Strength Through Suffering

This is a sermon from Grace Fellowship Church at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. If you would like to learn more about us, please visit our website at gfcedmonton .ca. You can also find us on Instagram, Grace Church, Y-E-G, all one word, or on Facebook.

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A Humble Introduction and Prayer for Illumination

Yeah, thank you, Brother Shane, and thank you so much, Grace Fellowship, for having me back. It's such a privilege and an honor to share God's Word with you, your dear saints, and I've heard of your guys' faithfulness and just how you're serving the Lord, even hearing all the way to Fellowship Baptist, where I attend.

It's true, yes, we're in the process of raising our support. Lord willing, we're leaving January next year, and so far the Lord has been good to us, so thank you for everybody that's coming alongside us on this mission.

Today's message will be on how the Christian can thrive and not just survive in hardship. But before I start, I'll pray for us. O gracious God and Father, we ask that your Spirit will illuminate your Word to us.

Let the eyes of your heart see you and your lovingkindness. Teach us to see your hand in trials, to trust you in temptation, and to rest in the hope that you have given us in the gospel. For the glory of your Son, Jesus, and for the good of your people, amen.

A Family Testimony of Suffering, Trust, and God’s Goodness

Years ago, here in Edmonton, there was a married couple who longed to have children. Unfortunately, month after month, year after year, they waited for that precious gift of a child. They prayed and hoped patiently, but as time went on, the answer seemed clear, that infertility became a quiet, heavy burden in their house.

Eventually, though, they opened their hearts and their lives to fostering. For a time, two little girls filled their house with noise and laughter, but then suddenly, those two girls were taken from them, and their house went quiet again.

Another loss, and it felt like someone had torn their hearts right out of their body. Later, they were able to adopt two twins, born three months early. These teeny, tiny, micro, preemie twins. Fragile lives placed in their care.

Many months were spent at the stolery keeping these twins alive, and much work has gone on since then with additional challenges that they face. Eventually, they did become pregnant with their own little girl.

As you can imagine, there was a lot of celebration and hope filled their hearts, but during a routine appointment, the doctors delivered devastating news, that this young little girl was growing with abnormalities.

Her body parts were developing outside of her body. At every single visit, they were told the same thing, aborting the baby is the best course of action. Yet, they refused at every single visit. Instead, they prayed for God's miraculous healing, while fully knowing that in God's wisdom, He might not spare them that trial.

This beautiful couple fixed their eyes, not on outcomes, but on the character of God, knowing that if broken parents like themselves know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more their Father in Heaven knows what is good for them, and He will give them not always what they desired, but what they needed.

So, amid their suffering, they thanked God, knowing that even if the little baby does not live, or lives with disabilities, they can trust God, knowing what is best. When the day of birth finally arrived, the baby was quickly rushed into the NICU, which started a long process of many, many surgeries.

How would any of us have felt on that day, when that little one is born? I tried finding the words to describe what that must have felt like, but I'm sure you can understand the amount of mixed bag of emotions in that family's heart.

Something I do know of this family, though, is that they certainly didn't feel strong in that moment. There were no feelings of joy bubbling over. But during every storm, they made a deliberate decision to count God's character and promises as a rock to hold on to, something solid that would never fail them.

And they were right to put their hope and their trust in God. Not only did He sustain them, keeping them from despair, looking back, every trial deepened their love for Him and for those around them. Especially in their weakness, by looking to Christ, they were empowered to continue to love and sincerely serve those around them and get closer to God.

James’s Greeting and the Call to Count Trials as Joy

Now, the key to why and how this family thrived in their trials is found here in this passage that we will be looking at today. James 1, verses 1 to 18. Please open up your Bibles to James 1. It's right after Hebrews, near the back of your Bibles.

If you've gotten to Revelations, go back a few books. Once you have found it, please stand for the reading of God's Word. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve 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.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast on the trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Thank you. Please have a seat. For those taking notes, the main point James makes in these few 18 verses is that God, in his goodness, refines our faith through temporary trials, which yields eternal rewards.

I'll say that again. God, in his goodness, refines our faith through temporary trials, which yields eternal rewards. Let's take a look at verse 1. James has come a long way. He has chosen a very humble introduction to himself, only as a servant of Jesus Christ.

