God's goal is conforming us to Christ and he will not be satisfied till you get there. Dr. Tony Evans says even painful circumstances can serve God's purpose in shaping us. He's saying it is to remind you of your humanity and you can do nothing without me. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.
Tony Evans. Are the tough times in your life going to take you apart or put you back together better than ever? Join Dr. Evans in James 1, verse 5, as he explains why the difference is up to you.
Now there are three kinds of people who will hear this message today. Those who are in a trial. You, as you sit under the sound of my voice, are going through difficult trouble in life. A second group? are those who are exiting a trial.
You've broken free and Finally, you've gotten to breathe a sigh of relief. The third group of those who are about to enter into a trial, you just don't know it yet.
So there is a word for everyone here. Because it applies either you're in it, on your way out of it, or heading towards it.
Some are or will be or have come out of physical trials.
Something is wrong with the body and it won't go away. You feel bad, it affects your functioning at work, you've become more short-tempered with people because of how you feel, you're aggravated by the inconvenience or by the pain, or if it's a physical dilemma bad enough, you're afraid. because of the trouble of physical Debilitations. Trials can come in the color called emotional. Where something plagues the mind and You cannot get rid of the trouble, something that happens that you cannot forget, something that goes on that is discouraging and it occupies your mind and it is.
Traumatic.
Some can come by circumstances. A loved one who dies an untimely death. A child who creates havoc. In any number of circumstances. It could be along that line familial.
Family. A wife who doesn't understand, a husband. With an evil person, a disappointment with efforts put forth. to do the best you can. At home.
And any case. It is a trial because It is a circumstance. That is causing you pain. Jesus said in John 16, 33 in this life. you will have tribulation.
Bank on it. James says, when you encounter. various trials.
So the issue is not if, but when. Please notice, however, his clarification in verse 2. Considered all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. Please don't misread this. Considered all joy, my brethren, when you create various trials.
Trials created of the temptation he begins to speak of. In verse 13, when a man is tempted to do evil. He is talking now about trials you encounter. You just run into them because you're living.
So if you're going through a tough time, don't be surprised. If life is crashing in on you at this moment, don't be shocked. It comes with this thing called life. That leads to a second point that is critical. The reason for trials.
He gives the reality of trials. You can't avoid them. But now he wants to discuss the reason for them. Beginning in verse 3. Knowing.
The Greek word knowing is from the word gnosko. And that it carries the concept of knowledge via experience. Knowing. Knowing. Why is this critical?
Because if you face a trial and don't know If you can't connect the right set of data. With the experience that you're going through. The trial will control you rather than you controlling the trial. The problem is not that many people in this room are undergoing trials. That's not the problem because everybody undergoes trials.
The problem is that many who undergo trials don't know. They do not know how to connect. Spiritual knowledge with unavoidable circumstances in life. Trials. or the launching pad for your next level of spiritual growth.
Trials are the launching pad. For your next level of spiritual growth, he says three things about the reason for trials. Number one, You are to know that your faith is being tested. He says in verse three, knowing that the testing of your faith. Whenever you are going through a circumstance, God is putting your faith on the witness stand.
testify. Let me say that again. Whenever you go through a trial. Because remember, God could have stopped that trial from getting to you. He could have blocked it like he blocks a lot of trials we won't even know we even had till we get to heaven.
If God let everything that could come at us come at us, we would be screaming 24 hours a day. Because Satan has always got something he wants to do to disrupt our lives.
So if God let it through, he let it through with a purpose. If he let it slip through his fingers, so to speak, nothing slips through, but if he let it get by, he knew something that he wants you to know, and that is he wants to put your faith on a witness stand. A trial is designed to go beyond saying amen. A trial of design to go beyond saying that was a good sermon, Pastor. A trial of design to go beyond feeling good on Sunday morning.
It is time to testify. And what he does is he puts what you believe to the test by allowing a circumstance to get through the line of scrimmage to your life. Or as David says in Psalm 17, 3, Trials are designed to test the heart.
So that it can be revealed what is there. God, through trial, will identify weaknesses in order to develop. faith and make it stronger. To remove impurities, trials are designed to bring you to the point where your faith stands the test no matter how hot the fire. Look with me, just turn over a couple of pages, the first.
Peter chapter 1. What he says. A similar thing. He says in verse 6, In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you will be distressed by various trials. Same concept.
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. The proving of your faith. The test will not end till the faith has been proven, until you exercise your faith. That means apply what you know about God as revealed in His Word to the trial that you are going through. God is after developing you through testing.
And that is why Job says in Job 13, 15, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. As his faith was being tested, his faith came through as fire. He didn't walk out on God, blame God, trials hurt. But trials hurt as part of a test.
Okay. The second reason is to expand your endurance. Notice, verse 3, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. This word endurance is from two Greek words. That means remain under, to remain under.
It means to be able to endure or handle the trial until its purpose has been complete.
Now I got this firsthand here since I came back on vacation. And I decided I'm going to start getting up early in the morning and going to the gym.
Well, I started my weightlifting program. And I started, and I started with the curls, and I started with the presses, you know, and I started with all this. Twenty-four Hours later. I was in a trial. I couldn't walk?
