The Truth About Trouble

Testing of your faith produces endurance, stay on by the pressure like a long through exercise to stay on the water along further your your practical faith and lives in the world in your walk past what he would call stay that trial.

That's not an easy truth to believe we were facing a trial. It feels like anything but welcome to wisdom from heart.

In today's message Stephen Davey will show you that spiritual maturity is not attained by merely experiencing trials it's attained by embracing them, since trials are part of your earthly experience. You need to understand this.

So keep listening to this message, called the truth about trouble putting faith told were in your life has more to do with how you respond to trouble that you encounter. There is a connection between suffering and useful. So is it any wonder the Christians would be questioning this very issue that James would dive right into the subject makes your faith real bring faith down to earth is going to have a lot the truth about trouble and how I handle it correctly. Though this effect. By the way, as we begin the original audience of James is trouble. Don't skip over the last part of verse one where James announces his audience. He says to the 12 tribes who are dispersed abroad, reading in general the word dispersion. The aspirate referred to Jews living outside the world of Palestine.

More specifically, James audience. Many of these uses and scattered because of persecution. Claudius of the Roman Emperor was driving the Jews into exile is anti-submitting is hated the Jews. It was the heart of the enemy. Of course, save himself to. So the spy's covenant people of God and so is had his leaders along the generations who hated him as well try to rid the world of the covenant not so many of these Jews were facing the persecution of Claudius under his rule. They were exiled from Palestine. They were even driven from wrong was very threatening. It was fearful it was unsafe. It was dangerous as you moved first to India. The audience of J. The Jews began to follow Jesus Christ face is double jeopardy.

There was no trouble being Jews. They were not being persecuted by Gentiles hated how, but because they were Jews who now follow Jesus Christ. They were also hated by their own trouble they were surrounded by trouble on every level. Everything for them and change everything was upside down.

They been forced to leave their homes and run for their lives to other cities and villages that might give them sanctuary you know hard it was for you to move from the home used to live in the living now and you get to pick the day. But even still be all packing all stressful questions, all the labor all the issues all the details and you get to choose that particular time.

So James with hardly a reading begins to discuss the primary subject on their minds.

Frankly, every Christian's mind for the last 2000 years what you do with trouble. James will begin to answer that his answer is loaded with true trouble. I want to notice. First of all, his basic premise. Considering all joy, my brother, when you encounter various trials, I want to begin by having you circle in your text released in your mind that little word when in verse two, the first of three trees will give you. James gives to us about trouble is that trouble was unavoidable. So the very this issue James is telling the believer to expect trouble, trials are truth is, you don't have to go looking for trouble either find you all by itself.

Other well-meaning people.

You can watch them on cable television preacher way that if you really have enough faith, whatever trouble you're having. Go away.

Watching one man from attendance who had a always listening audience send in their credit card statements and piled up around the front of the stage and prayed over them and they were supposed to somehow disappear if you really following Jesus trials and tribulation becomes a thing of the past you live on this perpetual mountaintop of good health and lots of wealth in your dream job and perfect relationships and trouble-free lives.

That's not a sentence James writes in this way I when you encounter various trials can make a lot more sense to those preachers in the US though we admitted it if you said, count it all joy when you escape joyful is certainly the absence of trials right now. If you're the slave of anyone with a master Lord, you would think the trials would become a thing of the past. Jesus Christ says differently.

John 16 aces in the world you will have trouble. He says in Matthew chapter 6. Every day will have its share of trouble. The Christian experience is notably distinctive, and not by the absence of trials, but their presence. The question is what are you doing maybe even a Christian one to discover the troubling thought you had to think of the Lord you really are sheltered people you are scattered every generation has scattered his people around the world. 10 about the scattering season the gospel truth. James reveals about trouble.

Is it unavoidable unlimited pieces of the end of this phrase that we will encounter various trials that were various sort of gives is our polkadot multicolor don't come at all. All sky all times. The packages are smaller or larger media they they will have everything imaginable.

