God's Process of Maturity, p.2

Or I grab the Bible's list go to James again. What a great great truth is in James. We've started on this one again.

Not know how I got halfway through all these messages maybe because I didn't want to keep you all that long. When I first started them, but what a powerful truth, and for myself how different this text is to me now for decades into my Christian life than it was when I first exegete did this text many many years ago now grass the seed, the germ of the truth, but having lived out some things through these years.

I grasp or apprehend the truth more in full bloom. It's one thing to grasp the seed one thing to see the full-blown James chapter 1 verse two.

This local church pastors writing to his persecuted and dispersed church members insisted them just right of the gate first to consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you will be perfect or mature and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him but he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind for that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord being a double minded man unstable in all of his wings but the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position in the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away with the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. Once he's been approved you will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love the soft call this God's process of maturity. God's process of maturity and all of us will find these repeated cycles in our lives as God matures us. Now I know some of you sitting here tonight are facing and living through certain trials, certain troubles and God's got a word for you. That's exactly James is writing to these believers who are being viciously persecuted there scattered the run out of their homes away from their families, their occupation, and Paul writes to them and says hey consider it all joy was he saying I leasing. These are required trials required trials considers in the imperative mood.

He says consider all joy.

It means he commands them to do this all at once. He's not saying feel like it's a joy. He's not saying, look for the emotion of joy he saying, consider, declare, speak it to yourself that it's a joy when these multifaceted trials come our way and I'm leaning through this because I'm not going to preach all that I've Artie preached to. So there's a sense in which as God grows us in the faith. He has multifaceted trials that comes our way, that he's going to use for our good and for his glory now secondly revealed faith required trials number one, number two, revealed faith pieces verse three knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Not knowing means believing in understanding something he said you you as a Christian, you ought to believe and understand something and that is that this testing is revealing something about you when a person is tested, it doesn't make them anything, it reveals something about them and what he saying is when you are born again at the new birth. You are given 1/6 sense yet irregular natural five senses. But there's 1/6 sense you are given and ask the faith, the capacity you have the capacity to reach out and grab a hold of of things from a faith perspective that gives you an understanding others don't have a sortie saying what a trial comes the faith that God puts in you all the sudden comes to the forefront the faith rises up within you and says I see God's doing something so the trial serves to squeeze out of you.

The faith that God placed in you at conversion. The trial manifested and activated. This already residing those yet un-manifested in unactivated faith bounces God is allotted to each man that each believer now a measure of faith. So you face a trial. Your two as an actor who will say I'm going to consider this joy.

My God knows what he's doing.

He's in control of everything that comes my way. Everything that comes my way is filtered through his hands of love and perfection. I'm going to consider, enjoy, and I didn't salvage that rising the faith, whereby you say that God is behind they says in verse three. This produces endurance literally means it results in endurance. You could say it results in staying power. The more you go through these cycles the more you consider trials of joy. The more faith rises up in you and say I see God's doing something.

I know God has a purpose in this, then you get to where that's just the pattern of the way you function, you become steadfast in doing things from a faith perspective in God that he's up to something good and for his own glory. So this attitude and this activity of sustaining faith is, if you will, the bloom of the blossom that God is looking for in your life. So the revealed faith comes forth as you continue to draw on this faith to see God's hand behind these difficult circumstances, you begin to come to a place where this is pretty much the steadfast way you approach life. That's where God wants to get us that we come to what's obvious and that is number three resulting maturity resulting maturity.

Verse 46. Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect.

The WordPerfect there in the new American Standard literally means maturity coming sinless perfection means now you are looking at things and I make to our Christian way you've it in a sense not absolutely innocent. I would be careful with this word but in a sense, spiritually you've arrived and that it is your natural default to grass and look at the situations from a godly perspective from the fact that God's up to something and my fate is grasp. Faith is grasping that reality. Now the perfect result, he talks about here means the proper end. That's where you want to get you want to get you to the proper end through all these trials and that is that you are destroying in God and praising God and seeing God's great hand behind it all. You.