My wife had to button my shirts.
So I was in a mess and I was in agonizing pain. Why? Because I had pressed upon me weights. that I had not been used to, and guess what? And the weights.
which were designed to help me, were causing me more pain. But through the encouragement of the one working with me, I win back. And I had to look. More weight. And I struggled as I felt the pain.
And then he told me, he said, Keep pressing on. Endure because as you work your way through it. This pain will subside and the process of physical development will occur. But if you quit, Whenever you decide to start again, you got to go through this whole routine one more time. In the trials of life, God puts weights on you.
And he says, don't quit, keep pumping. But when you pump the weights, it may produce more pain. But keep on pumping and don't quit because if you do, you're going to see muscle where flab had been. You're going to see spiritual development where weakness had occurred. He says, keep going.
Let your faith keep going. Trust him. When it doesn't look like trusting him makes sense stay with him when you want to quit He says it's like weight, it produces resistance, but it's designed for growth. Like a kite that soars high. It only does so on a windy day.
God allows the wind to blow in the spiritual lives of his children that they might soar higher in their spiritual lives, that they might grow to the next level of spiritual growth. When Dr. Evans returns, he'll give us three practical responses that can help us keep growing when we're going through a trial.
Well, as we've been learning, sometimes the problems we encounter aren't just problems. They're spiritual issues that can't be resolved without supernatural help. To help you get that, we're featuring a great resource right now, Dr. Evans' 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times. through Scripture, encouraging insights, and practical challenges.
Tony helps you find comfort and strength in God's faithfulness. even when life feels uncertain or overwhelming. We want you to have a copy of this powerful devotional book as our thank you gift. when you make a contribution to support our work here on the air and around the world. Along with it, we'll also send you all 16 full-length lessons in Tony's current two-volume series, James: Time to Grow Up.
Available on C D, USB flash drive or instantly downloadable MP3s. Visit tonyevans.org to take advantage of this offer. or call us at one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two. where resource team members are ready to help with your request. Again, that's tonyevans.org.
or by phone, one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two. We'll get back to today's message right after this. Life moves fast and sometimes the most important thing you can do is slow down. You're invited to join Dr. Tony Evans and special guests Priscilla Shire and Anthony Evans on a seven-day Caribbean cruise of rest and renewal.
Beginning February 28th, set sail from Fort Lauderdale to visit stubbing destinations like Nassau, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, and even a private island in the Bahamas. But this journey is more than scenic beauty. It's a time to reconnect with God and with others. You'll experience life-changing teaching, uplifting worship, and moments of peace that are hard to come by in the middle of everyday life. Whether it's a quiet morning on deck or a shared moment of praise with fellow believers, every part of this cruise is designed to refresh your body and your soul.
Make plans now to step away so you can step back renewed. Visit tonyevans.org for details and reservations. That's tonyevans.org. What should your response be to trial? Let me give you three things you should do if you're going through a trial or when you go through one.
Here are the three things you should do. With regard to trials. I'm telling you, this is the quickest way to get out, is to do these three things. Number one, Verse 2, count it all joy. Instead of bickering Complaining, whining, crying, seeking revenge, getting back.
Because now you know that God is up to something. Count it. All joy.
Now don't misinterpret that. He does not mean to feel good about the pain of your problem. That's not what it means. He says count not fill Evaluate your trials from the standpoint of joy.
Now, what does that mean? That means say to yourself, self. God is up to something here. God, I do not know what you're up to. But you let this trial come into my life, so you are obviously up to something.
So I'm going to praise your name, not for the trial, but for what you're up to. That's what it means to count it all joy. Because you know. That God is up to something, your first response should be. To count it all, joy.
Your outlook determines your outcome. Your attitude will determine your action. It is not about feeling, it's about counting, a decision of the will.
Now what happens when you don't count it all joy? You lose the provision of grace. And grace is God's supply to take you through anything he gives you. He giveth more grace.
So you nullify grace when you don't count it as joy.
So if you're going through a trial, then you can make a decision, no matter how you feel, to say, I decide to be joyful about what God is doing. Second thing you must do: go to God and ask Him for wisdom, ask for help. What are you asking him? To get you out? Uh-uh.
Because perseverance doesn't mean it's necessarily time to get out. You're asking him, here's the key, for wisdom. If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. What is with them? You're going through a trial, and yet you're supposed to count it joy.
That's a paradox. That's a contradiction. How can I count joy what I'm going through? Make sense of this for me. Make sense of this for me.
It doesn't mean it's going to take you out. It doesn't mean you're even going to know why you're going through it. But show me how I am to respond to get the most out of what you're doing right now. That's your prayer. Show me how to respond to get the most out of what you're doing for me right now.
The Bible says in 2 Peter 2:9, God is bigger than your trials. Listen, 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that no temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man.
So, anything that you face, you're not the only one that's ever faced it. You're not the only one that will face it. And that's why fellowship is so important because you hook up with other people who have faced it and seeing God bring them through so that you know there's hope for you too. That's why you can't be a Lone Ranger Christian. There is commonality.
