TH151015/Why Does God Allow Trials in the Life of the Believer?

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Tonight the book of James said chapter 1 in the title of my messages. Why does God allow trials on the life of the believer. This is from our series.

What every growing Christian needs to know. Let's pray together. Father tonight. We don't want to just get information we want to find hope, especially for those that are here and those of your listening and watching who are feeling rather hopeless were feeling quite despondent. They feel like they're just in a black hole. They don't know how to get out of it.

They don't know why certain events are happening in their life. It makes no sense Lord is we go to Scripture. Help us to get clarity.

Help us to get perspective and help us to be reminded that you are in control of our lives that we don't have to be afraid you of your purposes and you have your reasons for trials in our life as we will discover in this message. So speak to us as we open your word. We ask this now in Jesus name I met with the theme of this series is what every growing Christian needs to know and as I've said before, these are certain truths that every believer needs to have them play in their life, no matter if there brand-new Christian roof. They've known the Lord for decades. Certain things that you never move beyond certain things you never outgrow if you want to make progress as a Christian. So let's quickly review what we've seen in the will dig into our topic before us number one if you want to be a growing Christian you must read study and love the word of God.

Again, if you want to be a growing Christian you must read study and love God's word. Joshua 18 says this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. You shall meditate in it day and night. Julie observed to do according to all that is written in it and then you'll have good success. The wise men of Psalm one. The happy man of humid says happy is the man that doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly are still in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful is the lie is in the law of the Lord.

Or we could just as easily say the word of God, and in it does the meditate day and night number two if you want to be a growing Christian, you need to have a prayer life Bible tells us that we are to pray without ceasing, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you. I mean, it's great to have a time of prayer in your days somewhere, but it's also a great thing to understand that you can pray anywhere any time in any posture, so we need to be an attitude of prayer.

Number three if you want to be a growing Christian you must be actively involved in the church must be actively involved in the church and you're just talking to make it as a solo Christian. I member after I became a believer, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to go to church and I said to couple of my friends and I think I'm just going to come to do this all on my own.

It just like me and God, okay, but I found a pretty quickly that I needed other Christians in my life and as you mature you'll find other Christians need you as well listen you need the church and the church needs you and the Bible commands us to go to church and not just to attend but to be a functioning part of it. Hebrews 1025 says of consider one another destroy each other up the Levengood words not first thinking in the assembling of ourselves together, as a matter of some is, but rather exhorting and encouraging one another so much more. As we see the deal.

The Lord approached so let's say you're doing all of these things, but you don't see much change in your life.

Listen, it takes time to grow spiritually. It doesn't happen overnight.

We were to pull up a chair in front of the Peachtree and just pulled your arms and stare at the peach as you can sit there for a week and say there is been no growth whatsoever. But if someone were to come and visit the tree one week and come back a week later or two weeks later they would notice the growth sometimes when you're up close and personal don't see it. Sometimes in your own life, you might say no, I don't really see that much growth in my life as a follower of Christ that I don't really think I've changed that much but sometimes the best way to find out if you're growing spiritually is well if you're married, ask your spouse they'll tell you or even people that are close to the scene when I've actually seen changes in you, you're not the same person you used to be, but it does take time and some people go faster than other people or so would would seem, it just me patient. It takes time to grow spiritually but then sometimes when you're doing all the right things may come to a moment in your life when you don't feel God's presence like you did at first. Some of the pastors from our church and I were out at lunch.

Just the other day in and this server is waited on us another a number of times. She's very nice and will chitchat with Aaron and usually just a lie conversation and so she brought Arbela and she said I have a serious question for you guys.

We said yes she said one of the service times of your church.

We said brother, eight, 10 and 12 on Sunday. She said good because I'm coming to church this Sunday. I'm in a commit my life to Jesus and I said to her, no you're not coming to do it Sunday. You're doing it right here right now and she slapped me across the face. No see the do that which is anyone by the way, but I really felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to do that.