They will and relationships in your finances in your job and your future. Your social standing in your past and your home's and your children, or the lack of children on they come in all kinds of sizes off-color of the rain. James says you understand in this premise, which sets the stage for this text. Trouble is unavoidable. Trouble is of he also says the trials are unexpected.

He writes look again, count it all joy when you encounter that word encounter various trials translated in the King James version. You have a wonderful translation falling is wonderful word picture of the Greek language that Jesus communicates to us something of the unexpected following you didn't expect that as you were walking down the path he didn't expect that pothole in your fellow into it. I think it's interesting that the word in this premise translated trials for pyrolysis mosses leaned to. Not everyone is a wood meeting just slightly differently. The word pyrite which is translated we've taken that particular word pyrite is transliterated into Greek and English word pyrite and then create even a clearer mental image of the sudden appearance you imagine your sailing all life is really good.

Clear skies saw blade and perfect temperature when suddenly the shadow falls across the deck of your life is some really and they throw rocks over they fasten your knife you expected in the next verses increase a kind word picture for us to tell us how to cut the ropes sale not brethren reversed when you encounter a variety of pirates trials consider all joy might be time to think. Prof. is most of marble say something, maybe even Wellington apostle's papacy. Think about we expect you to understand he is he is saying that you're going to enjoy your trial. James is to consider it might help Edward with to consider it with joy were considered as a financial term that means evaluating means to sum total of record total to evaluate to the Christian understanding is slave of God. James one verse one.

Remember can have joy when surrounded by trouble because he happens to be living matter. Most his evaluation with the totals of life is value are reflected in his response. If our highest value as our health really really upset when we lose our living for his money. We can be really upset, money flies away. You need to keep in mind is a is a child of God.is literally behind.

I like the way one person suddenly wrote saving may turn these God has his hand on the thermostat sees that kind of trust that kind of submission is the slaves of God that we trouble with the joyful spirit instead of the opposite which could be you fill in the morning complaining bitterness of resentment is the opening statement J. This premise considered joy when you understand God is behind the scenes in slave encounter various trials, because God has in mind. He is a product you look at the product just a minute before we get to I want to understand something to take James premise and and reword it. You do not get to choose your cross you choose your response. Speaking from his experience as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. Dr. Victor Frankel said this by quoting everything can be taken from a human being the last of human freedom. The freedom to choose one's attitude in any given sentence or we can't choose our cross we get to choose our response to the product turn is verse three knowing this, the testing of your faith produces endurance. That's a compound word that means it developed the ability to stay under two of by you under the pressure like a law that have been developed through exercise to stay underwater along or run further your your practical faith that lives in the world in your walk has what he would call stay power.

So let endurance.

He goes on, have its perfect result. In other words, don't short circuit God's word in your life by trying to escape. Let endurance be developed stay under the pressure limit habits, perfect result in resources that you may be perfect and complete, and everybody immediately thinks well and rolls me out perfect. Need to understand the WordPerfect here refers to undivided affection. You might like that in the margin Bible undivided affection trials have a way of doing in the midst of suffering in the world clamors for suddenly becomes not a sentence doesn't mental picture. Again, he becomes abstract and so what's the point already clinging to the world already clinging to self all of her clinging to temporal things begins to lose its grip on our lives focus when suffering is to turn to Christ and the sufficiency of Christ to begin to run. He was said endurance the race set before us. James is in effect trials produce single-minded affection for Christ. When everything else becomes just a little more silly than that it wasn't really automated because on the adverse by saying that that kind of endurance in trials are trying times produces completeness. That's worker can easily be translated maternity maturing is VA with James. Why not economy because he's talking about faith that matters to life. He's talking about faith that makes a difference in the world as they see the demonstration of our faith in our words. He sees growling. That's why he talks about maturity over and over and over again as he exhorts us.this case will make you mentor. My wife and I raised just about finished with her last. We had four children all four children have the same problem we had a lot of problems with this is about a month and became a really big problem because were they didn't want to go to sleep in the critters alone in the room and stand up and cry and cry and cry see a sign of physical and mental maturity is the ability for your child to go to sleep when they're alone sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to rest. Even when God seems apps that can require growth and wisdom. James knew that we would need it is over. Spot says if any of you lacks wisdom, and he's assuming we do because that is an imperative. Ask God! Ask God, he will give you all of the little word all pats his favorites. You know your class so you get wisdom, you the bottom of the class.

