for many years, and you would reach the point in the book where there would be weeping and
gnashing of teeth as you dealt with election doctrines of grace. And so I would just kind
of stop the class. Let's breathe, do some calisthenics, just get some exercise, let
your mind open a little bit, settle down so we can do something like that if you start nodding
off. A month ago, a young man, he's still a kid. He's just a huge, tall, big kid. And for the first
time ever, he didn't sit down with his mom. He sat down. He's probably junior high at most. He came
all the way, sat right at the end of the front row. And then as soon as the sermon started,
he just gone and snored, snored the entire sermon. It was kind of the self-discipline of
keep focused, keep focused. So there's grace even if you're snoring. Through our sessions,
we began with joy in uncertainty. Because of what is certain, how much is certain, greatly
certain, we can still have joy. Because of the glories we have in the gospel, we dug into
that a little bit to specify and emphasize what those glories are. Because that is the
foundation for all that we're looking at. In the last session, we turned and looked at that
we can have joy when life is hard. Because God himself is worthy of joy. And that we can
take joy in the God of our salvation. There's a responsibility to pursue joy. In this session,
we continue with the theme of joy when life is hard. But we're going to add another layer
to that. And that is that in hardship, we can have joy for what God is doing through what
is hard. We're going to turn to James chapter 1.
James chapter 1. We'll read the first four verses.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes in the dispersion,
greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know
that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect.
That you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Now, I don't think there's any New Testament letter that begins as abruptly as this one.
Greetings. Count it all joy when you encounter suffering. He doesn't even really stop to say
hello much. He doesn't get into reasons why he's thankful or how he thinks of them and how he's
praying for them. It's just, hello, things are hard and you should have joy. It's very abrupt.
And I'm sure he recognized this. He wrote it down. He had the time to think through it.
You wonder if he started over and scribbled it out. He's trying to find a way to get to it and then just
forget. Let's just be direct. Let's go right to it.
The Jewish believers whom he's writing to, he speaks of the 12 tribes in dispersion. He's writing to
Jewish believers who, like their forefathers, had a very strong sense that those who are in covenant
relationship with the Lord also will have the blessings of the Lord. That is steeped in their
heritage in the culture and thinking of the Old Testament going back to the time of the Exodus,
which is so prominent in their thinking. There is hardship that comes, but God brings blessing to
his people. But like believers ever since then, we all discover that the difficulties we also have
that don't really fade. I mean, some may pass by, but then there's others in queue waiting to jump right in.
Along with just the regular trials of life that everyone has, for these believers, they're rejected by their own
culture, their own families, rejecting them because you're Jewish, you're the children of Abraham.
Why are you aligning with these followers of Jesus? And we're coming into when the persecution by the Romans
would begin, which was horrible for God's people. James assumes faithful Christians,
godly Christians, the ones whom the Lord loves and sings over, those Christians will meet trials
and a variety of them. He says, when you will meet them. Count it all joy, when? Not perhaps. And Jesus
similarly even said it stronger in John 16, 33. In the world, you will have tribulation.
We couldn't be more direct than that. And yet, within the church, there are too many that teach that if
your faith is strong enough and you love God enough and your life is right enough and some are as crass to
say and you give enough, then hardships can be quickly overcome and be put behind you.
That we can live without hardships, which is a very unbiblical orientation. And even if we're not under
that kind of poor teaching, and even as direct as scripture is about suffering, we can just fall into the
thinking of believers that if I have hardship, somehow that must mean that God's not happy with me.
And we make the wrong associations and wrong conclusions. So, to our encouragement, and you,
well, it's not very encouraging to say I will have trials. Well, you're gonna have them whether he says
them or not. So, to our encouragement to recognize struggles and trials are not an evidence God is
against you. When believers ask me at times, the things that I'm going through, these hardships,
do you think God's correcting me? I just ask the question, well, should he be?
I mean, if you have sin in your life that you've been ignoring, that you're not repenting of, well,
then the answer I'm gonna say is in some way yes. Because God's not gonna just let you go on and on
ignoring him in your sin. So, it's not that God is out to get us, but God will discipline. God wants to
pull us away. So, there is some work of God getting attention if we have just turned our back and we are
secretly staying in an unrepentant state. But we should never think that the existence of struggles and
trials mean God is against us.
Godliness will remove some types of hardships and trials. The stability of life, not living,
addictive behaviors. There are certain troubles and burdens that living for God will remove from us,
will protect us from. But then there are other kinds of struggles and trials that it will add to us.
I think of some of the businessmen in our church who, their competitors are free to break laws and cut
corners and do whatever they can to maximize their business. And here's the believer saying,
I can't do any of those things. And they feel vulnerable because they simply can't do that.