You have heard me say from this pulpit that a lot of the trials and the difficulties in the warfare's that we've faced the church that I faced individual is a pastor were necessary for me, it was necessary for me and I may not of been guilty of some of the well most of the slander and the spins people would ring and accusations and attacks against me, but they didn't matter. I needed to mature and I need to repent of things.

Those people then you know about God knew about and they did know about and I needed to grow in ways they didn't know and now it's it's got to where I that's my default viewpoint is counseling with the pastor just recently talked about this thing that came unveiled in his local church. Some things that were concerning and then an upsetting and I immediately rejoiced and he got Basel a bit strange as it know this shows me God's hand is on your church.

He wouldn't expose these things and working through these things if he would plan on using your church you go to trial in your marriage. Praise the Lord God is working on you guys doing something you got a trial at work. God's doing something you gotta make sure you have the perfect end result. You gotta make sure you learn to respond right in faith, so that God will save you your now you're at the default place of responding in faith and not with the whiny complaining, bitter faultfinding blame shifting spirit at the world so commonly pass we function on a higher level than the world. These is this what this is the way we become complete and that another words mature in all of our parts in verse four. Now we get to what I call an interlude look at verse five verses five through 11. There's an interlude that Tom certainly connects to these truths. In verse five he says here knows what he says but if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God gives to all generously and without reproach, and it should be given the task list and how many times has something happened.

Your trouble, your heart, your angry your disappointments of trial comes many of you immediately go.

God give me wisdom.

What you do. God give me wisdom. What are you up to.

If he's not doing something if he's not up to something.

If he is not using this out of deep love for you can even comprehend the depth of his love for you please not God, our first response should in faith for God give me wisdom what's going on here now. In my experience, God does two things.

The boy says here's what I'm dealing with in you.

And secondly, if I get you to be honest there. I will show you what I'm dealing with all around, give me wisdom. I'm so very grateful that I was taught by Christian teacher. I mean, right after my conversion to see God for wisdom. If there's anything that's been a key to God using me through the years as I've pleaded with God from early in my Christian experience.

God give me wisdom give me that capacity, you might define was in this way, let me say this way. It's the proper understanding and use of knowledge I have knowledge about this trial have knowledge about these bad things are happening metal in my life. These consequences, the circumstance, not God, give me the wisdom of to use this right understand what you're up to. I did not say here to ask God for strength. I'm not suggesting that's wrong with is not what James is also asked God for strength. He doesn't say ask God for grace are not suggesting that's wrong wouldn't say that he didn't say ask God for deliverance are not even saying that's wrong but that's not what he said because those things are important, but their secondary is to ask God for wisdom. I remember reading about a pastor who had a godly older lady in his church who had just recently lost her husband quite suddenly and she herself had suffered a stroke so the pastor very kindly and compassionately went to her and he told this dear church lady. He said I want you know I'm praying for you and the lady said what would you praying he said while I'm praying you have strength that I'm praying that that you have the help from God that you need. She said will that's good. Which would you pray that I would also have wisdom so this won't be wasted. You go to God's a God show me what you're up to. Some of you have spent your whole Christian life. Never getting to first base on these principles, but it's never too late to start and learn to consider it all joy when these multifaceted trials come your way remains with all kinds of dynamics and twist and angles is more than one trial itself.

It's a it's a combination of trials coming your way because God's at the something he is growing you.

He's maturing you he's doing something in that he says in verse six, but he must ask in faith without any doubting that is you must ask God believing that he's up to something good.

He's a sovereign God in control of all of it not like it's out of his control and his control do you ask him knowing he's really doing something for your goodness. Glory.

If you don't go with that kind of faith is not going to answer that prayer, believing that God's way is right to listen to me also believing that God's method of using trials to grow his children is good and wise. I think about it. We could also go go through trials praise Lord we get to go through trials and help us because our God's going to make sure they do. He says don't be a Corky Christian what he says in verse six, but he must ask in faith what idea doubting for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. Well, at this thing happen. Some over here this thing-so now blown over there this thing happens when I am mad this thing happen Saddam hurt this things happens when I am full of anxiety and you just you just a Corky Christian like a cork on the way.