This is James, the brother of Jesus, who once doubted and even denied him in the Gospel of Matthew. Yet over time, he grew in faith and held a very prominent position as the leader of the Jerusalem church.

Here in his introduction, James does not call any attention to himself, but instead he points immediately to God and Christ, showing that his authority and love comes from them. He then identifies his readers as being in the dispersion.

These are believers scattered across the known world, living in very difficult circumstances, hardship, poverty, even persecution. James' greeting reminds them that God has not forgotten them, even though they are dispersed all over.

Wisdom for Seeing Suffering Through God’s Purpose

In verses 2 -4, we start learning how to think about trials. When James calls believers to count trials all joy, he is not denying the reality of pain caused by suffering, nor is he encouraging a forced emotional response.

He says, count it all joy. Notice the word there, count. Some translations say, consider it all joy, or even consider it pure joy. We should take note that James is not talking about how the scattered believers should feel, but rather he starts off by telling them how they should think.

The joy James speaks of is not found in the trial itself, but in what God is doing through the trial. It's not only James that says this. Look, for example, Paul in Romans 5, verse 3. He says, we rejoice in suffering because suffering produces endurance, character, and hope.

1 Peter 4 tells believers not to be surprised by fiery trials, especially when those trials come before because we belong to Christ. Even our Lord Jesus prepared his disciples by reminding them that the disciple is not greater than the master.

So if this is how they treated Christ, how much more are we to expect what is to come? This joy, then, is rooted in having the right perspective. It comes from knowing that God is always at work in our suffering, not against us, but that trials test our faith, not to destroy it, no, but to prove it and to strengthen it.

God uses what is hard to produce in us what is holy. What feels like a loss to us very often is the exact means by which God brings forth growth. Understanding this guards us from two errors. One, despair on the one hand and denial on the other.

We do not pretend that suffering is easy, but neither do we treat it as random and meaningless acts. Now, I'll admit, without the knowledge of God, it is quite unnatural to think this way. But as we trust God amidst the trial, it grows us as believers, which builds endurance, shapes our character, and God uses it for his glory.

Asking God for Wisdom Without Doubt

Now, I can imagine what some of you are thinking. Well, that all sounds wonderful and great, but I'm not one of those strong Christians. I'm not some missionary, I'm not some pastor, I'm not some aged, mature Christian.

Well, James wasn't writing to those people. Sure, it includes them, but he was writing to everyone in the dispersion. These included brand new Christians. So I'd say this is exactly why verses 5 to 8 follows.

It says, who can quote verse 5? If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously without reproach, and it will be given him. I think many of us have memorized this verse. How many of us have quoted that verse, even to ourselves in the exam, all trying to remember the exact answer to the questions that was given?

Lord, please give me wisdom so I can pass this test. This is not exactly the wisdom that James is getting at. Let me help you see a little bit more of a glimpse of what this wisdom is. Please page to Romans chapter 8.

I'd really like you to see this with your very own eyes. Romans chapter 8, verses 28 to 29. Paul gives us a little insight here. Romans 8, 28. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.

For those who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. This passage gives us a little insight in the type of wisdom we need to apply when we're going through difficulty.

He says that God works all things together for those who love him in order to be conformed to the image of his son. Let that sink in for a minute. When James tells suffering believers to ask God for wisdom, he's not offering them techniques to get out of their difficult situation, but a way to see reality as God sees it.

Wisdom in this sense is not about knowing how to escape our trials, but about knowing what God is doing through them. Left to ourselves, we interpret suffering as God having abandoned us or some sort of a failure, either on his part or our part.

But wisdom reorients the heart to trust God's purpose, even when his ways are hidden from us. Look, folks, don't confuse your spiritual growth and your spiritual life with the secular, consumer-driven society that we live in.

So much of our society revolves around comfort, soft lighting that reduces your eye strain, pre-cut vegetables, motion sensor garbage cans, adjustable heated car seats and steering wheels, smooth cushioned running shoes.

I can go on and on about all the comforts that we're sold in today's society. And I'll admit, even on the weekend, instead of using the old African traditional way of starting a fire by blowing at the base up until you're lightheaded, I had a nice leaf blower that could fan the fire into flame.

That was very comfortable, starting a fire like that. Now, none of these things that I mentioned are bad or evil or sinful. But when we daily live in an environment that revolves around comfort, it's very hard to imagine how God uses our suffering and especially trialing circumstances for a purpose.