There are burdens that we receive by not fitting in, by swimming against the stream of culture.
Sometimes there can be family members just who are angry at someone becoming a believer.
My brother dated a woman once who was, she was a relatively new Christian and her mom actually told her,
I wish you were a prostitute rather than go to church.
And I met a man in Belarus a couple of years ago who said that when his wife became a Christian,
she became a Christian a year or two before him.
The mother-in-law, the mother of this woman was, had a physical disability, so she couldn't get out of the house.
She offered to pay him to kill her daughter.
And you're sitting here, someone really tried to do that?
There are, those could be extremes.
And yet, we all recognize that to be serious about God can make people feel uncomfortable.
And in that uncomfortableness, how they treat us, is uncomfortable for us.
Hardship is unavoidable in a world that rejects God.
And, more to the point of this passage, hardship is necessary for God to grow us.
We need a wise, meaning biblical, perspective for our trials.
How do we think about them in a way that represents what the Bible actually says,
what is actually in God's heart, what is his intention, what's God's agenda in this?
We need to see those things so that we are understanding our burdens properly.
And James is saying part of that correct understanding, a biblical understanding of hardships,
should bring joy to us.
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet trials of various kinds.
Now, this doesn't mean difficulties only bring joy.
That, count it all joy, has often been misunderstood.
It means pure joy or our highest joy.
Count it your highest joy, meaning there are different types of joy.
And the most pure and the most wondrous and highest of joys is that which we can take when we have difficulties.
We see from Jesus' own example that trials don't bring only joy.
In Matthew 26, that passage of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, which is a great gift to the church.
Where Jesus says, first as disciples, my soul is sorrowful even to death.
And then what serves us so well is when it speaks of Jesus going and praying,
Lord, if this cup can pass, but not my will, your will be done.
And then it says, and then he went and prayed the same thing over again.
And it says, and then he prayed the same thing a third time again.
So we're seeing Jesus, who without sin and without any lack of faith,
Jesus is faced with this overwhelming burden and trial,
and it is weighing heavily upon him.
We've never seen Jesus that way.
So heavily that he keeps going back to pray, not because his faith is weak.
That's the evidence his faith was strong.
He persisted in pursuing the Father until his heart was settled.
And so even though he's saying,
my soul is sorrowful even to the point of death,
we know what's also in his heart and mind.
And for in Hebrews 12, it says this of Jesus,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.
So even as his heart is overwhelmed,
there is this like subterranean river flowing through his soul
that the reason I am doing this is because it's the only way to bring them to me.
It's the only way to set free for the joy that he would gather
a people for himself and his Father.
God is our highest joy.
And part of maturity is cultivating that that is real for us.
Very piperish thinking.
He is our highest joy.
And he is in our trials.
And he is using them.
The one of splendor and joy is always embedded in the trials.
And he is always using them.
And so whatever hurt we have,
whatever brokenness it seems to bring,
that is never the only thing going on in our trials.
It doesn't matter if you can see it or not.
The pain, the uncertainty, the fear,
that's not all that's going on.
There are things much deeper, much more wonderful going on.
For the believer,
everything that takes place in your life,
there are no exceptions, there are no caveats.
Everything that takes place in our lives is gloved with grace.
Grace is in everything.
Literally, nothing touches our life without grace being a part of it.
Which is the only way Paul can say what he does.
Everyone's favor promise that all things work together for good.
How could that be possible if there's not grace in all things?
Verse 2,
Count it all joy, my brothers,
when you meet various trials.
It's not a grin and bear it.
Just believe better things are out there somewhere.
And just endure it.
It's not that kind of attitude.
Though there may be moments when we kind of feel it that way.
It's not grin and bear it.
It's joy.
There's more going on.
I trust God enough for that.
I believe in the sheer wonder, beauty, and glory of his heart and character and faithfulness.
That I know there has to be more in this.
And if God really is perfect,
if he is as wonderful as we say,
that whatever it is that he is doing
has to be wonderful.
What I often remind myself is that,
and I have enough faith for this,
to believe that there will be a time in eternity
when I will be able to look
and with full honesty be able to say,
Lord, you were faithful and good there.
I believe I will be at that place.
If I believe I will be at that place,
then why not just jump to it now?
If I'm convinced.
There's no way I'm going to be in heaven.
You know, Lord, most of the time.
I mean, what about then?
We will be filled with the sense of his praiseworthiness in all things.
So let's live with that eternal mindset.
It's part of thy kingdom come.
