Facing Trials, Tribulations, and Testing of Your Heart

When we are faced with a trial we have two options:

· Give up

· Gird up your loins... endure adversity with unflinching faith in God

There are times when all seems bleak. When everything appears to go wrong. When obedience towards God brings disappointment... We wonder, where are the blessings? Where is the reward for doing good? I'm so tired…

Giving up:  1. denounce God [ I cannot worships such a being], 2. denounce the church [I cannot deal with other people struggling with sin], 3. apathy, nothing really matters anyway, I don’t wanna think about it. One of these is going to get you… unless you:

Change your perspective

God does not see life as we see it. Flesh and blood focuses on the days we have right now [because that's all we really know]. Your Father Creator sees a much bigger picture... so big, it actually goes on forever. He says "My thoughts are not your thoughts”.

Our purpose today is to review 5 examples of endurance in the lives of faithful servants of God.

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The Endurance of Joseph

Joseph's brother were jealous because dad seemed to favor him. They beat Joseph, sold him into slavery, and faked his death so no one would come looking for him. Joseph ended up as a house slave for a man named Potiphar who managed the prison. Potiphar's wife wanted to have sex with Joseph... he refused. She made a false rape accusation against him and he ended up in prison.

Ask yourself, if you had been that man... would you have given up? Would you have said "here I am rotting in prison, God does not care about me", "what good did obedience to His commands do me"? Would you have given up, or would you have been able to endure?

Joseph was in prison a long time. Long enough that he had probably figured he might spend the rest of his life in there, so he better make it the best life he could… which is what he did. When the time was right God reached down and restored Joseph. The horrible experience he went through prepared Joseph for a great responsibility and a role in the unfolding plan of God for Israel.

Proverbs 24:10-12 God brings trial and adversity on those He loves. He wants us to learn to trust Him, and obey Him, no matter what. If He can only count on us in good times can He really count on us? Will you speak, and act, righteously even when the situation is confusing, complex, costly, or threatening?

Hebrews 12:5-11 God is in control of the situation... nothing happens that he cannot and does not use for His good purpose. Which is bringing you to holiness and glory.

Jeremiah's Trials

Jeremiah was a prophet and spokesman for God. However, he was tasked by God to preach an unpopular message to a people who did not want to hear it. He had to tell kings and commoners that God was about to punish their entire nation for disloyalty and covenant breaking. What they wanted to hear was stuff like: 'God is with you, God will protect us from the Babylonian army, God will never let His temple fall... so you're safe here". Which other state religious figures were willing to say to keep the paychecks coming and to stay out of trouble.

Jeremiah faithfully carried out this task knowing it would go badly and probably cause him harm.

Jeremiah 38:1-6 [context, terrible times in Jerusalem]  For all Jeremiah knew his life could have ended in a dark hole full of mud, covered in public shame, and anger. "What a sad pathetic end I have come too"… He was rescued before he died… but he didn’t know that while he was down there.

Lamentations 3:1-20 even in the life of mighty men of old there were moments of personal anguish... perhaps inching toward the borderline of despair...

Was Jeremiah close to giving in, giving up, ready to let himself simply sink down into the mud and be forgotten? How did the prophet get off the downward cycle of despair?

Lamentations 3:21-33 he looked forward to God's deliverance. It is not God’s purpose to destroy you, it is to lead you to life… joy filled everlasting life.

Trials

Trials are not the end they are the beginning. The purpose of a trial is to make us stronger. In the case of Jospeh, or Jeremiah, to prepare them for greater responsibilities, and roles to play in the plan of God as He worked among nations... for us it might mean to make us wiser, more merciful, more compassionate, more zealous, more firmly grounded.

Often, to get us to see ourselves, to get us to search deep within and uncover thinking and action that is wrong, God will allow us to fall into trials and tribulations. Are you only in this for the good times? Where are you when the going gets tough.

Job

Job was a righteous man who enjoyed wealth and many blessings. Satan accused Job before God saying, “Job’s only being righteous because he gets rewarded. He has lots of money, prestige, beautiful family... but if you stop blessing Job he'll turn on you” [what we call a fair-weather friend]. So, to prove Job God allowed Satan to afflict him with horrible trials: loss of wealth, loss of family, loss of health.

Job's response is complex. He will not turn on God, or give up on God, and for that he retains his commendation of righteous man. But he passionately argues his point which is "I have done nothing to deserve this, I'm one of the good guys... I should not be suffering like this"… “God is not acting justly”.

