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and i've been thinking a lot about the topic of faith and like faith is such a you know faith is a topic which is like easily the milk of god's word but it's also the meat of god's word because our life ought to be living by faith to faith every single day doesn't matter if you're newly saved or if you've been a seasoned believer for some twenty, thirty, forty years we still need to operate by faith and what i picked up here in James 1, look at verse number 3, it says knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience, the trying of your faith the title for our sermon this morning is the trying of our faith, the trying of our faith, now verse number 3 is you know continued from verse number 2 have a look at verse number 2 quickly, it says my brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience and so i was thinking about this fact that you know we go through many temptations you know whether it's temptations that we face where we need to make a decision whether we're going to sin or whether we're going to give in to that temptation and sin against the lord or whether we're going to live a righteous and holy life and live you know walk according to the spirit those everyday temptations that we face temptations also has the idea of trials difficulties, challenges and when i talk to the average person, the average family, the average we've all got trials and difficulties and challenges that we're trying to overcome in our life constantly and there's never, they're like even though you know in many ways i look at my life and i feel like i've never experienced any major problems like major turmoils that other people may face there are still challenges, there are still problems, you know i feel like life you're constantly putting out fires, little fires everywhere sometimes the fires are bigger, sometimes they're smaller but there's always some challenge, some always some difficulty that we've gotta face and you know i feel like you know i'm going through some type of temptation, some type of trial, some type of trial of my faith even this very morning and sometimes i wonder yeah but lord you know i've really gone through these trials, i've really gone through these struggles, i've really you know with your help we've already overcome this, we've already learnt the lesson because you know when you're going through trials and challenges it's not comfortable right you're trying to find solutions and sometimes it's difficult and requires you to step out of your comfort zone and sometimes it makes you wonder you know think of you know uh... lord what's the answer, what's the solution, i don't know how to get out get out of this situation, i don't know how to you know bring the solution and lord it just seems like you're not helping me sometimes in this but the lord always is helping us, he's always guiding us and when i think about this why is it that we never get to a point where okay because when i look back at my life there's been many trials of my faith like just planting new life out of this church was a big trial was a big temptation, was a big challenge right uh... to bring my family across from you know another state which is not a small family and making sure you know do we have the provisions we need to uh... you know make new life possible and all these things like just the different thoughts am i up to the challenge just as a man, as a pastor, i don't know these are trials, these are questions that you ask and you think well you know you pass a test sometimes and you're like yeah but lord why are you putting me through another test and then you pass that test and you're like okay lord but another one, why can't we, like it's enough i think we're okay now lord have you ever wondered that, why do we seems like we sought one issue out okay i can breathe, i can relax and there was another issue it's like well you know is there ever a time where we just sort of relax and take it easy in the christian life and it's never really like that you know if you've lived long enough as a believer you realize it's never really like that there's always a trying of our faith, always, whatever it is and uh... but then i got thinking about it, of course it makes logical sense that there should be more trying of our faith because when you think about uh... like think about what the major test, when we think about just our society, our world the major examination or test that people often talk about every year at least in the media is the HSE, Higher School Certificate and making sure that you get sufficient score, whatever they call it i think it was called the UAI when i was there or TER, i can't remember, i don't know what it's called anymore but you know it's the idea of you know if you get a sufficient score and it's so important because that's going to allow you to enter into university or certain courses and you know uh... whatever it is and that's what everyone seems to talk about you know children that go to high school, year twelve, they're often stressed about their HSE scores and it almost seems like, i remember when i was a teenager i remember thinking, oh man this is like you either succeed in life or you're faithful based on your score and it's not true or so ever but you feel like this is, if i don't do well, yeah that's it, my life is is destroyed and uh... but then you kind of think, okay that's a big test that people often talk about but would it be realistic to say well there's no need for the HSE because i really passed an English test when i was in the second grade you'd say, hold on, just because you passed some English test in the second grade doesn't