The Key to Spiritual Endurance: Wisdom
2004051
Topic # 1329
Introduction:
A. How do you react to long lines? Express Lane? U-Scan?
B. How do you react to airport delays?
C. How do you react to trials of life?
1. Our nature is to hurry, but God wants to mold us through trials & difficulties in life.
2. Js. 1:1-12 – Written to all Christians. A serious challenge to every believer in Christ.
3. Sooner or later – everyone knows heartache; trial; sorrow.
4. It has been said there are only 3 kinds of people in world today:
a) Those in middle of trial.
b) Those just coming out of a trial
c) People who are about to go into a trial.
D. When trial comes, it is not a sign that something is wrong with you or that God is picking on you. Trials are experienced by everyone.
1. Heb. 4:15 – they were even experienced by Jesus.
2. While it is human nature to want to run/hurry through these things – we must view these things as an opportunity to grow stronger/closer to God.
3. Trials create opportunities for us to deepen our dependence on God.
4. It is during this time we can realize that nothing can separate us from the love/forgiveness of God.
5. God can use even the worst of difficulties of life to make us desperate for Him.
I. Trials will come.
A. 1:2 - Not “if” but “when.”
1. Christians should expect trials, oppressions, misunderstandings, and rejection.
2. Godly people have always endured trials:
a) Job: upright. Feared God. Turned away from evil. But in 1 day lost everything: family; finances; fortune; fitness; friends.
b) Daniel: totally committed to God. Prayed 3 times daily. But in lions den.
c) Joseph: unquestioned integrity, decency. Loyalty. Purity. Thrown in jail for crime he didn’t commit.
B. 1:2 – various trials
1. Greek word we get “polka-dot” from. Life is dotted with trials. Come in all shapes & sizes.
2. May be affliction, sorrow, sickness, physical, financial, and spiritual trials.
C. Trials will take on different forms.
1. NASU: “trials” ASV “temptations” In original language, only 1 word which could refer to trial/temptation – depended on context.
2. Trial: a test sent by God.
a) To help us learn endurance, steadfastness, patience.
b) In giving them, God is aiming for our maturity.
3. Temptation: sent by Satan to cause us to stumble.
a) His aim is our misery.
b) Temptation is an allurement, an inducement to commit sin.
c) 1:13 – not from God.
D. Trials can come on suddenly.
1. Lk. 10 – Good Samaritan “fell” among thieves.
a) Looking for thieves? Desired to be robbed?
b) Man fell suddenly, seriously, and savagely.
2. Great trails for us can come on suddenly; we will fall into these things.
II. Wisdom helps us prepare for trials.
A. How can I prepare for something I cannot see? How to prepare for trials in good times?
1. We do prepare for physical catastrophes.
2. Buy property insurance? Health insurance?
B. We must seek wisdom before trials come.
1. Js. 1:5-8 – wisdom is the key to spiritual endurance!
2. Wisdom is acquired by seeking God in His word.
3. We get to know God by looking at His word. Pro 1:1-7; 2:1-9. Fail to seek wisdom – Pro. 1:24-27
III. Wisdom helps us cope with trials.
A. It enables us to be able to view matters from God’s perspective.
1. This is how we can count it all joy when we fall into various trials.
B. When we apply God’s wisdom – we will become more able to evaluate people & circumstances and are thus better prepared to make sound decisions.
C. Wisdom can help us evaluate the source of our trials.
1. Discerning source can be very helpful in understanding God’s purpose in each hardship.
2. Sometimes – trials come from self.
a) a wrong decision
b) willful engagement in sin
c) A slip of the tongue.
d) These are tough – because we can’t blame the problem on anyone else.
3. Sometimes trials come from others:
a) Satan
b) People who hurt, dishearten, and mock us.
4. Sometimes trials come from things out of our control:
a) Disaster; disease; suffering.
b) Things that can’t be prevented.
D. Wisdom enables us to clearly see the source of the trial.
1. When we understand the source:
2. We are better prepared to evaluate; handle; and grow through the specific issue.
IV. Wisdom enables us to discern the purpose for the trial.
A. There is nothing wrong w/asking “Why?”
1. God…why have you allowed this? What would you have me learn through this?
2. We need to ask Him when problems and trials come upon us.
3. Remember, we want to extract as much good as possible from suffering.
4. Wisdom helps us realize there are different purposes for our trials.
B. 1:3 – to test our faith.
1. “Testing” here means to be tested & found proven. God tests our faith to prove its strength.
2. Of what value is untried faith?
a) How do you know what you can face in life if your faith has not been tested?
b) 1 Peter 1:6-7
3. Testing produces spiritual maturity. Leads us to endurance.
4. Which allows us to withstand any assault – not matter what form the trials take.
5. Testing can help us face numerous trials & still stand in endurance.
C. Trials test our devotion to Jesus.
1. True devotion demands we follow Jesus regardless of the circumstances. Mt. 16:24-26
2. Will we obey Him – even when we don’t understand why bad things are happening?
3. will we obey him when things are not going our way
4. Answers to these questions are found during times of trial.
D. Trials help purify our lives.
1. They place pressure on us in the most secret parts of our being.
2. Hidden sins, bad habits, and areas of neglect can come to the surface.
3. These first need to be dealt with in order to become the mature Christian God wants us to be.
E. Trails give God an opportunity for God to demonstrate His sustaining power for His children.
1. When we stand up through a trial w/God’s help – it says volumes to the unbeliever about God.
F. Trials can produce Christ-like character in us.
1. Trials remind us that we can’t live apart from Jesus.
2. Trials require us to totally surrender to Jesus & His will.
3. We must surrender to the point where our reactions to stress, trial, and suffering are actually His reactions lived out in our lives.
G. 2 Cor. 1:4 – trials equip us for service to others.
1. God can use our trials to make us more useful in helping others.
2. By fully understanding & identifying someone else’s pain – we can reach out to them in a way others are unprepared for.
3. If we’ve been through it ourselves – we can have an intimate understanding of what the hurting individual needs.
V. 10 ways to help us understand God’s purposes for trials.
A. We must be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials.
B. We must realize that God has a specific purpose for each trial in life.
C. We must understand that each trial is designed to meet a specific need that God sees in our lives.
D. We must accept that each trial is going to result in our own good if we respond in faith.
E. We must discover how each trial can strengthen our faith by proving that we can depend on God for all our needs.
F. We must rejoice in that each trial is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power to sustain us under tremendous pressure.
G. We must submit ourselves to the development of Christ-like character that results from our trials.
H. We must take advantage of our trials’ usefulness in measuring our spiritual growth.
I. We must be convinced that God will walk with us through every step of the trial – Heb. 13:5
J. We must have faith that by His grace we will not only survive the trial, but conquer over each trial!
Conclusion:
A. Yes… we often want to hurry through these things. And..That is OK. But..While we’re going through the trial..
1. Don’t let Satan push you away from God.
2. Draw near to God. Use wisdom as you move through life & success will be yours.
B. Perhaps the hardest thing – is to go through something – without God.
C. Not a Christian? You’re left on your own to face trials. A hopeless situation. It can be remedied by coming to God.
1. Obey the gospel!
2. Already a Christian? How strong is your dependence on God?
D. I N V I T A T I O N