It's not only his rule over us,
it's our thinking in terms of what is it to be in his kingdom.
Trials are not an evidence God is angry.
And it's not God being distant.
It's God being active.
God who is perfect,
being perfect toward us.
Verse 3,
you know the testing of your faith.
It produces something.
Verse 4,
and what it's producing,
let it have its full effect
that you may become perfect, complete.
Now, our natural perspectives and difficulties
is something like this.
The best thing is that this would go away.
What do we pray?
I had a friend bring this up to me
who's been on many mission trips
and he would take teens.
He says,
what is it that we all pray for every mission trip for everyone?
The first thing is,
Lord, keep them safe.
And as one who's been on dozens of them,
I'm all for that.
we are quickly thinking of those types of things.
If something difficult happens,
we want it quickly to pass.
And that would be the best thing God could do
would be remove it as soon as possible.
That is our natural instinct of
what would be good right now.
Well, God's understanding
what would be good right now
is a little bit different.
It is that the full measure
of the good I want to do
be perfected.
And we are,
oh, Lord, I got the lesson.
No, we can go on now.
We can kind of move on to something.
I've got it.
I've learned.
In Romans chapter eight,
it compares our groaning
to the pains of childbirth.
Now, I've been there for childbirth a few times.
I don't know what it feels like,
but I've heard something of what it feels like.
I've heard the groans.
I've heard the cries.
I've heard enough to know
I never want to experience what it is.
However,
no one in childbirth
wants the pain to end
at the expense of that child coming.
You don't want to cut it short
to stop the birth of what is coming.
I remember when our son,
our firstborn,
and my wife going through long labor
and all the pain in that,
and she went from the moment
they put our son on her chest
and she held him.
I can still hear how her voice changed.
It went from all the screams of labor and pain
to this soft, maternal, loving, cooing voice.
Trials are hard,
but every single one is temporary,
and every single one is purposeful.
purposeful.
We have no promise
that the trials of life
will be removed
or even reduced.
Yet,
James is still telling us
that life
will be fruitful
and it can be joyful.
this joy
that we have
is founded on the realities
that we love God
and above all things,
we want to be closer to Him.
And that's what He wants.
And
what we go through in trials
is part of God
bringing us near
because,
as we've already sung,
we are so prone to
wander.
And we're prone
to be busy.
And we're prone
to be preoccupied.
And we're prone
even in the midst
of doing the most
noble things
of ministry,
of doing them
with God following
rather than leading.
trials and suffering
is needed
to bring us back
to make us desperate
for the presence of God,
the nearness of God.
God.
And that presence
really is wonderful
enough
to go through
suffering
to get there.
joy is founded
not only our love
for God,
that we trust
Him.
What He is doing
is praiseworthy.
just a few years ago
I was
in Belarus
and I'd received
some
difficult news
from home.
Bob,
one of my children
and
a panic attack
started
and I could feel
coming in.
They can take
different ways
and for me
a few times
I've had them
it
not
always bringing
dread
about my condition.
I'm gonna die,
I'm gonna die.
That
turning toward
my kids
that
the most horrible
thing will happen.
And I can remember
I was
alone in the room
late at night
and I was convinced
my son
would commit suicide.
the panic attack
just took her
I
he will be
I will find out
he's dead
tomorrow.
That was
the reality
being pressed
into my mind
and I can remember
just
laying there
just saying
over and over
Lord
I trust you
Lord
I trust you
I just
kept
saying it
no matter
what happens
I
will
trust
you
till I
finally
fell asleep.
Now I
woke
to
a wonderful
text of
grace
that my
fears were
not true
but we
can trust
him
even in
what
we never
want to
see happen
because
if it
does
he is
being good
in it.
It's all
he can be
God
can only
be wonderful
he can only
be faithful
he can only
be good
he can only
be what
his character
is.
James is
leading us
to take
on God's
perspective
for our
difficulties
God's
perspective
is
I know
this
hurts
but
this good
I'm doing
my
grandson
who's
six
he
had to
be tested
for
COVID
have
any
of you
been
tested?