mean you know the HSE is irrelevant or anything like that just because you passed the second grade doesn't mean you can't be tested for the third grade or just because you graduated from primary school doesn't mean you need you should not be tested in high school or just because you got tested in high school doesn't mean you don't need to be tested or challenged in tertiary studies or whatever it is right i mean like logically of course the more you learn the more you grow then you need to be tested and tried whether you've gained those skills whether you've gained that knowledge it really came to help me understand what it means to be trying, you know, the trial of our faith why is it that we're constantly being tried why are we constantly being tested Lord it's because he wants you to grow, he wants you to learn, he wants to make sure that you've learned the lessons or you know use that examination to teach you the lesson uh... in order for you to be someone greater, something more so you can continue not just being a babe in Christ but you're growing up to the fullness of the measure of Christ and this is the whole point of being tested or being challenged and you know the only way that you can overcome a trial or a test is to pass it because if you don't pass you're going to be tested once again on the same issue or the other way you get passed like you know you overcome that you pass and then God will say okay you've passed the test you've passed the trial now you're ready for a bigger trial and when you pass that trial you're ready for the bigger trial and look there's always a positive end result to the testing and the trying of our faith so as I said the title for this one is the trial of our faith, I want you to understand why you're being tested right now whatever trial you're going through why is it seems like Lord I learned that lesson five years ago this might be a bigger trial for you or maybe you didn't pass the trial five years ago and so you're being tested once again on the same issue but I want you to notice and this is always the hardest thing when you're going through difficulties or trials or challenges is to remind ourselves what it says in verse number two so there are many things that we want to learn there are four points that I want to leave with you this morning and the first point is in verse number two it says my brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations you know and I think this is one of the hardest things for me anyway and maybe it's the hardest thing and yet this is this is clearly laid out in the scriptures when we're being challenged when we feel like our faith is being tested God says count it all joy so rejoice is what God's asking you you know do we rejoice oh another trial I don't like it that's actually the wrong approach the right approach is another trial now testing let's see how I go let's see if I can pass the test you know if the Lord's given me this trial he must believe that I'm ready and with his help we're going to be able to overcome this trial this test I mean that is how it ought to be but how many of us are truly like that another trial bring it on Lord not many of us would take that approach I don't think I don't think that's my first response I don't think like maybe down the track once I oh another oh yeah that's right kind of joy you know when I hear a sermon or something like that I'm reminded by the scriptures I'm supposed to be happy about this can you keep your finger there in James and come with me to first peter chapter four first peter chapter four first peter chapter four please because you know when times are going good and I would argue if you live in Australia times are always going good compared to most people like anyway but you know we're selfish people you know we've grown up in this western world that's greatly blessed and uh but anyway when times are going good that's when it's easy to rejoice that's when it's easy to have fun in life to just be to be happy and be thankful to God for everything that he's given us and and even then like I said even then when things are going good just as you know selfish Australians we often just complain anyway because Australian down the road has got his life better than us and yeah we don't realize that your life is better than literally billions of people on the earth just by the nature of living here okay and living on a sunny coast you've got it better than most people just in general Australia I mean we are truly blessed here at New Life Baptist Church but it's still easy to complain it's easy to whine and and uh God wants to teach us that even in trials and challenges when it's not comfortable that he still wants us to rejoice you know God wants us to be people of joy and in first Peter chapter 4 verse number 12 it says beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened now this is a fiery trial fiery trial I guess is like this is more than just a regular trial more than regular test this is something that's that hurts because it's fire you know it it's it's pressure you know it it feels like you know your your life is being turned upside down but God is saying even when you're going for this trial this fiery trial it says don't think it's strange this is normal God is telling us okay it says in verse number 13 but rejoice what like this is a this is consistent in the bible but rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also look with exceeding joy you see the trials we go through the bible is telling us it's just a little taste of the sufferings of Christ and if Christ suffered and is going to be glorified well as we suffer in life and we pass the test we're also