I said you're doing it right here right now. She says here is absolutely right here. Let's pray only doing a prayer that she just bowed her head and pray and committed her life to Christ was so fantastic and after she preaches to feel better. I feel different. I said to now come to church Sunday is newly committed Christian, but that's a wonderful thing that does happen when worry, we come to Christ are often our emotions connected to it could pull company of you had kind of an emotional experience. When you prayed and asked Jesus to come in your leveraging of county we did not have an emotional experience for you at the gate by the we are not second-class citizens in category number two because to the point, I had no emotional response when I prayed and asked Christ in my life and because of that, I concluded it must not have worked for me. But of course.

Fortunately, I realize later that was about my emotions. It was about faith in what the word of God says, and so forth. But, of course, over the months after I started having wonderful emotional response and you would come to church and you would feel God's presence in such a tangible way and I remember that some of the Christian said to me a great be careful to go through trial and I said what it meant to go on trial.

No, no, you're going to go through trial. What are trials you can go through times of testing or you may not feel the presence of God. That's what I want to talk about in this message. Why does God allow Christians to go through trials and testing. I mean it happens to all of his things are going along wonderfully and suddenly without warning or so would seem. One problem after another comes tumbling into our life. Things are looking bleak and then the cloud just sort apart and the sun shines again and everything is better. Why do we go to those hard times. Why do we go to those emotional lows. Why do we go to those days of difficulty. Why do these things happen to us answer. I have no idea. Good night and God bless with the Bible is a lot to say about it and that's a real look at now. James chapter 1 women talk about this for many verses, but the severe anchor text reverses 2 to 4, my brother's rights. James counted all joy when you fall into 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 is this happening.

What have I done to deserve such a fate of her grandson Christopher is three or three years old. Now you know what his favorite word is why everything is why with him. Christopher don't climb up there.

Why will because if you climbed up you could fall why probably because you lost her grip and we don't want that to happen. Why will because we let why it is why everything is why you know, and we realize ever bothered, there's just no answer just because I said so, that's all it why we say the same thing to God, why, why is this happening to me. K. Point number one if you're taking notes you might write this down.

God allows trials in our lives, so we will grow up spiritually, you want to be a growing Christian right, God will allowed 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 God wants to make sure were learning the material.

Now I member what I was in school I hated tests and the reason I hated tests as I never studied for the and I wasn't prepared and there would be those days in class and the teacher would spend them think you have a pop quiz today and in my stomach would say get all the geeks and nerds would be like in the reason the geeks and nerds are so excited was because they were prepared by the way, we know: geeks and nerds anymore. Now we call the boss right think Bill Gates right it is to be kind of a critical thing to say, oh, you're a geek now it's a cool thing to be a geek right, especially if you're having any kind of computer problem but tell those people were prepared but I never was. And because of that I failed many a test that we did discover that it can be turned into an a with one line, just make sure you use the same color pen. It's a dead giveaway right so yes, God will allowed tests in our life. He rarely announces them ahead of time. Lasers on lays them on us and effectively. The Lord say we know you say you know this material, let's test you and see how well you're doing is a classic example of this in John chapter 6.

We have a vivid account of a test that Jesus from on his disciples by the way that particular miracle of that were alluding to the feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle found in all four gospel. I find that fascinating. You would think that maybe the resurrection of Lazarus might be in all four gospels are some of the other dramatic miracles of Christ. Know the only miracle repeated four times as the feeding of the 5000. Remember that Jesus was speaking a great multitude gathered 5000+ women in children, so there may have been as many as 10,000 lx time kit and stomachs were growling.

I'm telling you, you can send 7 o'clock on my stomach. I mean literally I'm I'm getting hungry at 1015 1030 and and then it's 11 I'm thinking it's almost time and energy. Technically, maybe this time in all say to my wife, it's time for lunch at lunch. We just have breakfast no way to vent.

That was hours ago. Her metabolism is a little different than mine. There's a lot of hungry people out there. So in John six we read Jesus all this great crowd of people climbing to the Guild looking for him and he turned to Philip and he said Philip where can we buy bread to feed all of these people listen. He was testing Philip Moriarty knew what he was going to do Philip simple. It would take a small fortune to feed all of them. Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother spoke up with.

There's a little boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is this with this huge crowd. So Jesus is trying to determine have his boys learned anything.

Had they learned how to trust him yet.

Hey, while there's a big crowd here how we get to feed all of these people noted Jesus know the answer, of course, he just wanted know if they knew the answer. The test was really do you believe God can take care of you, even when the odds are not in your favor.