But this is the key to how God's people can endure suffering with joy. You see, James is not saying that faith means never struggling or never asking any questions. The issue is not uncertainty about what God will do, but distrusting who God is.

Double-Mindedness, Poverty, and Wealth

In verses 7 to 8, we see that James starts addressing this issue. I'd like to give an example of double-mindedness. Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. For the sake of following God, they were about to be thrown into a fiery furnace.

With great confidence, they believed God could save them from this. But they also said, even if God does not save me from this trial, they will not bow down and worship an idol. Their faith wasn't anchored to God's rescuing them, but to God himself.

And by believing in this way, they weren't being double-minded. In fact, their heart's attitude showed great maturity. Double-mindedness is asking God for help while resisting the purpose that He is trying to accomplish in your life.

Seeking the relief, but not God's growth. We can see this in our own hearts when we start resenting our situation, when we're discontent, and when we have constant complaining against God for our trial.

To guard against this bitterness, and instead anchor your faith, trust God's goodness, even when His way remains hidden and the path remains hard. Next, James addresses the poor believer and the rich believer.

To the poor believer, he says, remember your position in Christ. You may lack in this world, but you are lifted up in God's eyes. To the rich believer, he says, remember how temporary your situation is.

Wealth does not last, and it does not protect you from loss or death. James is not condemning wealth, but he is warning against trusting in it. We should ask ourselves the question, why is James bringing up this example of the rich believer and the poor believer?

Why now? Why here? Well, remember the context. He's talking about believers that are struggling, that are suffering. James was just a man, and God, through His Spirit, gave him insight into the heart of man.

Who of you sitting here have not thought that if you had a pot of gold, it would solve all your problems? I think all of us often think, amidst our trials, if I could just be rich like so-and-so, I won't have any troubles.

I can just buy my way out of any situation. Well, this is not true, and I can tell you from growing up in South Africa, I so vividly remember my parents. They were extremely wealthy. I remember as kids, looking forward to the weekends when my parents would dump bags of money on our dining room table, and in exchange for sorting all of the bills, we could keep some of the coins.

You know, I never remember my parents talking about God at all during those years. I suppose they thought their wealth could take care of every trial that they would have. But, as life has it, nothing goes perfectly according to our dreams.

So, after crippling sanctions and a communist-backed government that came into power, we became extremely poor. One morning, leaving the tin trailer that had become our house in order to walk to school, I recalled wondering what I would eat that day, because we literally, in our little tin trailer, had no food at all.

All the cupboards were completely empty, yet God's hand was so close to our family. And my parents grew close to Him, and they talked about the Lord all the time. We had nothing else but Him. And I can share so many stories of God's provision right at the last moment.

It's hard to understand, but there is a special blessing in having so little earthly treasure, but in exchange experiencing the intimate provision and presence of God. Don't trust in wealth. That experience taught me something that James is telling us so clearly here.

Wealth, or lack thereof, is not the issue. Trust is. Rich or poor, James calls believers to locate their identity in God alone. When circumstances change, faith either withers or deepens, depending on what it is rooted in.

A Parable of Pruning and Growth for Children

So with that, I'll share a little story so the little ones can understand what we've been talking about. Last time I shared about Andy and his kids taking the miraculous medicine to all those in need.

Well, today, Andy the farmer is going to be visiting Oliver Olive Tree. So listen, kids, I've got a little story. In a quiet orchard lived an orange tree named Oliver. Oliver was smaller than the other trees.

His branches were thin. His oranges were tiny, and his roots were shallow. When the wind blew, Oliver would lean sideways while the other trees stood firm. He looked up at them and sighed. I wish I were like them, Oliver thought.

They are strong and filled with beautiful fruit. I try my best, but I don't seem to grow the way they do. Every day, Oliver stretched his branches towards the sun, hoping he would be bigger. Then one morning, Andy the farmer came by.

He walked past the tall trees, past the heavy, big laden orange trees, and stopped right in front of Oliver. This one needs pruning, father, farmer Andy said. Before Oliver could understand what he meant, the cutting began.

Cutting, chopping, sawing, and snipping. Branches fell left, right as the leaves shook. Little Oliver felt so sore and alone. Why me, Oliver thought. Doesn't farmer Andy care about me? This is not fair, he thought.