going to be glorified at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ you know the greater we've been refined by God the greater tests and trials we go through in life the greater our resurrection and glory will be when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to take us to heaven I mean I don't fully understand that I don't fully grasp that but I know it's a blessing I know it's something that I want you know I want God to look down thou good and faithful servant that's what I want I want those words to be said of myself and of every member at New Life Baptist Church and to be glorified by Jesus say hey you did well hey you passed the trials you didn't give up you know you stayed running the race you you you kept your eyes on on me the Lord Jesus Christ you know that's what I would want our Lord God to say about us but you see we can rejoice now but there's going to be exceeding joy at the coming of Christ and if we don't have the trials we're not going to be able to experience that exceeding joy it continues in verse number 14 if ye be reproached for the name of Christ rap be ye if people hate you because you're a Christian God says be happy that you ought to be happy about that for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified you know it gives God glory when you're being hated for the name of Christ okay and so I just want to show you brethren is that trials challenges temptations they're there and our first response is is should be joy the first point that I have is you know the trial of faith is to help us understand joy that joy isn't just when things are going well I mean I'm glad you have joy when things are going well but is that the real joy is that the true joy is that the fullness of joy the fullness of joy comes even when things aren't going so well even when there's some trial before you're like I just God I don't want to face it like I've really dealt with enough challenges I don't want to face this one as well but the right approach and I think I still have an area to grow in this and maybe all of us do is that we ought to respond with joy Lord thank you thank you for the challenge thank you for the test you know thank you for this this trial and Lord you're going to refine me you're going to make something great out of me I'm going to have greater joy when I succeed at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ can you come with me to another passage in Psalm 94 Psalm 94 verse number 17 Psalm 94 verse number 17 the trying of our faith I don't know I don't think I've ever said these words to God but I have thought it in my heart Lord enough you know it's I yeah you know I've never said it to God because I want to be careful what I say to God but even if I said it I know Jesus Christ you know he lived like a man he had you know he was you know he was tempted like like we were in many points in life and and our Lord God knows our frailties and our weaknesses but so I was like Lord I just enough Lord I've been tested enough I think I'm okay I think I'm you know I'm satisfied where I am but the Lord no no I want you to be more I want you to be something else I want you to learn I want you to mature I want you to grow because the truth is even if we get to the point where we're satisfied where we are we're still far away from the level of Jesus Christ and there's a lot to that's that's going to be for the rest of your life and that's not going to be accomplished until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but in Psalm 94 verse number 17 it says unless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in silence you know the sign is saying when he's going through difficulties if it's not for the Lord he would have passed away he would have he would have given up by now okay then he says for when I said my foot slippeth thy mercy oh Lord held me up in the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul you know like I said the first point is to understand joy thy comforts delight my soul do you want to delight but notice that in order for us to delight in order for us to have that real joy we need to be comforted by our God but how can we be comforted by our God if we don't have some comforting to go through some challenge some difficulty where we need a comforter and I say Lord I don't know what the solution is right now I don't know what you're trying to put me through right now Lord but I need your comfort in the midst of this trial and when the Lord comes and he comforts you and you know the Lord loves you and he's guiding you and he's leading you and you know that you don't have the answer but God has the answer and you don't know how this is going to turn out good but God knows how it's going to turn out good that gives a lot of comfort delights and you feel like the Lord is close to me but we need the only way we experience that is to be discomforted right in order to need the comfort of the world we need to be discomforted and that comes with the trying of our faith the challenges the difficulties that we go through life and it's going to delight your soul the joy that the God of the universe cares for me that he loves me that he's you know utilizing me that he's using me that he's guiding me that he's directing me he wants me to be something more he wants me to learn some lesson he wants me to pass the test so I can be ready for the bigger test to calm down the track first point that I have for you brethren on the trying of our faith is to understand joy and I don't think you fully understand joy until the trials come and you are rejoiced like when you're like pastor the trials come and I'm just so happy about it then I feel like okay you've