No you don't be like that you're not to be the victim of your circumstances. Your to be the victor through your circumstances is a lot Jolo standard, but there's a proper way to look at that from a biblical perspective Ephesians 44 remind us no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine. Same idea, just bouncing all over the place. Then in verse seven that man ought to expect that he will receive he will receive anything from the Lord. Verse eight being a double minded man unstable in all this way. So if you think God might be good so know God's not been Saddam just a victim of the circumstance. I'm just I'm just depressed by this on this distress by that love love love that no matter God matters is behind that his hands behind that. Think about Joseph in the in the prison there in Egypt after Potiphar's wife and lied about him, tried to make up an aggressive sexual love salt toward her. Our approach to her and and and and heat, but he every of us in the Bible does so, just that he doesn't look at the circumstances he trust God's option, Daniel and Babel and Daniel in the lion's den Shadrach me shack and Abednego in the fiery furnace and look at the circumstance it God's option, God's up to something that's where your faith comes in without doubting.

That is up something without doubting that he's faithful no vacillating, no hesitating, and then verses nine through 11.

He talks about how material things should not be our final goal should not be our our aim anyway… Verse nine and the brother of humble circumstances of the blurriness opposition the boards of God's given you of the trial of humble situation. By the way, a lot of these folks starving all about. If you're in that situation got there that the pastor James says consider that God's got you in a high position. He's doing some great would look at life and never stand the rich menace ignored his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away rich man to keep reminding himself a lot, have a mess last night I got Amar and somebody else. I haven't.

In fact, some of you not wise enough you will leave your wealth somebody you don't love God and us. That's a travesty.

What I'm saying is either in wealth are nothing. Those things really don't matter in the long run what's God doing in our lives. What's God teaching house God growing up are we viewing trials is God's up to something good and for his glory that we get down to verse 12 and that's our fourth main point, the receiving of life. You say the imparting of life and I'm not saying you that spiritual life was not important to you at the at the new birth, but there's a way that it comes up in your life and you walk in this abundant life. God's intended for you to have and to know and walk in the giver slip. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.

Let me think persevering untrodden just grit your teeth and get through it. A biblical persevering under in the trial means you don't get bitter you don't get angry, you don't get resentful. You don't get vengeful you trust God's up to something. Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt and the famine there starving to death. They meet the Prime Minister of Egypt, the second most powerful man on the earth is named Joseph he was in a prison sale but God meant it for good in God's not exalted him to the right hand of the Pharaoh.

He runs the whole kingdom. Joseph's brothers come in there they don't recognize that it's Joseph. They had thrown them away that abandoned him. They left them for dead, so to speak, one like they didn't sign, so to speak, they didn't leave them for dead, God intervened. God protected in God's got it all the way to that high position of the Prime Minister of Egypt. They didn't recognize you know how the Sears events unfolds and finally Joseph is really good. This brothers good and hold a grudge, not vengeful is not bitter. He didn't strike back when it's all said and done they they basically say why would you be this way. We threw you a way we left you for dead. We hated you all, but Joseph said in the Jeff knob.

Amplified translation all but God was up some good. I had faith the seed of this trial, God was doing something for my good. In principle you, my brothers, you meant it for evil and on the let you off the hook when you give God about that. You don't owe me anything. I don't hold a grudge you let it for evil God meant it for good, Joseph, and that illustration is a powerful picture of the abundant life of Christianity that Jesus promised he said you might have life and you might have it abundantly was the abundant life, among other things, it means that you're even able by God's grace to grasp your trials in faith not grew bitter not grow angry not grow resentful not folding the anxiety, but seek God's using this for my good and his glory, and therefore you won't with a new joy a new blessedness a new piece you have an abundant life, no matter what the circumstances around you.

And James is writing so that's where God was to choose a Christian. The world cannot in any way comprehend that kind of approach to life.

Matter fact you can't comprehend it is just that God saved you and gave you the capacity to walk it. He says here you will persevere under trial. That doesn't mean you grit your teeth and go through it, it means you go through it looking at the God looking to see what God's up to that God's behind these thing and share God brings his children through trials because there is if you don't go through training your dog's. Some of you pray for me a lot.

Will you still do not think a lot, but I mean early. Only my Christian pilgrimage in my ministry experience. You prayed for me a lot and you prayed God to bring troubles in the my life as you wanted me to be a man of God you want to be.