Do believe that God can provide for you.

While I know he can live in the Christian over 40 years and I I've always have the Lord come through for me.

He's promised to provide all of my needs according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ about awaiting sale of my Greeks, but he that say all of my needs. He gives you what you need doesn't. But this was a test so he could see if they were learning.

By the way, just because you've learned something doesn't mean you don't need to be retested again right. I had the I got a physical the other day and I had to have everything tested my hearing was tested. My vision was tested and although do that to see if it's going downhill or not any I was a moment I'll do better than the time before rapid report that actually there were some improvements and I was happy to find out that my cholesterol was low. My blood pressure was down.

I used to have higher blood pressure and I would say to my doctor. The reason my blood pressure is high as I know you're going to take it and say something about, so goes up when I see so you need to like sneak up on me and take my blood pressure, you stress me out.but so were retested. All you you've learned it you've noted, but do you still know it. Here's what the Bible says about the things coming back to James one let me read on from a more modern translation.

Listen to this.

All kinds of trials and temptations crowd of your lives. My brothers don't treat them as intruders friend 11 translation don't treat them as intruders but friends realize income to test your faith and to producing you a quality of endurance. Let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed and you'll find you become men and women of mature character men and women of integrity with no weak spots going to make you stronger. So I going to the gym. How many of you like to go workout at the gym. Not that many of you to think some of you, if you don't like to go you like to go okay there sort of an in between crowd I'm not seeing here okay so some like to go.

Some don't like to go to my missing. How many we just don't even think about it, don't blow it all that's there they are. That's that's the missing group.

I was unable to identify. I'm probably more like you. You know I I do go to get the gym I hate the whole time I watch the clock now watch it watch watch almost over, it's over. I hate all of it.

I could walk away never worked out again and be happy and just eat hamburgers every day. But that's not good form you see and I will go into these things not because I enjoy it, but because it will help me and as you get older.

Sometimes people say no I'm just so old and just so lethargic.

I'm so tired I guess it just get no could be you're getting fat to, but that's another subject I need his credit up to be healed, don't be old and fat. I can't stop aging, but I can fight the Battle of the Bulge somewhat at least have a passing thought about it looking amazing. You're not doing that well I told you… You know the struggle I either scale I got recently to digital scale away myself in the morning. I forget that it talks to my email account and so I put my email in and it's a wireless thing and I got an email and not making this up. It's like from the name of the steel company is as I opened it it was a big bold headline that says time to step up your game. Greg! Shut up you animate insulting object, but you know what scale was right but you see when when you work out when you do weightlifting and cardiovascular things you don't.

The objective is to get stronger, not weaker and ineffective break down muscle to build muscle up. Trials are like God chin or your broken down to be built so I like it. The I like it.

Listen to this. You know like the results because I have to admit that after I worked pretty happy idea, but I did I make so many excuses as to why I can't go oh I have. This will oh you know whatever, but you discipline yourself. God uses these trials. Trials take us from the realm of theory to reality so we can start living on our faith in the real world trials, make us strong people need to understand this know when these trials come in our life we want to hang on to the Lord and learn the lessons he is seeking to teach us with the verse three knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. That's really not the best translation. By the way patients if government comes from the Greek word people moaning. I hope I'm pronouncing it right up your Greeks calling you can correct me later I'll get a text from Don Stewart that was in the right pronunciation I read Greek and you don't Don Stewart, but I think it's people moaning. It's on the screen. There were should be.

I guess it isn't.

It's one of those invisible words anyway. But the word to better be translated perseverance. The testing of your faith will produce perseverance or steadfastness or staying power. Even another translation translates it as home row which endurance like that translation. Another translation spiritual toughness so that the testing of your faith produces spiritual toughness, aerobic endurance staying power. God wants iron to enter your soul. We all know the story of Joseph that young man will love the Lord and resisted sexual temptation and live the life of integrity. We know how he was falsely accused by the wife of Potter for an older attractive woman who was effectively preying on Joseph sexually. As I've said before, she was the original cougar and one day she had all the servants leave the house and and out it all set up to just basically pulled Joseph Donna met Benton and go for it and when she grabbed him he ran like crazy screamed and falsely accused him of rape. He was arrested and sent to prison unjustly and it was while he was in prison that God was preparing him for a greater work that would take place later. In fact, we read an interesting facet.