learned the lesson you've learned that one I'm still trying to learn it like I get it I get the lesson but I'm still trying to get to the point where when the trial my faith comes my first response is woohoo because the bible is so clear that ought to be the right response you know when the trials come the try now of our faith comes come back with me to James back to James chapter one James chapter one verse number three please and I do feel in general I'm a happy person like in general even though my face people say to think I'm angry I'm not angry it's just I don't know if my face is like that I'm sorry I'm actually quite a happy person like honestly I really love my life I'm in general you know but again when the trials come it's not automatically joy it's sometimes for a bit frustration sometimes it's like Lord why another one why do we need another one right now Lord and I need to be reminded you know I'm preaching this to myself just as much as I'm preaching it to you but in James chapter one verse number three it says knowing this that the trying of your faith work of patience there's the next one right it work of patience and then verse number four why it's so important for some four but let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect an entire wanting nothing the way we would say wanting nothing today is like lacking nothing being content being satisfied we're in the position that we're in today you know the world we live in is is like constantly throwing down our throats why we should not be content the whole reason there's advertisements and billboards you know and sales people is to tell us that we're lacking things and you need to purchase this thing and that's going to fulfill your life you know and so we we constantly have you know we live in a society where you know you need to have the latest whatever it is you know when I look at phones I feel like they haven't really changed for the last 10 years in general at least maybe even 15 years but you know advertisement you know market will tell you you need the latest phone every single year like that's the that's what's been you know pushed down you know our minds and our thoughts and uh you know uh talk of you know there's a lot of talk about the housing market and how it's unaffordable and and it's true well it's true but the whole idea of the media pumping that is so to make you feel like I need that I I'm lacking that why does that some people do have and some people don't have and I you know like this world is like just constantly pumping at you that you know you're lacking things and God is reminding us that when he puts us for a trial it's to work patience and when we have patience like we think of patience like I'm patient I'm not going to get frustrated when something happens okay there's a part of that but it's to get to the points that you go with your patience I'm okay where I am right now I'm doing okay right I have the Lord God he's all sufficient for me you know even if I've lost my material wealth like like job even if I've lost family even if my friends have turned against me even if the devil has destroyed my physical body I'm fine boy I want a level to get to I'm not there yet are you there I don't think I'm there yet I don't think I'd be there like I think if I lost everything like job lost I don't know I don't know I don't know because I've not experienced it but part of me thinks I'm gonna be a disaster part of me thinks I'm gonna be very cast down and I'm gonna be cast down for a long time and somehow job is able to go this is okay I was born naked oh if I die naked so be it it's not like I can take any of this with me to heaven anyway that's like job is it's amazing that was a man who had patience I don't have that level of patience just yet maybe that's why I need the trials right maybe that's why you need trials wanting you know that you may be perfect an entire whole wanting nothing lacking nothing I just did a dictionary definition for the word patient we know what patience is but just wanted to get a bit of more of a dictionary definition it says the quality of being patient or obviously but the quality of being patient as the bearing of provocation annoyance misfortune or pain without complaints loss of temper irritation or the like so when you're going through provocation people provoking you when people are annoying you when misfortune comes upon you when you have pains that you don't turn around and complain you don't lose your temper you don't get irritated that is patience from the dictionary's definition and again is that us I don't think so I don't think that's me completely maybe part me partly maybe I'm developing all of that but there's still part of me that boy when things don't go according to my plan I get frustrated the patience is without the frustration this is okay let's see how the Lord comes through and deals with this and yet you know so many times in my life I'm like and you know because you've gone through this you go through a situation okay how's the Lord going to deal with this I don't know and then he does somehow okay cool and you feel like okay I've learned the lesson I don't need to go for that again and then hold on now I've got the next issue I got the next trial Lord how are you going to come through I don't know and then he does come through and he makes it better than you've thought before and then you go for another one it's like Lord again that idea Lord enough and when the trials and the temptations get greater it doesn't mean you're getting weaker it's that the Lord is saying to you you're stronger you can deal with more you can deal with greater suffering of Christ than you dealt