The days were very lonely and hard. Oliver felt smaller than ever. The sun felt so hot and the wind still blew him sideways. But something unseen was happening. As the farmer returned day after day, Oliver began to grow differently.

Without so many branches, his roots pushed deeper into the soil and wrapped tightly around a rock, holding him firm. As the weeks passed, new branches appeared, stronger ones with luscious leaves and beautiful buds.

By harvest time, Oliver stood strong and held firm even in the wind. He was full of oranges, more than he had ever carried before. So as farmer Andy walked past smiling, Oliver finally understood. The cutting had not been punishment.

It was done to make him stronger. The waiting had not been a waste. I didn't understand at first, Oliver thought. But now I see. The farmer knew exactly what I needed to help me grow. As I was preparing for this sermon, my prayer was for the little ones in this church to come to trust and know God's goodness, no matter what lies ahead, especially during the difficult times.

Steadfastness Under Trial and the Crown of Life

Next, from verses 12, after speaking about trials, wisdom, and circumstances, James reminds us why enduring through trials matters. James says that no one who remains steadfast or the one who remains steadfast under trial is blessed.

This blessing is not comfort in the moment, but it is God's promise of eternal life. The crown of life is given to those who love God, not to those who avoid hardship at any cost. Enduring till the end shows our trust in Him was real and gets rewarded.

Temptation, Sin, and the Source of Evil Desire

We now move on to verses 13 to 15. Before we dive in, I want to make something very clear. There's a difference between suffering because of what God allows in His providence and suffering as a consequence for our own sin.

For example, if someone is tempted to steal, goes through with it, and then ends up in jail, that's not something we can point to God and say, God is responsible for this. Enduring trials joyfully, knowing that Christ is shaping you into His image, is not the same thing as giving into temptations and then pretending that it's God's will for your life.

That's exactly why James says what he does here. God does not tempt anyone. God is holy and does not entice anyone to sin. Temptation comes from our own desires, which promises satisfaction, but ultimately deceives.

Look closely at verse 14. Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. The word for desire here points to a strong longing, something that becomes sinful when it takes control of our heart and turns us away from God's order.

The problem isn't that the desire exists. It's that the desire rules us and is expressed in a godless way, instead of submitting our desires to God and that He would have it expressed. Notice, too, temptation is deeply personal.

It connects to what already lives in your heart. God is not pulling strings to make you sin, and Satan cannot force you against your will. Temptation arises because there are areas in your heart where your evil desire still wants to reign, rather than submit to God.

James describes this process so simply. Desire leads to sin, sin grows, and the end is death. So, brother and sister, if you recognize habitual sin in your life, do not make peace with it. Sin will only lead to death.

But the good news is that through Christ, we can resist temptation and submit our desire to God, finding victory not in our own strength, but in His grace. Again, I want to point out the context of what James is saying here.

Remember, it's about trials. Similar as before, when we go through trials, aren't we so quick to excuse some of our sinful habits, instead of running to God in prayer, seeking His face, we run to whatever temptations we have in our own hearts to give us temporary comfort.

At least this is what we convince ourselves to believe. It's been a long day, maybe you just waste time on the internet. You've gone through hardships and troubles, perhaps you give yourself over to alcoholism, or any other vice that there is under the sun.

It's unique to every person. And again, James is putting this in the context of trials. It's not for no reason that he points out that God is not tempting you. This trial has not come over you in order for you to sin.

So look to Christ, hold on to Him, through difficulties, seek Him, and not anything else for temporary comfort. Because as James says, it will lead to death. You might feel that for a short moment it gives you comfort.

It won't. It will lead to your death. Do not make any provision for sin. Finally, we look at verses 16 to 18. James closes this section by guarding the hearts of suffering believers against a dangerous error, confusing God's goodness with the pain of their circumstance.

After speaking plainly about temptation and sin, he warns, do not be deceived. Trials may shake you, and our desires may mislead us, but God Himself is never the source of any moral evil. Every truly good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who is unchanging in His character and His purpose.

Even though our circumstances fluctuate, God does not. He is not inconsistent, divided, or unstable, as we often are. Finally, James lifts our eyes from God's gifts to God's miraculous work. Look there in verse 18.