Be faithful. You want to be be true to the Lord and true to the word got it okay for school and wiped the butt. I'm happy about that.

I'm thankful I don't sign up again. Some of that journey, but I'm thankful for what God has done. Are you going to trial in your marriage is a God-given wisdom you showing me what you doing to me. You don't need me for sales number sisters not my brothers me oh Lord meal, Lord, persevere on through and faith in faith. If you come through it with your teeth gritted, not having grown much at all the new didn't persevere. That's up for this unchristian perseverance persevere when you get like Joseph on the other side is not bitter, not angry, not resentful you not jealous you love God, he said in verse 12 there if you persevere under trial after he has been approved. That means referring to the test way back there in verse three know that the testing of your faith. Verse three he said you you gone through the test and you've been approved you successfully meet in the menu have any struggles didn't mean he didn't fall. Some, but overall you got on through trusting the Lord was up something for his for your good and his glory.

Then he says you'll be given the crown of life here in verse 12. The interesting phrase the crown of life. Now this refers not to the victor's crown.

That's not was talking about refers not to a crown of royalty, but the crown of life excellently exists the crown, which is life.

In other words, you have this new approach to life.

You had this new way of living life you have this new outlook on life because the faith factor has risen in you, so that now that your steadfast your steadfast in it that is that your natural default view of things. Now something comes God's up something and and yeah will still struggle some of not suggesting that you just in this perfect plane about spirituality but that's the way you look at the new when you walk in at the new way you perceive things and that's this abundant life and that is the crown that's the crowning GM of Christian sanctification to get to this place of spiritual maturity crown, which itself are rather the life which is in itself the crown. It means a full life a meaningful life, a complete life. The abundant life that Jesus promised what he says you believe in me you have life you have it abundantly.

How are you viewing your trials. This is the process of maturity.

How are you going through it. Are you is there faith rising in your heart and are you walking in that faith to say that God's hand is behind all of this so you have the trial, which unleashes the faith God put that conversion as this become something of a pattern, the bloom you come to full bloom in your faith with this is the default when you view things in life and view things.

That's the maturity God's looking for in the crowning blessing is that as a life of new abundance. You have a new level of joy. You have a new level of peace a new level of contentment a new level of sweetness a new level of kindness a new level of of generosity. Why, because God's you just know God's in control you're just kind of free what a place to be and what a place to live. Now you do not want to resist the grace of God that he gives you during the trial, which enables you to respond in faith and one since grace is the power and the desire to do it right from you face a part of a trial, God gives you the grace that that that that desire and that power to react right to react properly.

Don't resist that.

If you do consider coming out like a mature adult. You'll come to your trial like an immature's bold, selfish, irritable, disgruntled draft, spiritually speaking, that's wife said you before you know we have some of the sweetest senior adults in our church sleep up there to sweep. I want to grow old sweet, don't you not know you could sit down with some of the sweet senior adults and listen to what they've gone through and you probably couldn't say what I was you I'd be mad. Nominal. They've have the crown of life crown which life is the crown that videos in their walking and that level of sweet abundant life's victory.

That's glory. We don't be like Joan O'Neill. We look at Jonah. You get the impression that Jonah just went along with what God wanted him to do, but I guess you go along to us will swallow dudes that you back up on the but we have trouble wondering if Jonah's heart was really in it because we get to the last chapter of Jonah and he's outside of Nineveh and he's pouting, hoping God would send judgment back on Nineveh he's mad at the Sonny's met at the win.

He's mad at the findings met at the worm. He's mad at God. You don't want to come to the trial that way. He says one quick word here.

Nonbelievers will bless the man who perseveres under trial, come student properly with the faith. These believing God's up something good he's he's he's growing in that abundant life factory inside of his own present life. This is for once he's been approved to receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him, to those who love him. When we love God we endure our trials for sustaining faith and we come out mature and full of abundant life. Think about it this things come into my life. It's difficult but my God is Lord my God is sovereign and I love him and I respect him and whatever he's doing. I want to cooperate with so I think that that the key factors that phrase of do you love God I love God because he so wise living because he so wise he knows what he's doing. He knows what he's accomplished. So why well, God's process of maturity