that we before and so your glory and your rejoicing is going to be even greater at the coming of Jesus Christ we need to grow as believers and with growing there's growing pains and that's really what the trial of your faith is it's growing pains but God is saying you're ready to grow when he puts you through that trial don't give up because when you give up you're giving up on God God I mean God's the one that's going to get you through that right don't give up because if you give up that trial is going to come again until you learn and then come again the same one again and again and again until you learn I saw something maybe I don't want to learn Lord because then the next one's going to be even more difficult but the Lord knows that that's what you can achieve that's what you can accomplish you know and I want patience you know maybe that trial a few while you know years ago gave you some level of patience and the next one gives you more patience more patience to the point where you say I'm fine this is all right bring it on and I'm going to rejoice like I saw earlier but the second point I have is to develop patience can you come with me to Psalm 37 again keep a finger in James Psalm 37 please Psalm 37 patience gives us self-control you know people always like because I fly so often to Sydney you know they always have the um the safety instructions and the whole point of the safety instructions is that people would not panic on a plane if something happens something wrong happens the likelihood of something happening is so insignificant but they know how much damage panic can cause you know like even if you're not the strongest swimmer and if you're struggling in like in the in the pool or the ocean they recommend hey just put your hand up you know and hopefully lord willing the lifeguard will see you or someone will see you but you know when you start to panic is when you go down faster and if you're on a plane and people start to panic then there's going to be more loss of life if a situation develops because you need to stay cool calm and collected as they say and that's part of the patience developing that God wants in you right when something doesn't go well God does not want you to panic and give up and it's all lost no no learn and and grow it and have self-constraint have some self-control but in Psalm 37 verse number seven it's so hard but like Simon's like this all the time rest in the Lord rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him God wants us to be patient with him yeah patient with our trial okay Lord trial what's the answer what's the solution God I need it I'm gonna be patient I'm gonna rest Bible says rest in you be patient with you Lord be patient with you I'm glad my wife is patient with me because there are projects that I've started and I won't mention what they are but there's one thing since Christmas that I've not finished and my wife leaves me alone I'm glad I'm glad not being nagged week in week out like sometimes we nag God that's just patient with me it'll get done honey don't worry but patience right be uh rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him look at Brett's not thyself that's like don't panic but don't lose control Brett not thyself because of him who prospered in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass cease from anger and forsake wrath fret not thyself in any wise to do evil okay sometimes that might happen when you've been trialled in tried in your faith you might get that wrath at anger another issue another struggle why sorry cease from anger forsake wrath just rest in God say God you gave me this trial you knew you knew it was coming you knew it was coming before I knew and Lord whether you've allowed it I mean you've always allowed it because if it's happening God's allowed it right you've allowed it Lord help me to just rest in you Lord I'm gonna wait patiently I'm gonna go to you God you know the answer you know it's coming you know the solution you know when this trial is over you know when this testing is done it says in verse number nine for evildoers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth that's amazing I know look all of us are going to inherit the earth because we're going to rule the reign of Christ but we also know that in the millennial reign of Christ there are different positions different levels of authority the more we've done for the Lord the greater our positions and rewards will be during that time but something I take away from this it seems like even being patient and waiting for the Lord elevates our status in the world to come because they shall inherit the earth we'll inherit the earth you know the you know the frustrations that happen on this earth that upset us like get us upset you know um well that's all going to go away we're going to be here inheriting the new heavens new earth or the millennial crisis put it that way and uh those that wait upon the Lord we're going to wait for him you know patience requires us to to wait on the Lord that means our full dependence is on him like if we're resting in him just like salvation I mean you know you're going to heaven I'm so at rest about that I'm I'm never doubting I'm going to heaven when I die why because you're a good person not because I rest in Jesus Jesus did all the work I'm just the same same thing rest in Jesus you done it Jesus you did all the work so when I rest on my Lord through the trial that I'm being tested for him he's got to do the work as well that's what it means to rest on him to wait on him and also patience requires you to faithfully accept that the Lord knows what you need I know we think we know what we need like okay