Yeah
that
it's
really
test
how far
can we
shove
this up
your nose
I think
that's
what
they're
trying
to
see
so
you
know
his
parents
are
dreading
you
know
how
he's
going
to
handle
this
they
know
what's
happening
friendly
nurse
comes
in
talking
with
Wyatt
and
they
know
what's
about
to
happen
how
unhappy
he's
about
to
be
they
did
it
not
for
the
joy
of
watching
him
squirm
and
pull
his
head
back
and
yell
it
was
out
of
care
and
then
when
the
doctor
came
in
a
couple
minutes
later
and
asked
how
are
you
feeling
does
anything
hurt
he
said
yeah
something
hurts
that
lady
just
stuck
something
way up
my
nose
it
hurts
we
believe
that
God
is
good
God
is
true
God
is
wise
we
lose
sight
of
it
it's
not
that
we're
not
believing
these
things
about
God
but
they're
not
capturing
our
heart
as
often
as
it
should
part
of
what
helps
us
is
having
this
community
of
people
who
love
us
and
can
speak
grace
to
us
I
spoke
in
the
last
session
of
preaching
the
gospel
to
ourselves
and
also
then
the
community
that
we
are
speaking
of
gospel
we're
speaking
of
our
own
struggles
our
own
hearts
we
are
reminding
each
other
we're
sharing
with
each
other
we're
listening
we're
praying
for
each
other
we need
the
rootedness
and
the
grace
reality
that
brothers
and
sisters
who
love
the
Lord
bring
to
us
there's
a
book
it's
a newer
book
out
by
Michael
Emlett
who
works
with
CCEF
saints
sufferers
and
sinners
he's
a
counselor
the
book
is
written
just
for
believers
as
you're
interacting
with
each
other
you
may
not
be
a
counselor
but
we
speak
to
each
other
in
effect
we
bring
counsel
we
interact
and
so
he
helps
believers
with
other
believers
that
every
believer
is
a
saint
they're
in
Christ
every
believer
has
suffering
and
every
believer
has
sin
and
he
kind
of
helps
us
how
do
we
navigate
those
things
it's
very
helpful
can
serve
you
in
how
you
engage
with
one
another
because
we
need
to
do
that
we
need
each
other
in
these
things
we
know
and
understand
and
how
we
are
living
for
God
becomes
more
and
more
rooted
it
it's
less
passing
it's
less
ebb
and
flow
it
becomes
stronger
more
consistent
and
fills
our
life
more
and
more
so
it
becomes
the
norm
of
our
life
difficulties
test
or they
prove
it
reveals
and
purifies
so
we
can
see
that
we're
more
distracted
than
we
might
think
or
we're
awakened
to
the
fact
that
we're
struggling
to
trust
him
more
than
we
realize
it's
awakening
us
to
weakness
that we
have
and the
need
to be
earnest
and
draw
near
trials
teach us
we cannot
depend
on
ourselves
and
they
help
us
seeing
that
walking
with
God
is
something
we
cannot
neglect
we
just
can't
afford
to
enter
our
day
without
him
trials
are
needed
to
become
more
consistent
and
rooted
in
our
faith
so
we
grow
from
people
who
are
doubting
God
at
times
to
those
who
are
worshiping
him
in
all
things
we
grow
from
people
who
neglect
obedience
to
those
who
know
submission
is
always
the
best
starting
place
in
whatever
is
happening
we
grow
from
those
who
want
to
get
back
at
those
who
bring
pain
to
those
who
want
to
fulfill
God's
agenda
for
people
to
we
grow
from
those
who
may
compromise
to
stop
pain
to
those
who
focus
on
what
would
honor
God
in
this
moment
we
grow
from
wallowing
in
self
pity
to
those
who
rejoice
that
God
is
transforming
us
we
grow
from
inconsistency
to
someone
whose
life
points
others
to
Christ
that's
what
God
wants
he's
using
trials
to
work
toward
our
completion
it
says
perfect
and
complete
all
that
God
intends
which
Paul
in
making
the same
point
in
Ephesians
4
13
speaks
of
full
maturity
as
the
measure
of
the
stature
of
the
fullness
of
Christ
being
complete
being
made
perfect
is
to
be
like
Christ
in
our
character
one
who
loves
the
Lord
with
all
of
our
heart
mind
soul
and
strength
so
we
could
speak
of it
in
different
ways
it
to
be
complete
and
perfect
is
to
be
like
Christ
or
another
way
is
to
be
a
great
commandment
Christian
to
love
the
Lord
with
all of
our
heart
mind
soul
and
strength
to
love
our
neighbor
as
herself
it
is
to
be
a
mature
disciple
maker
all of
those
things
are
part
of
what
it
means
to
be
made
complete
meaning
that
what
God
declares
is
the
wholeness
of
life
is
what
is
increasingly
taking
shape
like
an
artist
who
begins
sketching
and we
begin
seeing
parts
of it
and
eventually
you
start
seeing
more
and more
until
okay