Some 105 verse 18. They bruise to speed with fetters needs it, but the speed and stops and they also placed his neck in an iron collar. Can you imagine how hard that must've been a iron collar but there's an interesting twist on this particular verse they can also be translated this way as he was laying in iron iron entered the soul and interesting so as he was in iron iron entered is always what you talking about needs of the toughened up. It means that you got steel nerves of steel you've heard that expression he had a boldness and encouraging the strength he did not previously have. Frankly, he was a little bit of a pampered young man, his father favored and gave him a really cool shirt while the other brothers said that have basic workout clothing, but special shirt was given to Joseph in it, you know strut around in you guys, what's up you know any of his fancy shirt on and if anyone wasn't working hard to go back and and tattle on them right in the brothers really begin to resent them and that's why they sold him into slavery. Granted it was an overreaction, but still he was a little bit pampered perhaps spoiled, but man God changed him from a young pampered boy into a heroic strong man of God that God wants to do with you first for lead patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Modern translation puts it this way, so let it grow and don't try to squirm out of your problems from when your patient is in full bloom. You'll be ready for anything strong in character, full and complete.

Don't try to dodge and don't try to get out of it. I mean generally, we see approximate about a year and no I want to go to the note. Remember what James said treat these things as not as intruders but his friends because God's in control everything that we go through life's father filter mean it's either done by God or allowed by God.

That's a phrase my friend Randy Alcorn point father filter he knows what you can take. He knows how weak you are or how strong you are, and these things will be adjusted to where you're at in your life at this particular moment, but you should count it all joy. According to verse two when you fall into various trials. By the way that you be translated many colored, many colored trials, various trials, many colored trials motherwort snow to trials are always exactly the same.

Are you going to go through different variations of them and notice it doesn't say if you go through trials it says when you go to trials you're going to be tested. The question is will you pass or will you fail so number one God allows trials so we will grow spiritually.

Here's 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 is 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 what 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 begin to challenge that assertion of the Lord, but we might ask the question why would God allow Satan to hassle his conceit went on to say you know what jokers you because you blessed Job follows you because you give them a lot of cool stuff paraphrase their Joe Job is your servant because of what he gets out of it, but if he had any calamity if he lost his possessions to be lost is lively, good, and 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 you think would, but why would God.

God loves someone why would he allow it.

Even the devil can serve the purposes of God. Know God will not allow me to be tested, about which I am able. But what was the temptation to be a way of escape, that I may be able to bear it. Simple way to sum that up. God will 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 these testings can help determine if you're really a Christian and Job's wife certainly wasn't supportive. After all, the calamity befell them. In this role got him boils and he's lost everything she says okay why don't you just curse God and die really. Job said joint saying 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 things 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 when he was being treated for a shark bite. It was discovered he had a tumor on his kidney.

And it was cancer. And apparently if he had not been bitten. This would not of been discussed discovered by then it could have been too late that 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 biting other people hoping for a positive outcome, but that this is true, except the party just said I'm glad the shark bit me and sometimes something will happen. You think this is the worst thing that can happen then as time passes suddenly looked back and actually that was kind of a good thing. Actually, the Lord used that to make a very needed change in my life course coming back to Joseph. There he is in prison and irons as iron is entering the soul and ultimately God's direction. He interprets dreams and ends up in the palace of the king and interprets the king's dream and next thing you know it is running Egypt under the king very powerful man and his brothers who it sold them for the silver were brought before, not knowing it was Joseph know he didn't look like a Hebrew anymore. His head would've been shaved and he would've dressed in the manner of the Egyptians, he would walk like an Egyptian for sure and all that.

So they were looking at them didn't even know who he was and then he ultimately revealed I am Joseph, and they probably thought and we are dead but they were dead because Joseph made an amazing statement in Genesis 5022 is brothers you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, and he brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many human against me. God meant it for good. That's what I mean when I say all things can work together for good. Again we love the verse Romans 828 all things work together for good to those who what love God. Another called according to his purpose and that brings me to my next point .3 God's ultimate purpose for us in trials and really align 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 give the big picture again. Romans 828 we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, another 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 into 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 through a turn of events like in the case of Joseph. You can actually turn into something good, 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 about thing always will become a good thing it said 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 irritated no, 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 no other.