The core of Job’s wrong-think comes out in Job 9:32-35. if only there were some court of higher justice, or fairness. Then I could lay out my case and show that this affliction is not fair. I don't deserve this. However, I cannot because I am too weak in the face of almighty God. Aha!

God: what would you do if you were not too weak or fearful? Would you confront me, take me to court [perhaps the court of popular opinion], rebel against me. If I were to give you the inheritance of eternity, cover you with glory, and seat you next to Christ... what would you do if I ever did something that you disagreed with? Such as allow you to fall into this sort of trial…

Remember: Satan turned on God, he took his case to the angels and won a third of them over. Because he considered himself equal to God… and his rebellion must have been triggered by some flash-point of disagreement.

Is our submission like a wife who agrees to submit herself to her husband... as long as he doesn't do stuff that she doesn’t agree with or don't like. If that’s the nature of the relationship then at some point the two will have to fight it out.

Point: God's eyes are on eternity, and they are on you. He wants to know your heart on a wide variety of very serious matters... and what's really inside the tube of toothpaste only comes out when you squeeze it.

Job came to see this in himself… repented. Later, all he lost was restored to him Matthew 19:28-30.

Responding To a Trial

Sometimes your response must be to wait patiently upon God for deliverance, at other times your response should be to take action. Knowing which path is best requires you to make righteous judgments. Seek God in prayer:

1. ask God to help you see if you are doing something wrong... and stop doing it!

2. on the flip side, if there is something you should be doing, but are not doing... then take action, and do!

David

David was a man of action. When Goliath of the Philistines stood up for 40 days blaspheming God before Saul and the army of Israel.  That was trial for the nation of God. But not a time to wait patiently for God to make the problem go away. [blasphemers were to be punished by death. God expected the civil authorities of Israel to apply the law]. They were not doing it. David took action and confronted Goliath to stop him from blaspheming.

But, David also knew when he had to wait. He had been anointed to replace Saul as king of Israel. Saul was jealous and hunted David. Seeking to do battle with David. David could have gone to meet Saul in a fair fight and won the kingdom in the eyes off man. But David would not lift his sword against the authorized king God had placed over Israel. This was a life threatening trial for David that lasted years and called for patience, wisdom, humility, respect.

David could be patient because he knew God keeps His promises and that every good thing would come his way in God's good time. Any other approach would show a lack of trust, confidence, and respect towards God.

Psalm 37:3-11

1 Corinthians 2:9-11 the Creator of all things has called you to succeed in an endeavor  that defies human imagination, only perceived by the holy spirit. Something far greater than being king over Israel for a mere 40 years. Entry into the universe ruling family of God.

Romans 8:16-21 they are waiting for the spiritually completed YOU.

Romans 8:31 God is with you in this. His eyes are upon you and He is on your side. He is not off somewhere playing solitare.

Consider this: God wants us to be involved in Christ's glorious rule, but it's not because Christ can't handle the workload.

l God want us to be involved, to share His joy, but THINK ABOUT THIS AS WELL,

l The resurrected and glorified you will serve as a testimony & proof positive that the potential God has in store for ALL human beings is possible!

Jacob

Jacob had his problems and times when he fell short of the glory of God, but he was no quitter. He has gone down in the biblical record of history as a person who STRUGGLED with God, and prevailed! That does not mean Jacob triumphed, or gained supremacy over God, rather it means that nothing could make him give up... even when his endurance was being tested. Genesis 32:22-30

God's blessing come through hardship, suffering, and endurance.

The kingdom of God and the promises of God are worth fighting for! Now is not the time to say, "God is asking too much of me", "no one told me it was going to be so hard". If the ministry did not warn you to count the cost, then shame would be upon them. But I think the ministry does ask each man, and woman, to count the cost. I know the word of God and of Christ sure do. Matthew 10:34-39

What To Do?

Remember: the faithful example of men and women of old, Remember that trials and tests are for your instruction and training Romans 8:36-39.

Remember: Christ your intercessor stands on your side. His purpose is to liberate those who are oppressed. His purpose and the purpose of the Father is to try, and test your heart... but not to destroy you... not to leave you in the dust... but to raise you up in glory!

Let God build perfect, righteous character in you. Endure, persevere, and overcome... never give up.