WHEN GOD GIVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN BEAR by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC
Introduction: Those of you who work out with weights know what it means when I say – “Go to failure.” A gentleman that I used to train me used to say that to me. He would remind me to push past my limits. He would also say – “You have to shock your muscle.” He would say that the human body gets stuck in a plateau, and the only way to move past was to do something different that your body is not expecting. He was right on both matters. So also, in the Christian life, we have an adage – “God doesn’t give you more than you can bear.” Nothing could be further from the truth. God will take us to failure. He will push us beyond our limits. He will shock our spiritual muscles. It’s because he wants us to grow. Turn to page #1849 in your pew Bibles. We are in our series on the book of James called “Practical Book for Practical People, and today’s message is titled – “When God Gives You More Than You Can Bear.” God is not content with leaving us where we are. He wants us to grow and mature in our faith.
James 1 (page #1849) 1 “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Context: James is writing to his people (those of the stock of Israel who have come to know their Messiah) who have been scattered all over the world, maybe due to the dispersion (Diaspora), maybe even persecution. The Diaspora began in the 8th century when the 10 tribes of the Northern kingdom were taken away in the Assyrian exile. This was during the time of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah. Then came the Babylonian exile when the Jewish people were scattered. Some returned but many didn’t. The religious leaders from Jerusalem would write letters to their people in the diaspora (See Cheung and Yu in Mason and Lockett’s Reading the Epistle of James: A Resource for Students). James whose name is really Jacob is now writing to the dispersed people of Israel who have received the Messiah. They are not only outsiders, but they are also now outsiders of the outsiders. He is a pastor who cares about his congregation. He has many things on his mind. He knows that they are facing some tough times. They were also facing some tough temptations. Trials and temptations have a way hanging out together. His letter is to help them grow up – BECOME SPIRITUAL MATURE. He is preaching to them.
2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Every word in this first part of the letter has weight and meaning. Therefore, we will take our time walking through it. He begins with “brethren.” In spiritual context, it means both “brothers and sisters in the family of God.”
Now he gives 3 very important facts about trials:
I. TRIALS ARE INEVITABLE
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (not “if”)
Trials are a matter of time not chance.
- Job 14:1 1“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
- John 16:33 “ . . . In the world you will have tribulation. . .”
- 1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”
We are living in a world that is faulty. We will have trials.
Application: Some people act as if they are exempt from trials. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME. Whether you are saved or not, you will have trials. (palace or street, rich or poor, young or old,)
II. TRIALS ARE UNPREDICTABLE
when you fall into various trials,
“peripipto” – same word that we find in the story of the Good Samaritan – man “fell among thieves.”
Trials are not just a matter of time, but they also come at the most inopportune times.
Application: You don’t plan to have a flat tire. You don’t plan to have your computer crash. You don’t plan to get a ticket. You don’t plan on getting sick.
Sometimes we blame one another without stopping to consider that trials come without warning.
III. TRIALS ARE VARIABLE
when you fall into various trials,
poikilos – same word from which we get out word polka dots. Meaning – they are multicolored.
For e.g. You can never get bored with trials.
Application: medical, financial, emotional, relationship, spiritual, etc.
The word for trials – peirasmos – same word from which we get word for pirates. Just like the pirates they come to ransack, loot, burn and destroy your life.
BOTTOM LINE – TRIALS ARE COMING WHETHER YOU WANT THEM OR NOT.
Either you are coming out of one or fixing to go into one.
they have the potential to tear you apart
Application: Some of ya’ll have been through some trials. Maybe, even going through them right now. Maybe, you can share them or maybe you can’t. God knows what you are facing. Someone might say – “not a cloud in the sky.” Hang on – I hear thunder. No matter what – Trials can either change your life for the better or destroy you forever.
How do you face trials? count it all joy
“Count” can also be read as “Calculate.” Don’t just jump to conclusions but take time to evaluate. Look at trials in light of what God is doing in your life. You don’t count with a mathematical calculator or an earthly calculator but a spiritual/biblical calculator.