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 blind by the gods 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 I want a heat 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 in their 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 business he still in the miracle business. I love the statement from Bible commentator worn worsening, and I quote when God permits his children to go to the furnace he keeps an eye on the clock in a hand on the thermostat if we rebel you may have to reset the clock but if we submit he will not permit us to suffer one minute to long night. Could I should've just said that you thought I came up with, but actually that was from Warren where's the unit so right if we rebel you may have to reset the clock there's a problem. Some people are being tested retested tested again and retested because they don't learn the material so stinking learn and move on and graduate to the next grade. Don't stay in spiritual kindergarten forever. 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 allowed the calamities, but wanted Job to one 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 numerical on me. Maybe your second and you go to the doctor. They say you have cancer and there's nothing we can do in your minds 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 and 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 still does. So sometimes God is glorified by removing the problem in resolving the situation how many of you had looked like an insurmountable problem that was overruled by God. He interviewed a pizza box. 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 it there and having you worship him just the same meant 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 they began to sing praises to God and the other prisoners were listening. By the way, that phrase literally 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 who whip them. Had 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 looked lost as 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 won him over because they give God the glory. Not after the earthquake, but before and that's time to give God the glory.

So let's say you're the person to get the unfortunate diagnosis, you're the person that has a tragedy but fall you. You're the person here's the bad news is a while give God the glory when he fixes it, no, no, you give God the glory. Now right now you give him the glory 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 clock. The horrible things that happened the loss of his possessions of lively good and worst of all the lots of all of his children. We read show praise and worship and sit naked came I into this world naked going out.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. The Bible goes on to 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, William E kill them illustrate my friend Nick boy church and no one talking about if you don't. Nick was born in Australia without arms and legs limbless and is one of the most joyful Christians I've ever met not say 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 in Nick boy church is literally and I mean no disrespect when I say this yes to be picked up and placed on a 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 men if she 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 preferred 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 a movie 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. She said she was in a battle against principalities and powers in that one is to despair. She said in her emotions take her dark dark dark grim pads and she said so I have to actively participate and she thinks is her theme.

Hebrews 1038 were God's is my right. This 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 back 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 of the bed with personal problems. Greg okay give me that it problems the problem of trials of trial. Whatever this big small somewhere 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 is 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 understand it. He just said, Blessed be the name of the Lord is called out to the Lord and that's what we need to do as well.

Number five, and lastly, trials and suffering can be used by God to prepare us for a special tax trials suffering can be used by God to prepare us for a special task. God's getting you ready for something again that was the case with Joseph. God was preparing him to be a great world leader as he said to save many people alive.

God can use these experiences of life to transform us.

You know when when you've gone through something and survived it. You can be a great comfort to someone else was going through it and when the Lord called our son Christopher home to heaven. I reached out immediately to people who had lost children and I knew if you one of those people was John Corson, Pastor friend for years and can I just said John help me and you know I'm not some big concert with all the answers. I'm a father who lost his son and I'm in pain like any other father would be and you know John was such a comfort.

I think just to see someone that survive such a thing functioning is brings a measure of hope.

Okay so when you've gone through something you think why did God allow me to go for this answer may be what we don't know but I know this you can assure bring a lot of hope to somebody else that's going through it because when a crisis. It's you. When that doctor says you have cancer when when the loved one dies and looks like your world just ended. Have someone say to get through this because I've come to the same thing and let me share with you what the Lord has shown me to you. Have a message like nobody else has. So you don't ever want to waste your pain. God allowed it. Now God wants to use it over in second Corinthians 1 office. He comforts us in all of our troubles. Listen to this.

