and then you go and you reject and suddenly the test revealed the cancer is gone. The doctors Figured out what happened America call God still does things like that today we hear stories like this all the time he intervenes. He does the miracle he provides that sum of money that is needed. He comes through in some amazing way. ~Sometimes God is glorified by removing the problem in resolving the situation how many of you bed would look like an insurmountable problem that was overruled by God. He interviewed a piece about most of you, that's fantastic.

Thank God. When that happens, then there are times when God will be glorified not by the removal of the problem but by leaving that there and having you worship him just the same event. A powerful testimony.

That's what happened to Paul and Silas were thrown into a prison for preaching the gospel in the Bible says. At midnight he began to sing praises to God and the other prisoners were listening.

By the way, that phrase listening means listening with leisure. I don't think that ever heard singing in a hellhole like that before Paul and Silas were able to give God glory.

At midnight 10 then of course you remember that they been treated so badly by that Roman jailer to whip them in a hard heart. But then the earthquake came a miracle happened. All the prisoners could've run free if they wanted to and that Janet was about to kill himself because he knew if he lost his prisoners. He would be executed by Roman Paul said don't harm yourself role here that jailer said, Sirs, tell me what must I do to be saved is the their testimony on him over because they give God the glory could not after the earthquake. But before and that's the time to give God the glory. So let's say you're the person to get the.

The unfortunate diagnosis, you're the person that has a tragedy but fall you.

You're the person that here's the bad news is while give God the glory when he fixes it, no, no, you give God the glory. Now right now you because he still in control is gonna work it ultimately together for his glory in your good is going to make you more like Jesus.

Again coming back to Job when he heard the horrible things that happened the loss of his possessions of lively good and worse of all the lots of all of his children. We read show praise and worship and sit naked came I into this world naked go I out, blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Bible goes on the sake and all of this Job did not blame God or charge him foolishly. So that's important. Paul and Silas gave glory to God before the earthquake before the answer. Sometimes God will allow the hardship. Listen to this God can be glorified, even in disability disability can become an ability when placed in the hands of God. A disadvantage can actually become an advantage say I don't. I don't know what that means don't use these tricky words with me, preacher Woody and me to let me illustrate my friend Nick boy church in no one talking about if you don't. Nick was born in Australia without arms and legs. He's limbless and is one of the most joyful Christians I've ever met. And I'll tell you what, here's were his disability turns into an ability to put them in front of a bunch of high school kids, many of them struggling with their own problems, some of them being bullied. Some of them even feeling maybe life isn't worth living and that boy church is literally and I mean no disrespect when I say this yes to be picked up and placed on the table because he can't get there on his own and there he stands and they look at this young man and he talks about how good God is and how God has helped him.

All of a sudden you look at your problems with the new perspective. The minute he can rejoice.

Why am I not rejoicing in and though it's very hard for Nick and in the he still this is the most difficult challenge imaginable. He is chosen to not waste his pain and to leverage this problem into a way to bring glory to God the Lord to open up doors for Nick all around the world to bring all open help and most of all to bring Jesus to so many people so that's a disability being turned into an ability that sin disadvantage being turned into an advantage. Another example is Johnny Erickson taught in your part of her.

Johnny is a wonderful lady who many years ago. Actually, in 1967 she was a young teenager. She dove off a little dock and had a spinal cord injury that paralyzed from the neck down and do this the worst thing that can happen to a young person and and yet Johnny despite the severe disability has brought hope to millions of people.

They made it will be about her life and she's written many books and but she still deals with pain affect recently. If it wasn't hard enough to be in her condition. She got breast cancer and that she was interviewed by a magazine and in this magazine. She said these words as she said she was in a battle against principalities and powers in that one is to despair, she said, so I have to actively participate and she takes his or theme. Hebrews 1038 were God's is my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. Johnny says I don't want to be one of those who shrink back. I don't want to tarnish his here's a lady who is a quadriplegic and has breast cancer and she says hi don't want to bring shame to his name. I want to honor the Lord. I don't want to shrink that in.

Thankfully they did surgery and the cancer was removed. But what a shining example she is. She said I'm on this battlefield. My question is how can I glorify God. Okay so you got your problems and wanted diminish what you're going through because you still get my poems on the bed, but there still problems. Greg okay give you that it problems the problem of trials at trial.

Whatever this big small summer in the middle okay but now here's the question. Can you somehow give glory to God to that. Can you find a way to remember that God is still in control of your life and he's gonna work it out for his glory and your good ultimately can you use it as an opportunity to proclaim Christ to others and sometimes he will remove the affliction and sometimes will be glorified in the affliction going back to Job for the last time you know when his whole world fell apart. He didn't say I understand it, he just said, blessed be the name of the Lord called out to the Lord, that we need to do as well.

Solid encourage from God's word today and Pastor Greg Laurie's message.

Why does God allow trials in the life of the believer. And there's more to come is when the pastor Greg's most requested studies of the year here on a new beginning. If you missed any part of today's program or you missed the first part of the presentation last time. Contact us and get a copy of the full presentation you can order it on CD or download it instantly. Just go to harvest.org or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and again the title is, why does God allow trials in the life of the believer in our thanks to our harvest partners who help us make resources like this available and were so excited about pastor Greg's book on the life of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It's a book that chronicles Johnny spiritual journey.

Following him through the ups and downs of his life. Pastor Greg's is the kind of book that we should give to a Christian who struggling or is this also a message for somebody who's never even tried to walk with Christ before yeah David think it would connect with both people and I just think is a thoroughly interesting character so colorful there so many interesting stories in this book, things you've never read about them before soap your cash friend, you're gonna love it. But even if you're not a CAT scan think you will be at the end of the book especially be start listening to some of his music, but I think is you also learn more about his faith and how he used his platform for the gospel. You have a greater appreciation for Johnny but Jill also learned some things about them. You probably didn't know some things and he did that he was ashamed of. In the face the consequences for so it is a very honest story but one that I think ultimately shows how God can redeem any live. So I think it would be an excellent book to give to any believer who struggling or some Christian who finds himself in a backslidden state but at the same time. It would also be an excellent book to put into the hands of a nonbeliever because of connect with cash though.

Find things in his life that that remind them of themselves. No doubt about that and I think it will connect to young and old alike.

You know the interesting thing about Johnny is he's transcended time. Why do certain people transcend time.

I don't know why but there are certain musicians that transcend time, certain actors that do the same. Certain figures from history just sort of become timeless and Johnny is certainly one of those people you so I written this new book Johnny Cash or redemption of an American icon at the second in a series of three books that I've been doing and this is a man who had his life transformed by Jesus Christ and this is a brand-new book. It's a spiritual biography of a man who really was a living legend and now is larger in death. Even then he was alive, a true American icon is a story to tell. We would offer you this book Johnny Cash, the redemption of an American icon. Yes, the kind of book you won't be able to put down as you read, you may see yourself in the story. Or maybe you'll see a friend or relative.

It's a human story of success and failure of faith and forgiveness and you owe it to yourself to read this biography.

Let us send you your copy of Johnny Cash, the redemption of an American icon call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org when next I Pastor Greg brings his final insights from the Wharton message. Why does God allow trials in the life of the believer. One of our top 10 most requested studies of the year. Join us next time you're on a new beginning and great glory possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email, devotions@harvest.org