You haven't been singled out. God is not picking on you. Why is this happening to me?
Well, this happened to a bunch of other people that God had to teach the same thing with that He's teaching you too.
So, pray for wisdom, but how do you pray? Listen closely. He says God will give it to you freely. He just would love to tell you what he wants you to learn, but let him ask in faith without doubting. For the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man think he will receive anything from the Lord.
Okay. He talks about the double-minded person. This is a split personality Christian. This Christian is unstable and perplexed. See, faith says yes, unbelief says no, doubt says yes and no.
This is a Christian who wants to go two ways at one time. They want to do it their way and still want God to do it his way. They want some of God and some of them. They want to see what God wants, but then they want to see what they want. They have a split personality and God says, I'm not going to compromise what I'm going to do in your life.
I got to have the whole thing.
So give me the whole ball of wax. Turn it all over to me God, you must show me what you're up to in my life. It's all in your hands. Give it all to me. If you're going to come to me.
Then bring it all to me. And you only do what I tell you to do, what you're supposed to do, what I reveal to you to do, but you bring it all to me and stop half stepping with this stuff. Many times believers come for counsel and talk about pray for me. And after you pray for them and tell them what God wants them to do, they still go out and do what they want to do. God says, you will not receive anything from me, and that's why you're not getting any answers to prayers.
That's not why you're getting any solutions. Did you know that that mate That you want to leave, maybe God's test in your life to take you to the next spiritual level, and you just think, I don't want to be married anymore. Did you know that? That may be God's purpose for you, and He will keep you miserable, and every other mate you find will be as messed up as the mate you left because you never passed the test of what He was trying to teach you in the first place. See, because if God is against you...
You can't find the right person. And then he says, praise. But let the brother of humble circumstance glory in his high position, and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering glass he will pass away. For the sun rises and it's a scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed, so too the rich man. in the midst of his pursuits will fade away very quickly.
He says, Give glory to God in the midst of your trial. He gives two trials. A poor man that doesn't have money, got some of them here. And the rich man who's running to something money can't get him out of. We got some of them here.
Poor people who don't have money, he says, glory in your position in Christ. Rich people, you get sick, and money can't buy that cancer out of you, money can't buy that wayward child back home, money can't buy that.
So, glory in your humiliation. If you run out of money, give glory to God. Lord, right now I run out of money, but I want to thank you. I have my health. I want to thank you that you're taking care of me.
I want to thank you that you're supplied my needs. I want to thank you there's food on my table. I want to thank you there's clothes on my back. In my poverty, I want to praise you. And then if you have a little money, but you got something money can't buy, Lord, I want to glorify you.
I want to glorify you that money can't buy me out of this so that I won't pull out MasterCard Visa or American Express. I'm going to run to Jesus Christ and ask him to do it. In other words, whether you're poor or rich, when life crashes in, give glory to God because God allows trials to force us back to Him. Because when you get money, then you pay cash, you don't pray. That's what he's saying.
He's saying, it is to remind you of your humanity and you can do nothing without me. He closes with this verse, verse 12. Blessed. Oh, this is a good verse. Is a 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. This is the reward of trials. He says the reward of trials. Victory.
When the trial has been finished and the lesson has been learned, then approval will be given. Past. And when you pass. You can graduate. When you graduate, what?
You go across the stage, you get a diploma, and there's a cap on your head. He calls the cap in verse 12 the crown of life. God puts a cap, a graduation cap. He passed elementary school. He graduates to junior high.
Yeah, more tests. He passed junior high. He graduates to high. Yeah, but more tests. He graduates from high.
He goes to college. More tests. He graduates from college. He goes to the workplace. More tests.
But he will graduate you from that trial. It took Abraham 25 years to graduate to become the father of all nations when he offered up Isaac. It took Moses 85 years to graduate to lead the children of Israel. I don't know how long it's going to take you. You have a lot to say about that, but how you take the test.
I do know this. When you graduate, he will say pass and your fondest dreams will come true, your greatest desires.
Some of you single ladies are looking for a husband. God is waiting for you to pass the test. When you pass, then he gonna show up. Long as you fussing and fighting and complaining, you'll be alone. Many of you want a career move.
God is saying, I'm going to keep letting them skip you until you pass my test. Then I'll let you pass their test. God will continue to do it until you pass the test. Dr. Tony Evans.
talking about the upside of the downturns we face in life. part of his current series called James Time to Grow Up. This two-volume 16-lesson collection Offers practical, clear direction for making wise, God-honoring decisions when things get confusing. And as I mentioned earlier, it's yours, along with the bonus of doctor Evans' thirty day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times, as our thank you gift when you support Tony's ministry with a contribution. This unique package offer won't be available for long, so don't miss out.
Visit Tony Evans dot org to make the arrangements to day. or get some in-person help by requesting it through our resource team. at 1-800-832-22 any time of the day or night. That's Tonyevans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.
Trials and temptations are a part of life. But the choices we make in those moments can have lasting consequences.
Next time, Dr. Evans looks at the price of temptation. and shows how we can stand strong when facing the opportunity to give in. Be sure to join us.