He comforts us in all of our troubles like so we can comfort others when their trouble will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. We can be sure the more we suffer for Christ the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ to you comfort with the comfort that you have been comforted with so perhaps the hardships of today are preparing you for greater opportunities tomorrow or words being to quote him again quotes a professor of history who said if Columbus had turned back, nobody would have blamed him nobody would've remembered him either. Words be concludes if you want to be memorable, sometimes you have to be miserable like that, you know, yeah, you may be going to the Sgt., why did God allow why can always answer that there can you God's in control. He might cement on the stuff this message is like so depressing when you have to talk about things like this didn't you tell us something that it's more positive. I actually think it's kind of positive to think that God can take the worst things and work is real life is a lie could never have handled the things that Job had to face like I can handle suffering at all. In fact, I don't do suffering well then you're not going to do life or you can live in a state of basic denial listen.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Okay to quote Stuart Smalley and I don't want to explain that, but reality is hardship is going to come your way. It's not a matter of if it's a matter of what trials are dented, some of your younger, think, live in faith.

And yet, that's because you're young but you will some of your older news that I've faced quite a few already affect I'm in one right now. Jake, here's what we need to remember so we don't get freaked out when we hear about hardship in the lives of others. God gives you what you need when you need it. God gives you what you need when you need it, not necessarily before. Listen, but never after, not necessarily before, but never after.

He will give you the strength he will give you the words he will give you the power to do what you need to do when you need to do it.

Corrie 10 boom never heard her amazing lady. If you've never read a book. Go find it a hiding place. Amazing story of the 10 boom family Dutch family living in Holland during World War II the Nazis work force, persecuting the Jews. They were hunting them down, arresting them, putting them on boxcars and sending them to concentration camps to be executed and does so this 10 boom family. There are a bunch of strong Christians in and they believe that God's people, the Jews should be cared for.

Look out for. In fact, father 10 boom's name is Casper said that these are God's chosen people and they touch the apple of God's side. So they took their home.

That was a bubble want shop in Harlem that was a city there and Holland, and I've actually gone and visited this place. It still stands today and up about they built sort of false walls in front of other walls are created small little cubicles or rooms, hence the name. The hiding place they could Jewish people in their home from the Nazis and did so very successfully for quite a long time within the Nazis figured it out and came in worn this 10 boom family. If you don't stop hiding these Jews were going to arrest you and then the 10 boom family would not of been arrested otherwise but they refused to stop helping the Jewish folks and so one day the Gestapo shows up the arrest. All of the 10 brooms and they send them to concentration camps. Casper 10 boom.

The father was an elderly man, he died quickly. Corrie and her sister Betsy Siegel have to read the book I'm telling you hold for right I want to love you but dump Corey and his sister Betsy were sent to a concentration camp known as Robbins brought in there they they sought to honor the Lord and they started Bible studies and led many of those other female prisoners to the Lord and and then sadly Betsy died in a concentration camp and through a clerical error of Corey was released.

It was a mistake, but it was really God's providence and she was released from the camp and spent the rest of her life as a self-described tramp for the Lord bringing hope to people. Well anyway she used to tell the story and I quote from a book when I was a little girl I would go to my father and say daddy I'm afraid that I'll never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. Tell me, said father when you take a train trip to Amsterdam. When will I give you the money for the ticket three weeks before no daddy said Corey you give me the money for the ticket. Just before we got on the train. That's right, my father said Corey speaking out so it is with God's strength. Our father in heaven knows when you will need the string to be a martyr for Jesus Christ will supply all that you need just-in-time" now that doesn't mean the world to be martyrs for Jesus. What it means is this, that whatever you going to face God will give you what you need when you need it.

So don't panic. It's organic that is nothing to do with what I'm saying.

I just like it because it writes I want to see if you're listening, so don't panic God's in control he's been working out for his good he'll give you what you need when you need now. Final thoughts everything I've said is for only a follower of Jesus. You're not a Christian. You're listening to this message. Actually, this doesn't really apply to you. Romans 828 again all things work together for good to those who love God and all the called according to his purpose for the mental womanhood of the love God or doesn't believe in God or doesn't want God all things are not working together for good. Let me take it a step further. All things are, working together for bad because not only is your own life and I have troubles every life does in the rain falls on the just and the unjust.

The Bible says everyone is getting out calamity.