They have labor gives to all generously and without approach you do notice the James does not say if any man lacks knowledge, there's a big difference between knowledge and wisdom, knowledge is the accumulation of facts. That is what you learn. Wisdom is is knowing how to use what you learn correctly who have a lot of but cannot make decisions in life. When the light was interesting. James tells us to ask God with why not deliverance. Why not strength when grace how little do we pray along the lines of Jane when there's trouble we have forgotten the liver people, deliver us, God is actually introduce that into our lives to develop. We pray and counter to the movement of God's spirit in our lives. James was a warning ticket quickly, but he must ask in faith that any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf driven and tossed by the wind for that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord being in the man.

The average Christian. Again, you read that anything going in.

This is ruling me.

This is an unfortunate interpretation of this text changes actually describing the wicked man, but the troubles see the word double minded can literally be translated to soul. Somebody was to soul. There is a there there there is a division in their heart we would use it. They they had two hearts.

They have two affection for trying to go into directions at the same time we stop has made his mind. One day he inclines toward God the other day.

He inclines toward the world. James says that this person says he wants the wisdom of God is keeping all his options of gentlemen got wisdom to someone told her only option is God. Now he gives us some perspective. There are some Bible scholars who believe the book of James is actually a sermon and Sony transcribing while he delivered the convinced one indication of that is that James will be rattling along upon serving the middle just drop in from nowhere and illustration like creatures are our need of doing more often notices illustration. Verse nine 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 for the sun rises with a scorching wind withers the grass and its flower petals fall off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So too the rich man in the midst of his pursuit where the point of this illustration is to give us a little respect. These are both believers give a poor believer you originally recognize that suffering levels. The ground and both of them need to recognize their status and their sufficiency in Christ. The poor man needs to consider his high position as a prince.

God even though everything in his life, says the opposite notation, Christ the rich man needs to remember that his trust is not what he sees around him as well be like a flower with a high drive scorching when knocking the right. Both need to recognize sufficiency is in their master, Lord. They serve. James moves to the problems. Here's the truly happy man. Verse 12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial for once he's been approved this test, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord is love verse 12, by the way is the concluding statement James discussion on trial beginning statement of more things change the context of temptation as we explore the nature of sin. This verse is a verdict you are blessed you are fulfilled later. James writes in this verse, you're going to experience the culmination of the fulfillment of that satisfaction when you receive the crown of life.

By the way James is not applying for eternal life during suffering what he's saying is believer Burns crown from persevering, you will choose your cross, you choose your response. James is one they will be rewarded every time you chose to respond. Trust humility and request for wisdom in the sum totaling of as joint because you understood God in mind, your spiritual John Phillips recorded in his commentary, a story that he heard Howard Hendricks delivery Moody Bible Institute's annual founders we conference and he recorded that story in his commentary exploring James, we just read through second time we wrap up our study. He said Howard Hendricks told how he once had the opportunity to play towns champion checkers player Hendricks was a young fellow at the time and he was so confident he will need to get taken on the old veteran. He was offered the first gladly talk and he decided to set the pace after few moves his opponent put a piece in the line of fire which Hendricks could jump in the Manson shop jumping Hendricks did so, scooping the piece triumphantly of any of the game in the back of his opponent did it again and then again putting another piece of Jeopardy thing. Hendricks happily took the piece that it happened. The old man picked up one of his checkers jump jump jump jump. The old man's checker landed that final job in King territory and he announced crown wonderful things.

After that Hendricks didn't have a chance piece after piece was pounced on until he had lost then Hendricks made the point, no good checker player. My losing an occasional piece that he can enjoy, so long as he understands. You cannot choose your cross. You can choose your response. What better way to encourages all of the under this schedule than to have her, James effectively saying they were across supply crowning day soon. Thanks for joining us today. This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen is the pastor of the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina.

Today's message comes from the book of James in a series. Stephen is calling bringing faith down to earth.

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