I need to pay the bill yeah I need to whatever like you know we need to do this we need to do that I need to uh run church services need to um be there for blessed hope sometimes or whatever whatever whatever you know put your life needs in place and what you what needs to accomplish but the Lord knows more like if we're resting in him we're waiting okay Lord you know you know the answer you know the solution I'm just going to rest I'm going to take it easy in you Lord and I find that mate another hard aspect to develop patience in the midst of a trial because my brain starts to create all these solutions here's plan A here's plan B here's plan C here's plan D here's plan E you know instead of going all right here's plan A rest in the Lord I'm usually doing it I'm trying to do God's work when I'm going for the trial and like what are we supposed to do though like when you say rest we're not just saying okay just don't do anything I mean just do what we need to do do everyday life that we need to do according to God's word according to instructions all right if there's an area in our life that is not measuring up so that we know that the Lord needs we'll need to fix that all right but you know we're doing what God wants from us and the rest of it God's going to take care of that trial he's going to let us get through that experience and he knows the end result of that so point number two brevity is it's to develop patience to develop patience that we can say it's okay I'm lacking nothing I've got everything I need it's all in the hands of the Lord if you've got a finger back in James come back for me to James chapter one and verse number five James the one verse number five you know how I just told you that when I'm going for a trial I'm thinking of solution a b c d e well verse number five actually has the right solution here James 1 5 says if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upright if not and it shall be given him that's a promise Lord I'm going through trial I don't know I'm pretty confident you're all honest people and when you're teenagers and you went to school whatever it was you never cheated on your test did anyone cheat on the test ever did anyone ever write answers on their arm like I did did anyone ever look at their students oh when that happens we're lacking wisdom so when we lack wisdom we have the ultimate cheat code and it's okay it's a righteous cheating God what's the answer right God what is the answer and he says here that he giveth to all men liberally God will give you the answer and upright if not he's not going to get upset with you because you looked at the his examination papers like God wants us to look at his word what's the answer here it is the answer it's in my word ah yeah I've got the answer now okay and it shall be given him but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavering is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed you see another reason why God gives us these trials or the trying of our faith is that we will gain wisdom that we would not be tossed like the sea you know and uh you know the waves are blowing this way or the wind's blowing that way the waves are taking me that way and we just you know we just don't know where to stand it's wisdom at the end that's the whole point right the whole point of a test when you're doing an actual test is to see how much knowledge have you gained you know have you maintained the knowledge that you had during your studies or during your whatever your education what wisdom do you have at the end of that test that's the same point it's like when you get through it you know the idea here is that you ought to be a little wiser I I see now I feel I am a little wiser I don't think I'm that wise though I do think over the years I'm a little wiser than I was when I was 20 years old a little wiser than when I was 25 a little wiser than when I was 30 a little wiser than I was 35 and 40 and 43 now praise God for that but still hey when I if Lord willing allows me to live 80 that's I'm getting much wiser when I'm 80 than I am today so I still have a lot wisdom to learn but that wisdom is not man-made we saw that wisdom say God I need your wisdom Lord I need to cheat on the test can you give me the answer can you give me the solution I'll wait on you I'm gonna wait on you I'm gonna rest in you but I know you have the solution for me the third point Brevin is to to gain wisdom and um if you can come with me to Acts chapter 7 come with me to Acts chapter 7 and while you're turning to Acts 7 I'm going to read to you from the book of wisdom the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 2 you go to Acts 7 Proverbs 2 verse 3 remember where to pray where to ask God for wisdom well in Proverbs 2 verse 3 it says yay if thou cryest after knowledge and lifteth up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her for as hid treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God wow find the knowledge of God but it comes with the fear of the Lord in verse number six it says for the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding he layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly for the Lord giveth wisdom so I'm going through a trial of my faith right now the Lord's ready to give you wisdom he wants you to pass the test and be wiser more knowledgeable a greater understanding than you had before I mean our Lord God is good he wants to give us his knowledge and wisdom and understanding the knowledge of God he lay up sound wisdom he's a buckler to them that woke up right a buckler is like a shield wisdom is like a shield so when you get lies and you know brainwashing thrown at you you know