Everyone is going to face hardship everyone to lose what once the Christian can hang on to God, knowing that the Lord is in control will accomplishes purposes, but the non-Christian. There is nothing there. There's no person that can fix it. There's there's no way to resolve it and that is why you need Jesus. Listen to this. Sometimes God allows hardship in our life we can software spiritually. The psalmist said before I was afflicted I went astray. But now I have kept your word and maybe something this happened you recently. It is been like your wake up call a close brush with death yourself. Maybe someone close to you, dieter, or maybe something dramatic And your wife, your husband walked out and you or Starbucks close before you got there. I don't know I'm joking about that. Of course, but here's the thing, whatever is happened. Maybe it's got you to start looking at St. maybe I need God. Maybe you need to start thinking about my life spiritually again. That's what you should be doing.

You need to think about him and how much he loves you and how you can run to him just phenomenal little child falls and hurts himself. One of the deep they run to their parents get specific, they run the mommy and daddy's around, though, accept him, but they really want mommy right I and mom takes a little one into her arms and hugs them and kisses them in reassures him and maybe kisses their hand or wherever they were hurt or whatever it was that their knee and tells him it'll be all right will listen. We fall were hurting, you can run into the arms of your father which is ready to receive you and will receive will what if I made a mess of my life and all these things are happening to me because I made wrong decisions.

What God still receiving.

He would receive if you let me help you know, first of all let's get you right with me first to forgive you of your sin and I will start changing you from the inside and you can go back to what looks like a tangled mess. I could never be resolved, and you watch what God will do. I don't know what's teacher life is in right now but I know what the answer to your problems are. It's not admitted to who it's Jesus Christ you need to come to him still throws arms around you to forgive you but you must take God I'm sorry for my sin, you must turn from it you must put your faith in him and him alone and he will help you Jesus showed us how much he loved us when he went to the cross. 2000 years ago and died there in our place and spilled his own blood so we can have our sin forgiven and come into a right relationship with God. If you don't know God in a personal way of Jesus is not living inside of you. You don't have the assurance that you will go to heaven when you die you feel as though you're all alone and lifeless in Christ will come of your life tonight just like the girl she said you know I want to go to church Sunday and commit my life to Jesus. Know you are you going to do it right now that's announcing the you we room, but something fun come back as a new Christian.

Let's get this solved right now you can come to Christ right now. So in a praying.

I want to give you an opportunity to us Jesus Christ to come in your life and there might be some that will you're a believer but you been running from God, and this brought a lot of added drama into your life.

It's for a lot of problems you didn't have, and you wouldn't have had otherwise.

But you counted brought this on yourself, your reprint what you so maybe you need to come back to the Lord cycled Jonah.

You know, he was told. Go preach to Nineveh he said no what the opposite direction of the storm K. Maybe you're running from God and the stormers come. Remember that the Lord was there for him even in the storm. He'll be there for you so you need to come to Christ to come back to him. Here's an opportunity to do it. As we close in prayer. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for your love. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross in our place and then to rise again from the dead. Now, Lord Jesus.

We pray that you will speak to hearts here help people know that our president that are listening, that are watching that there is forgiveness at there's a second chance in life no matter what they've done wrong that you will accept them and forget them. Help them to come to you right now we pray in Jesus name. Now what I have about one RI eyes are closed and were praying. Maybe some of you would say you know what Greg I want Jesus Christ in my life. I want my sin forgiven.

I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven. I want my guild taken away. I want Jesus right now if that's your desire.

If you want Jesus to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die whatever you're sitting, would you raise your hand up when we pray for you every you're sitting – publisher Richard Kendall Parrett can see it publisher or anybody else.

One is forgiveness tonight.

God bless you, you piece it together over here young ladies.

God bless you.

Anybody else raise your hand if you need God's forgiveness. You want your guild taken away. God bless you. Anybody else, shoot here in the file publisher. Anybody else have given razor can get lifted. Now let me pray for you publish one final moment raise your hand and accomplish you and God bless you to know I had just about maybe some would say man I been like Jonah, I've been running from God not brought a lot of drama. I didn't need and I'm inserted that storm, but I'm ready to call out to the Lord and change my direction and return to him. Pray for me appeared sort of the prodigal son or daughter and you need to return to Christ tonight, would you raise your hand up and let me pray for you raise your hand up and prepare accomplish. Anybody else bless anybody else raise your hand out father, thank you for every one of these folks give them the strength to stand up and follow you, we commit them to you now in Jesus name we pray. I met