I see
now
what
they're
making
and
eventually
the full
beauty
of it
God
wants
us
visibly
to be
that
measure
of what
he's
making
us
so the
world
sees
what
Christ
is
like
what
God
would
have
them
to be
like
the
question
is
do we
view
those
things
as
being
joyous
is
to be
like
Christ
joyous
is
to be
a great
commandment
person
joyous
is
to be
a
disciple
maker
is
that
joyous
to
us
if
it's
not
joyous
we have
to ask
what is
our
relationship
with the
Lord
do we
truly
love
him
do we
truly
know
him
it
doesn't
mean
we
don't
have
any
anxiety
or
any
struggle
with
it
but
just
as
birth
pains
have a
precious
result
so do
our
labor
pains
of
growing
in
Christ
we
just
don't
like
struggle
yet
because
we're
covenant
people
those
struggles
are
filled
with
grace
Peter
speaks
similar
to
James
in
chapter
one
of
his
epistle
God
caused
us
to be
born
again
to a
living
hope
to the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ
from the
dead
to an
inheritance
that is
imperishable
undefiled
unfading
kept in
heaven
for you
in this
you rejoice
though now
for a little
while
necessary
you're
grieved
by various
trials
things
a
joyous
perspective
sees
God
is
glorious
in all
that he's
doing
and even
when we
don't
see
what
that
is
we
tell
ourselves
it's
true
a
joyful
perspective
it
sees
and
believes
God's
heart
for us
is
huge
and he
will never
betray
us
a
joyous
perspective
sees
we have
a wonderful
eternity
waiting
ahead
a
joyous
perspective
is seeing
as God
sees
what he's
doing
where we're
headed
what he's
like
our
world
is filled
with
immense
problems
with
pain
with
uncertainty
and we
have to
live in
these
things
it's
the
world
we're
in
we
have
to
live
amidst
these
but we
can
live
amidst
the
same
things
the
world
is
in
with
a
very
different
perspective
a
very
different
demeanor
and
that
means
every
one of
us
has
much
to
share
with
the
world
and
for
those
maybe
you're
tempted
to
think
well
my
gifting
isn't
very
high
and
my
gifting
isn't
a
public
gifting
and
my
influence
isn't
much
here's
what you
have
every
one
of
you
have
sufferings
and
struggles
and
you
can
live
in
them
in
a
way
that
people
see
there's
something
powerfully
different
in your
life
and
that's
what the
world
needs
they
need
to
see
there's
something
wonderful
out
there
is
someone
wonderful
out
there
and
the
power
that
your
life
can
have
through
how
you
walk
through
what
is
hard
can
enable
your
life
to
have
far
more
impact
than
people
talking
behind
podiums
there's
plenty
of us
out
there
when
they
see
those
they
know
who
are
who
are
enduring
differently
the
effect
of that
is
something
God
will
use
and
you
don't
have
to be
afraid
of
that
and
if
there
are
bits
of
fear
then
you
just
tell
God
Lord
it
just
feels
a little
scary
to me
and
I
want
to
be
used
and
I
don't
want
to
be
afraid
and
he
has
grace
not
only
to
use
you
he
has
grace
to
help
you
with
fears
he
has
grace
to
help
you
with
the
hesitations
and
he
has
the
wisdom
and
strength
to
go
ahead
and
use
you
anyway
even
if
it's
kicking
and
screaming
because
he
knows
we'll
be
thankful
afterward
God's
heart
is
so
big
for
you
he
does
not
want
you
to
enter
eternity
without
your
being
used
he
wants
you
to
have
that
for
all
eternity
the
evidences
that
you
would
be
used
he
wants
that
so
much
that
for
the
one
person
we
all
know
about
who
never
had
a
chance
to
do
a
single
work
for
God
he's
allowed
him
to
forever
see
the
impact
of
his
life
the
thief
on
the
cross
remember
me
never
had a
chance
to do
anything
for
God
and yet
because
his heart
was
for him
in that
suffering
God
gave him
this
wondrous
gift
that
testimony
is heard
and
known
by
generations
and
generations
of
God's
people
who
have
been
encouraged
and
helped
because
God
wants
you
to be
with
him
knowing
he
used
you
and
knowing
you
were a
part
of what
he
was
doing
and
there
is
nothing
even
close
to
as
good
as
that
our
heavenly
father
we
ask
that
you
would
bring
to
us
the
convictions
we
need
the
confidences
we
need
the
clarity
we
need
for
each
one
here
give
the
grace
for
what
they
are
in
to
see
what
you
say
is
true
to
believe
it
and
that
you
would
give
them
the
gift
of
increasing
joy
in
it
that
they
would
be
able
to
see
they
can
live
joyfully
amidst
these
burdens
help
them
give
them
a
taste
of
that
by
your
grace
in
Jesus
name
amen