the greater you grow the more trinal your faith you've developed you develop a bit of a shield from the garbage the world keeps saying to you sometimes all the garbage even here Christians say it becomes a bit of a buckler like I need to hear that rubbish give me the wisdom of the Lord a bit wiser a bit stronger a bit more ready for the battle you're there in act seven verse number nine I want to think about joseph here it says in and the patriarchs moved with envy sold joseph into egypt but God was with him could you imagine don't be being a slave like that's a horrible life being a slave or taken to another country egypt and the people that made your slave or your own brothers that you're supposed to love your family your family betrayed you sell you to egypt like what kind of that's a trial have you gone through that like kind of trial I mean maybe maybe you've experienced rejection from your family but have they sold you into slavery I mean I mean it happens but that's horrible like joseph is a real human being he lived in history it's not just some story reading a book he went through this but the bible tells us even though he went through this but God was with him that's amazing so when he's thrown in the pit God was with him in the pit when he's taken to the slavers and he's been carried away into egypt God's with him on the journey all the way what a beautiful thing to be saved like to have our God with us no matter how bad how many trials we go through and universal my tenant says because God was with him it says and delivered him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom we saw that already the wisdom in the sights of pharaoh king of egypt and he made him governor over egypt and all his house you know there came a dearth over all the land of egypt and canan and great affliction and our fathers found no substance so I keep reading we know the story but joseph became second in command over the most powerful nation of the earth but how how did you how did he do that he went through a great shrine of his faith i get sad but God was with him it tells me that hey when when when joseph was able to understand God's with me and he's able to see the hand of God that joseph would have been joyful joseph would have been patient not only we're still here joseph gained wisdom in his trials say what purpose so you can be the second most powerful man in egypt and then when the famine comes and affects your whole family affects entire peoples and nations you've got the wisdom you've prepared you know what's going through going through the hard times and you're able to give a solution to everyone else going through a hard time how do we apply that today when you see brother so and so or sister so and so going for a trial that's similar to yours you say brother i tell you now God is with you i had a similar situation not to boast of myself but God saw me through i saw the hand of God i wanted to give up i got frustrated but i've seen God come through and i know God's going to come through for you as well joseph was able to help others because of his trying of his faith you know at the end of day that's what God wants from us he wants us to support build each other up edify one another when we see that we're going through different and look all of us are going through some trying of our faith all of us smaller larger you know and this is where we need to come alongside and pray and encourage and remind each other that God is there because sometimes we forget at least i forget sometimes ah issue problem came up why maybe God wasn't there no he's always there he's just given me that trial to make myself something more something greater to learn the wisdom to learn to understand joy to develop patience if you can come with me to um come with me to Romans Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 and while your turn to Romans 12 i'm going to quickly read you from Colossians 1 Colossians 1 9 because as i was preparing this sermon i think i tried like faith i'm trying our faith and i developed this okay from from what i could have seen james it's to understand joy joy to develop patience to gain wisdom but then when i was kind of going through the through the new testament and trying to see other passages i realized that formula gets repeated in other passages so one passage is colossians 1 9 i'll just read it to you it says for this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy to the lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing with the knowledge of god strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness just in that passage there in which colossians 1 you can see that he's praying that the church would have all wisdom spiritual understanding that they would be uh unto have unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness like all those elements came into play when i was looking at passage in colossians 1 line and so what that tells me is that colossian church obviously must have been going through some trying of their faith you're there in romans 12 look at romans 12 12 rejoicing in hope there's a rejoice patient in tribulation there's the patience continuing instant in prayer or continuing instant prayer whenever where when we need knowledge we need wisdom we go and seek that from the lord we go and pray to our lord god and ask for his answer for his solution to our trial and our difficulty i just started to see uh maybe there are other passages i just you know when you start to look at a topic you start to see different patterns in the bible that are similar and so when i when i looked at that when i looked okay james colossians romans and maybe other passages i don't