Our salvation itself began not with our will, effort, or wisdom, but God's sovereign will. Through the word of truth, God brought us forth from spiritual death into life. And that brings us to the ultimate example of how God brings unimaginable good out of what looked like the most tragic loss in all of human history.

Hebrews tells us that for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. From every human perspective, the cross looked like an absolute failure. The Savior was condemned. The one who came to bring life was put to death.

All hoped seemed lost. And yet, this all happened within God's sovereign will. It was God accomplishing His greatest work of redemption. At the cross, Jesus, the perfect sinless Son of God, willingly took the death you and I deserved.

He bore the judgment our sin required. And on the third day, He was raised from the grave, proving that sin and death had been defeated. What looked like the darkest moment in all of history became the very means by which God reconciled sinners to Himself and began redeeming all of creation.

If God can bring the greatest good through what appeared to be the greatest evil, then we can trust Him to even use our trials, however painful, for His good purposes and for our eternal joy. If you're a believer here this morning, don't forget that.

When we suffer as people, we tend to get tunnel vision and notice only the storms around us. But remember Christ. Look to Him. Devote yourself to prayer in seeking His face. Christian, cast your burden onto Jesus for He cares for you and He will not leave you.

A Call to Faith, Fatherhood, and Joyful Endurance

Now, if you're here this morning and you have not put your trust or your hope in Jesus, much of what I have shared probably makes no sense at all. The idea that God's people can endure suffering with joy because He is good may sound just plain impossible, maybe even a little bit crazy to believe.

But this hope and trust that you see amongst God's people is offered freely to you also. God tells us that He rewards those who earnestly and diligently seek Him. And He promises that everyone who turns from their sin and trusts in Christ will be saved.

If you'd like to talk more about this, if you have any questions about it, or if you want to know what it means to follow Christ, myself would be happy to talk to you afterwards. I know Pastor Shane would love to talk to you about it.

Or look to the person on your side and ask them, are you a member of this church? Every Christian is able to give a reason for the hope that they have in their heart. Now it is Father's Day, so let me share a few applications for the Fathers.

As the head of your household, there is a lot on your plate. Some days I feel like that guy, I don't know if it's in the circus or wherever, he's got all these sticks hanging there and trying to spin all the plates and keep everything running.

The reality is that leading our household is a hard task. And the temptation after a long day's work is to just check out and not be involved in your family. But God has uniquely put you in that position of leadership to love your wives and to disciple your children in the way that they should go.

That is our priority as the head of our households. So evaluate your own situation. Does your family see you as a model of someone who reads his Bible daily, prays regularly, and joyfully provides for the needs of your household, especially during times of trouble?

Where do they see you running to when things get hard? Now I get it. For the last 10 years I've been working hard to put a foundation in place to get my family all the way halfway across the world to do long-term missions while being a construction worker.

So I also get home after a long day's work and all I can think of is going to bed, just sleeping, resting for the day. But in Christ we don't need to just rely on our own strength. The reality is it's impossible to be a good father and a good husband in your own strength.

You cannot do it. You simply cannot. Look to Christ. Ask Him for His sustaining power. Lead your family in devotions. Make it a priority. If you have so many different activities in your household that you cannot get to the essentials, maybe some of those spinning plates should just fall and break, focus on your family.

They're such a precious gift of God. For the rest of the church, count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds. Not because the trials are pleasant or because suffering is easy, but because God is good.

So cling to Him as you endure knowing that God works out all things to conform us to Christ. May me pray. Lord Jesus, thank You that neither height nor depth nor width nor anything can separate us from Your love.

Lord, You, who through Your will, Your saving power initially saved us, we know that You're faithful to carry us all the way to the end. Help us to see in the fiercest storms, in the hardest of times, whatever that may be.

Lord, help us to see Your love and Your purpose. Lord, that You can use all things to conform us to Your Son, to perfect us. Lord, thank You that we can count it all joy because You have given us Yourself.

Lord, more precious than anything on this earth, we have received You. Lord, help us to see You clearly, day by day, as we seek You and we grow closer to You. Amen. Thank you for listening to another.

Sermon from Grace Fellowship Church. You can find us on our website at GFCEdmonton .ca or you can find us on Instagram at GraceChurchYag, all one word, or on Facebook at Grace Fellowship Church. We pray that you have been thoroughly blessed by this recording.

God bless you and take care.