Have Faith

1
Have Faith
in Trials
2
Applying James 12-4 Will Help You to Have Faith
in Your Trials

• When life gives you a lemon make lemonade!
• Instead of being a victim of your circumstances,
  become a victor.
• Throughout the Bible are people of faith who
  endured through their trials and overcame.
• You can overcome whatever you face if you apply
  Gods word to your life!

3
Consider it Joyful when you Encounter Trials

• Trials occur in all of our lives. (John 1633)
• Trials of health. (surgery, disease, cancer)
• Trials in your family. (parents, spouse, kids)
• Trials in your job. (boss, customer, boredom)
• Trials (heat, accidents, disappointment, death)
• Trials because you are a Christian.
• How do you respond when it happens?
• Do you consider it joyful?

4
Consider it Joyful when you Encounter Trials

• The apostles did after they were flogged for
  preaching Christ.
• So they went on their way from the presence of
  the Council, rejoicing that they had been
  considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
  And every day, in the temple and from house to
  house, they kept right on teaching and preaching
  Jesus as the Christ. (Acts
  541-42)

5
Consider it Joyful when you Encounter Trials

• The apostle Paul did as he was facing death.
• But even if I am being poured out as a drink
  offering upon the sacrifice and service of your
  faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and
  share your joy with me.
  (Philippians 217-18)

6
Consider it Joyful when you Encounter Trials

• Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal
  among you, which comes upon you for your testing,
  as though some strange thing were happening to
  you but to the degree that you share the
  sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that
  also at the revelation of His glory you may
  rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for
  the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the
  Spirit of glory of God rests on you (1 Peter
  412-14)
• Dont be surprised. Rejoice, you are blessed!

7
The World Teaches that You can only be Joyful
When Pursuing Pleasure

• They count it a pleasure to revel in the
  daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling
  in their deceptions, as they carouse with you,
  having eyes full of adultery that never cease
  from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart
  trained in greed, accursed children (2 Peter
  213-14)
• False teachers entice people into sin by
  promising them freedom to pursue a sinful
  lifestyle of sexual immorality, gambling,
  drinking, etc. instead of abstinence and
  overcoming their trials with faith.

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If You Seek Pleasures in the Time of Testing You
Will Fall Away

• "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they
  hear, receive the word with joy and these have
  no firm root they believe for a while, and in
  time of temptation fall away. "The seed which
  fell among the thorns, these are the ones who
  have heard, and as they go on their way they are
  choked with worries and riches and pleasures of
  this life, bring no fruit to maturity. (Lk.
  813-14)
• It is an enticement to follow the world who tell
  you what you want to hear, rather than what you
  need to help you overcome your trials.

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Consider it Joyful when you Encounter Trials

• When you suffer for doing what is right, instead
  of complaining, being angry, or worried, be
  joyful because God has promised to deliver you
  from it.
• The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from
  temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under
  punishment for the day of judgment (2 Pet. 29)
• Instead of being enticed by the false teachers,
  follow the examples of Noah and Lot whom the Lord
  rescued while punishing the evildoers.

10
Consider it Joyful when you Encounter Trials

• So thank God for your trials!
• When you overcome a trial, God will give you the
  strength to overcome the next one.
• (Ex. of David recorded in 1 Samuel 1736-37- from
  killing the lion and the bear to fearlessly
  killing the giant Goliath)
• But you may ask how is it possible to rejoice?

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Faith Tested Produces Endurance

• Trials test our faith, but are designed to bring
  out the best in us.
• In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for
  a little while, if necessary, you have been
  distressed by various trials, so that the proof
  of your faith, being more precious than gold
  which is perishable, even though tested by fire,
  may be found to result in praise and glory and
  honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1
  Peter 16-7)

12
Faith Tested Produces Endurance

• as fire purifies gold.
• as a student masters his subject.
• as training prepares a player for the season.
• Testing works for us, not against us.
• Just as weights must be tested to find out its
  weak point, our faith is tested so that we might
  endure.
• Jesus overcame! (Matthew 44)

13
Faith Tested Produces Endurance

• Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses
  surrounding us, let us also lay aside every
  encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles
  us, and let us run with endurance the race that
  is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
  author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy
  set before Him endured the cross, despising the
  shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
  throne of God. For consider Him who has endured
  such hostility by sinners against Himself, so
  that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
  (Hebrews 121-3)
• Your faith will endure if you fix your eyes on
  Jesus!

14
Faith Tested Produces Endurance

• And not only this, but we also exult in our
  tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings
  about perseverance and perseverance, proven
  character and proven character, hope (Romans
  53-4)
• It is not a passive acceptance of our
  circumstances but a persistent determination to
  be faithful no matter what!
• As we persevere through the trial it will prove
  our character and strengthen our hope.

15
Let Endurance Perfect Your Faith

• And let endurance have its perfect result that
  you may perfect and complete, lacking in nothing
  (James 14)
• Too often, we want to get our trials over ASAP.
• Instead of rebelling, complaining, or murmuring
  about it, realize that it is happening for your
  benefit!
• When endurance has time to work, we will mature
  in our faith.

16
Let Endurance Perfect Your Faith

• Every good thing given and every perfect gift is
  from above, coming down from the Father of
  lights, with whom there is no variation or
  shifting shadow. (James 117)
• But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
  the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having
  become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
  this man will be blessed in what he does. (James
  125)
• If we see Gods word as the law of liberty, we
  will do what He says, we will be blessed, and we
  will not fall away but have eternal life.

17
Let Endurance Perfect Your Faith

• We count those blessed who endured. You have
  heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the
  outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is
  full of compassion and is merciful. (James 511)
• James uses Job as an example for Christians to
  endure as his faith was perfected through
  suffering.
• In the end, he realized that the Lord was
  compassionate and merciful and we should also.

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Conclusion

• We all face trials.
• Do you consider it joyful when they occur
• ...or do you complain about them,
• ...or do you seek after pleasure?
• Are you allowing them to strengthen your faith
• ...or just trying to avoid them?

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Conclusion

• Are you fixing your eyes on Jesus to help you to
  endure
• ...or growing weary in well-doing?
• Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial
  for once he has been approved, he will receive
  the crown of life which the Lord has promised to
  those who love Him (James 112)