know you've got this trifecta almost the joy the patience the wisdom all kind of combined in different passages and i realize how important the trial of our faith is like it's actually a concept that is going to be found throughout all the bible and it's something that we're going to face all our lives so we need to get used to it we need to understand that the trying of our faith is going to come maybe right now you're coasting along just fine maybe right now it's all breezy it's all cool no issues really i think the trying of faith is coming sooner than you expect because that's what i find when i'm like oh no issues for all oh there okay there we go there's the problem there's the trying there's the challenge come back with me to james one james one there's one more point there's one more point that i want to draw out of this back to james one verse number 12 james one drop down to verse number 12 it says blessed is the man that endureth temptation it's a there's a blessing for this is why for when he's tried when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the lord have promised to them that love him the fourth point of the trial of our faith is to win the crown of life maybe sometimes we fail in the trial of our faith we give up and we lose and we you know well god gives another trial then god gives another trial say why lord so you can win the crown of life right blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the lord have promised to them that love him so when the trial comes thank you lord when the trial comes i love you lord thank you for giving me another opportunity to win the crown of life look we know once again when christ comes he wants to reward us and again i don't know how to measure all these things up but some of these rewards some of these treasures are crowns and one crown that god wants us to win in life is the crown of life look that is obviously going to be a precious ornament in eternity you know if we wear that crown you know we went through the trials we went for the shrine of our faith and we passed and we passed the level where we gained we earned the crown of life can i just show you another passage you know revelation 2 come with me to revelation 2 because that crown of life gets brought up twice in the bible and the other reference is in revelation 2 verse number 10 revelation chapter 2 verse number 10 it says fear none of those things this is of course jesus speaking to a church fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried sometimes that god allows the devil to give us hardships lord why the devil so you can be tried thrown into prison for the name of christ so you can be tried so you can go through a testing a new challenge it says here and you shall have tribulation or that's troubles 10 days and look at this instruction be thou faithful unto death that's amazing some believers lose their life have lost their lives god says be faithful you know what if you're going to lose your life in a trial that's your timing that's god's timing for you though that's it your you know god's perfect time in your life it's time for you to pass away god says look these last 10 days of your life be faithful even if it's in prison wow you know count it all joy sometimes we see the apostle paul in prison we see his rejoicing rejoicing his bonds he says that's uh i mean to get to that point to get to that level in christianity wow i feel like again i'm still far off from that but then he says this at the end of verse number 10 and i will give thee a crown of life wow what trying of your faith to get to that point i mean that literally losing your life or being thrown in prison for christ for doing nothing wrong but being a believer that's a guaranteed crown of life right there as long as you remain faithful as long as you remain faithful to the lord you know you don't give up on the lord you know you are you know it's working patience you you're rejoicing you're you're gaining further wisdom from god even if it's coming to the end of your life you know you're in favor to god in that trial and he promises you the crown of life well it doesn't look like we need to get to that point where we need to you know literally be front in prison to gain the but you know but the trials that we do have think about that well god's given me another chance to win the crown of life what is that kind of life i'm just i'm telling you if it's the crown of life it's going to be more valuable than life itself you know if god is expecting some to lose their life over it it must be worth much more than even my own life great rewards great rewards in heaven you guys know this passage matthew 619 lay not up for yourselves treasured upon earth where moth and rust off corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust off corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be also you know god wants in our heart for us to desire the crown of life a treasure in heaven that no one can ever steal from me that will have for all eternity how do i get that crown of life it ought to be a desire of our heart how do i get it lord here's how you get it the trying of your faith there you go you know overcome the temptation learn the lessons find joy have patience gain the wisdom be faithful and that crown of life will be rewarded to us when we see jesus christ thank you for patience brethren in summary just those four points the trying of our faith why does god allow us we don't like it's uncomfortable being tested is not the nicest feeling but number one it's to understand joy number two it's to develop patience number three it's to gain wisdom and number four it's to win the crown of life okay let's pray