What happened when you were saved? Your sins were forgiven. Your name was written in heaven. But there is more. Your priorities have changed. Your values have changed.
- At one time, it was about your comfort. Now it is about your character.
- At one time, it was about your happiness. Now it is about God’s holiness.
- At one time, it was all about our own self. Now it is about others.
- At one time trials would just upset us. But, Paul says “count it all joy.” Now they should cause us to have joy.
Application: Someone might say – “What is joyful about problems?” It is not a plastic smile. It is not “what will be, will be.”
What is this joy?
Jesus had this joy – Matthew 5 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. . .”
Jesus pointed to the reward in the future as a reason for joy.
Paul had this joy – 2 Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. . .”
Paul tells the Corinthians even if they had to be sorrowful at the moment, their sorrow brought repentance. Knowing this would happen Paul was joyful
Peter had this joy – 1 Peter 1:8 “ . . . Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible . . .”
Peter is reminding the church that Joy comes by keeping your eyes on the future of seeing Christ face to face.
Here is the bottom line – JOY COMES WHEN YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE FUTURE OUTCOME INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT TROUBLE.
For e.g. – for a man building his dream home – many things go wrong but he keeps his eyes on the day it will be done. For a woman pregnant with child – lot of pain and discomfort but she keeps her eyes on the day her baby would be in her arms.
What is the future outcome? 3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
PATIENCE – Greek word is “hupomenei.” Typically that word is translated patience. However, here the word should actually be translated “endurance.” What is endurance? It is the staying power which enables us to persevere through the most adverse circumstances. It is not a passive word. It is not just “hanging in there.” It actually means being immovable/unshakable in the face of persecutions/trials/problems.
But that is not the desired outcome. There are lot of patient people in this world who have patience.
4 But let patience (endurance/staying power) have its perfect (full) work,
A come and go Christianity/start and stop faith/fired up and burned out life has two problems: either it is not saved or it is backslidden.
Why let endurance go to the end? that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
In other words: 4 But let endurance have its full work, that you may be fully developed.
God uses trials to develop us fully. It takes time to develop fully.
We would like instant Christianity. You are saved instantly but there is more that God wants to do.
What is heaven? Place and a state of mind. Heaven begins the moment you are saved. Trials are God’s way of cleaning us. He doesn’t want us to bring all that into heaven.
For e.g. imagine I was invited to the Royal wedding and then to Buckingham palace for the banquet. World famous chef is cooking. But I stop by the local dumpster to pick up molded food to eat with me…….
Trials are God’s way of showing us what is really inside of us.
For e.g. Growing up in church, there was a man who was very hateful to our family. He and his family were stealing money from the church. He would not give the paycheck to my father for weeks. One after the other things happened in his life and he lost his wife. What happened next can be described only as being unbelievable. This man took in a prostitute in broad daylight. His children are there. He was always an alcoholic but now it is in front of everyone. Long story short – he did the most horrible things anyone could ever imagine. Why? Trials proved what was really inside.
Malachi 3:2-3 (page #1486) 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.
For e.g. Just like the silversmiths in India. They put the silver into a small pan and set it on a fire. They will stoke the fire until the temperature keeps rising. Then the silver turns into a molten state. As the ore melts the dross (impurity) rises to the top. The silversmith scrapes it off and continues. If you ask the silversmith, “how do you know if the silver is ready?” Keep in mind that when silver is heated it becomes liquid mirror and reflective. When the silversmith can see his face reflected in the mirror, then the silver is pure.
When are we ready? When God can see the face of His son Jesus Christ reflected in us then we are ready.
Someone says: “I am going to heaven anyways. As long as I get there, it doesn’t really matter how I live here.” More we are like Christ, the more we begin to do what Christ came to do. To seek and to save that which was lost.
TRIALS ARE NOT ALWAYS FOR YOU BUT THEY ARE ALSO A SOURCE OF TESTIMONY TO HELP THOSE AROUND YOU FIND CHRIST.
Do you know Christ?