Scripture: James 1:2-18; 26-27
Introduction
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13
- It’s a good thing that testing produces perseverance because we are being tested.
- I told you a couple of weeks ago that we are under heavy enemy attack.
- So, if we are talking about being tested today, is that from the enemy? NO
- Who is testing us then? God is testing us. Is God doing the testing? NO Who is? Satan
- Remember God allows the enemy to exist and rule over this world because it suits His purpose.
- We are forced to make choices because the enemy provides the WRONG choices.
- God is looking for us to choose Him when we are presented with these choices.
- Do we always make the right choices? NO, it’s because of our sinful nature that we don’t.
- Life is a series of choices that either draw us closer to God or pull us away.
- Every choice we make tests that bond of faith that we have with God.
- God has richly blessed this church even beyond my crazy imagination embellishment.
- I never in a million years saw this coming so I’m not prepared with any answers.
- I’m also becoming keenly aware that my ability to encourage may have hit a wall.
- Luke 12:48 describes where we find ourselves now:
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
- God is giving us MUCH and I do mean much; we are literally getting buried in clothes and are being forced to start giving away the excess.
- There are two things that come from today’s Scripture that I want us to think about:
- The TEST
- The REWARD
1. The TEST
- James opens by saying that the testing of your faith is the real test.
- If I say testing of your faith, what do you think it means? Faith in God, faith in Jesus.
- How about faith in what God is doing?
- He is sending us more and more clothes, but what are we going to do with them?
- Will we have enough space? Will we have enough workers?
- How much longer can things keep growing at this pace?
- One of our major partners where we send our overflow things is the ARC of Hanover and they are closed pending relocation to Ashland.
- Some of the other groups around us are also overwhelmed with clothes.
- I guess it’s a sign of the times. The economy is tough, and people are downsizing.
- When Sandra had a stroke, we had about 5 workers in the clothes closet. Now maybe 20
- We worried then that we wouldn’t be able to handle things – yet God provided.
- We didn’t know a few years ago where we would put things – yet God provided 3 sheds.
- We didn’t know a few years ago if a blessing box would do anything – yet God provided.
- Now we have another shed and we have pumped thousands of dollars through the box!!
- They said it couldn’t be done; that the church was probably near closing, but we had FAITH and we have persevered.
- Verse 5: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
- Don’t take my word for it – ask God!! It’s His project. If you ask Him, what do you think He will do? He will do what we ask.
- But He won’t do it unless you have FAITH; verse 6:
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
- Ask God for what you need. And then expect Him to handle it.
- Don’t be like the person in verse 7: “That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
- My friends, I said it before and I’ll say it again : “WE ARE BEING TESTED.”
- God’s letting Satan attack us and have his little fun, but if we turn to God in FAITH, we WILL BE REWARDED.
2. The REWARD
- James said: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”
- So, what is the reward for us when we act in faith? PERSEVERANCE
- And what does perseverance give us? The ability to do MORE, to GROW, to MATURE
- Sadly, I’ve been made aware of someone in our group who has left us and that’s OK.
- But I can’t help but wonder if they were really mature in their intentions and commitment.
- It’s like Jesus said in the parable of the seeds in Luke 8:6:
The second type of ground was stony. The seed was able to plant and begin to grow. However, it could not grow deep roots and withered in the sun.
- There is a lot of work to be done here and I’m afraid people can be overwhelmed before they establish strong roots.
- Sometimes the trials that we face here are challenging and not all will persevere.
- For this I am sad because we have a unique and special church here that is hard to find.
- James says in verse 12 that persevering in the faith is key to salvation:
Blessed is he who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
- This is not saying that we are at risk for losing our salvation
- What this means is that our lives are marked, and we will face trials BECAUSE we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
- However long we have left we can expect to be tested and challenged in our faith.
- The test belongs to God and He will provide the reward, but the trial comes from the enemy. Verses 13-15 clearly address this point:
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- James said: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.”
- Finally, as James points out, it’s not about religion.
- Religion rewards itself. James says in verse 27:
The religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
- Yes, my friends, we WILL BE TESTED. WE ARE BEING TESTED.
- The enemy is attacking us right now on many fronts.
- But the joke’s on him because everything he is doing; God will use to make us stronger.
- God is testing us, and our testing will produce perseverance.