Rev. David Holwick M First Baptist Church Ledgewood, New Jersey April 17, 1994 James 1:1-4,12 WHY IS LIFE SO HARD? ==================== I. Life can be tough. On a commuter flight from Portland, ME., to Boston, Henry Dempsey, the pilot, heard an unusual noise near the rear of his small aircraft. He turned the controls over to his co-pilot and went back to check it out. As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He quickly discovered the source of the mysterious noise. The rear door had not been properly latched prior to take-off, and it flew open. Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the jet. The co-pilot, seeing the red light that indicated an open door, radioed the nearest airport, requesting permission to make an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and he requested a helicopter search of that area of the ocean. After the plane landed, they found Henry Dempsey--holding onto the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. Somehow he had caught the ladder and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet. Then, at landing, he had kept his head from hitting the runway, which was a mere twelve inches away. It took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey's fingers from the ladder. Things in life may be turbulent, and you may not feel like holding on. But have you considered the alternative? #1717 A. Nobody lives without troubles. B. Christians are not immune, and may face more than their share. C. How we handle troubles means the difference between being shallow and bitter, or mature and joyous. II. Being on trial. A. Two definitions of trial (NIV) / temptation (KJV): 1) An enticement to sin. a) The devil's work. -2- 2) A trial to test faith. a) Similar to Job. God is ultimately behind it. b) This definition is key to James 1:2-4. 1> (Enticement to sin is treated later in chapter.) B. Three varieties of trials that Christians face. 1) Reap-what-you-sow trials. Gal 6:7 a) We make stupid mistakes, we pay for them. b) The "Law of the Harvest." 2) Spiritual trials. 1 Pet 4:12 a) Persecution and rejection. Nancy Bartolec mentions a Bulgarian friend who is getting pressure from her family. This is typical in many parts of the world. Mahendra Singal was born into a strict Hindu home in India. They interpreted troubles as divine wrath against family. They also felt powerless to change fate. An important duty was making offerings to the god Shiva. He was depicted sitting on the world, holding skulls. One year Mahendra skipped this offering, and all the family's bad luck was blamed on him. Seeking a higher truth, he answered a newspaper ad for a Bible study course. In the Bible he found answers to his questions. Mahendra became a teacher and taught at a Christian school. He still wasn't a believer, but the missionaries witnessed about Jesus to him. The fact that the Christian God reaches out to people was intriguing to him. His dilemma was that his family would suffer disgrace. Only after urgent pleading did he become a Christian. In his own words, "I was not ready for what came my way after conversion. My family disowned me, my friends shunned me, as if I had a dread disease. Even more surprising, most of the missionaries left me alone because in their view they had reached their objective. -3- Fortunately, Mahendra did find Christian friends to support him. But for many people, becoming a born-again Christian carries a heavy price. Even here in Ledgewood, even in your own family. #2631 b) Christians should be out-of-step with society. 1> If we don't cause some friction, we are not doing our job. 3) Mysterious trials. a) Some trials do not have a clear-cut reason. 1> Example of Job. b) Ramifications of living in a fallen world. III. The proper attitude toward trials. A. Many turn to resentment, anger at God. 1) God is blamed for not changing things. 2) God is blamed for not living up to expectations. B. Others become apathetic and withdraw from life. 1) They may feel they have been singled out. 2) Life is not fair to them. C. James gives another alternative - joy. 1:2 1) Sounds like simplistic clichŠ, or even masochism. a) Not a pasted-on smile. b) We don't seek trails. c) "Consider" it pure joy, not that pain is joyful, but our attitude about it makes the critical huge difference. 2) We have joy, because we know pain's purpose. a) We hate the pain, but look beyond it. b) God uses pain to reach and teach us. -4- 3) Alien attitude to us, but common in Bible. a) Jesus: Blessed are you when persecuted. Matt 5:11-12 b) Acts: Apostles rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer. Acts 5:41 c) Paul: In all my troubles, my job knows no bounds. 2 Cor 7:4 d) Hebrews: Joyfully accepted confiscation, knowing you had lasting possessions. Heb 10:34 4) We are joyful because God is still in control. a) All things have meaning in life. b) We must decide if we will accept it, or reject it. IV. The purpose of testing. A. God is testing us to see if our faith is truly in HIM. 1) Meaning of "testing." a) Word used of testing of coins, if real or counterfeit. b) Refining process, to get rid of bad and reinforce good. 2) Every situation in life shows what we're really made of. a) Hard circumstances can burn away the negatives. B. God is testing us to produce perseverance. 1) Not just "patience," but stick-to-it-iveness. 2) Don't give up. In June of 1955, Winston Churchill, who was then near the end of his life, was asked to give a commencement address at a British university. At this time he was physically infirm; he had to be helped to the podium. Then he held on the podium for what seemed an interminable amount of time. He stood hunched over but then finally raised that great lion-like head of his. -5- The voice that years before had called Britain back from the brink of destruction sounded publicly for the last time in history: "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." With that, Churchill turned and went back to his seat. Witnesses said there was silence, and then, as if one person, the whole audience rose to applaud him. Again and again throughout Churchill's political career, he had known setbacks. Three times, his career apparently over, he was sent off to oblivion, and yet somehow he had a sense that there was still something left after the worst. Don't give up. God is not done with you yet. #2021 C. God is testing us to develop our character. 1) Maturity/perfection. Matt 5:48 a) Not absolute sinlessness. b) More like fully grown, reaching our end. 2) Completeness. (redundant?) a) Whole and complete in all its parts. b) More like Jesus. In "A View from a Zoo," Gary Richmond tells about the birth of a giraffe: The first thing to emerge are the baby giraffe's front hooves and head. A few minutes later the plucky newborn calf is hurled forth, falls ten feet, and lands on its back. Within seconds, he rolls to an upright position with his legs tucked under his body. From this position he considers the world for the first time. The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a look. Then she positions herself directly over the calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heals. When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts... -6- Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible in order to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they'd get it too, if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it... Has there ever been a time when you endured one trial, only to get knocked down again? It may be God helping you to remember how it was that you got up, urging you to walk, in his shadow, under his care. #1903 3) "Lacking in nothing" sums it up. V. God is still working on you. ============================================ extra draft notes: I. "Different" ways our faith can be tested. A. Physical - sickness, death. B. Emotional - hurts, rejection. C. Spiritual - doubts, failings. II. Where temptations come from. A. Other people: enemies and persecutors. 1) Testimony of rejection of Mahendra Singhal. B. Circumstances of a fallen world. 1) Tornadoes, gas explosions. C. Our own sinful and stupid mistakes. III. Those who pass test, find their lives and faith grow deeper. IV. As James puts it, testing of faith produces patience. AUTHOR: James R. Mc Kee, St. Louis, Missouri PAGE: DATE: 1990 Summer Typist: ge ENTERED: 3/11/92 DATE_USED: ILLUSTRATION__________________________________________________________________ : V. Ultimate result - crown of life. A. Ultimate victory is ours in Jesus.