Do Not Be Deceived About The Goodness of God | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Maranatha Shabiba 2022)

I know we just prayed, but why don't we just, for a brief moment ask the Lord as we open the word to help us. Shall we? Lord, we thank you for your word. We are humbled. We're grateful for the chance in this time of history to be gathered in a room with no fear of any attack, any persecution, any hostility.

And, Lord, you know the hearts of all men. That is your prerogative. And we ask, oh God, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the word may be honored and that it would come in full conviction. It would come in the Holy Spirit. It would come with power.

Lord, we we need you. Thank you for the testimonies from the years before this meeting. Lives have been changed on a Friday night. We pray that the same would happen today with no manipulation, no coercion of the flesh, but by the compelling work of the Holy Spirit. Help us, Lord.

Save us from deception. Rescue us from our heart's own lies, and bring us into the light that sets us free. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. When it comes to discussing the dangers of deception, usually in the mind, the general idea around that discussion is that there are great misconceptions about the holiness and the justice of God.

That is usually what is threatened when we talk about the deception, about the nature, and about the character of God. And let me tell you that it is no doubt. It shouldn't be a doubt that there is a great delusion that is plaguing our generation concerning not just the kindness of God, but as the apostle Paul says, the severity of God. The severity of God. That's in Romans 11.

But at the same time, the perils of deception, the jeopardy that comes with a false view of God are not limited to a skewed or twisted view of his righteousness. It goes beyond that. You can have people, and it's equally possible for some to actually be misled about their understanding concerning the supreme goodness of God. And you can even have followers of Jesus Christ who have a diluted understanding of the depth of the compassion, tenderness, kindness, and the love of their heavenly father. So what I wanna present to you today is that the word of God actually cautions Christians to beware of of having a blurred perception, not about what we heard today merely his holiness, his righteousness, his call for repentance, but even the depth of his heart concerning his personal love and affection toward you as an individual.

That is precisely what James was concerned about when he wrote to his readers in chapter one of his letter, and that is where I'm asking you to meet me in your bibles in James chapter one. James, by the spirit, was concerned that his readers who were steeped in various trials dispersed across the known world of being misled by their circumstances concerning the goodness of God. And more importantly, it's the Holy Spirit through James who anticipated that there would be people even today who would fall into the same trap of not being able to understand who God is and his goodness. And that is the main focus of our time together tonight. I want you to realize that as we are speaking about deception this weekend, that there is the threat about about being deceived concerning God being the source of every good and perfect give in your life.

James one verse 16, we read a familiar phrase, do not be deceived. Christians, 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. Some wonder if verse 16, the the charge not to be deceived, is connected to the thoughts presented before verse 16 or is a way for James to introduce his argument after verse 16. And if you if you really look at it in in the wisdom of the spirit, you will understand, and I'm under the persuasion that verse 16 is actually a hinge between both thoughts.

And so he is saying, do not be deceived about what I just said and don't be deceived what I'm about to say. Because the the section is dealing with the same idea. And here's the idea, that we even as believers in the Lord Jesus can fail to interpret the dealings of God in our day to day lives. And what's incredible is we don't have time, but if you go to verse 13 down to verse 15, it's the negative understanding. Meaning, James clarifies who God is not.

God is not, my beloved brothers, the source of your temptation. God is not a sadistic god who takes pleasure in your pain, and so he drags you along through some trials with the intent of seeing you fail. God is not the source of your temptation. And then you go to verse 17 onwards and you see the positive aspect of this. So James wants to clarify who God truly is, and who God truly is is the source of all good.

He is the stream in which everything perfect and everything that you would identify as a blessing and even fail to identify as a blessing. He is the wellspring of every good and perfect gift. And, oh, how we are often deceived about this. And let me tell you a subtle way we are deceived about this. You have many people, if they're honest with themselves, though they wouldn't confess it, though they they speak fluent Christianese.

God is good all the time. God is good all the time. And you know what they're saying? Because in their minds, if you really investigate, what you will see is that many believers believe God is good, but for some things. He is responsible for some of the good, but when I look around and I look at myself, I realize that there are other vessels, other contributors to the goodness that I have in my life.

And so you have these people who have categories of of where and what and who. And so God is good and he's a source of good in saving my soul. He he sent his son to die on the cross for my sins. And I'm so glad I have this ticket to eternal life and I can escape the fury of God's wrath. But but there's some goodness here and and there's some goodness there and, my wife is good, my children are good, my job is good, my puppy is good, and my my yacht is good.

And and so they create these these false categories in their minds. And what James is trying to get across is, no no, you don't realize. God isn't just the source of the gift of salvation. He's a source of every gift. Every good.

Every blessing. And despite the means by which those blessings come from, whether they seem to come from your abilities, or whether they seem to come from your spouse, or whether they seem to come from your children, or even your pastors, behind all of it, God is the originator. He authorizes it. He signs off on it, and he has you in mind when he provides it. This is something that we have to understand.

Listen, behind all the basic services that you engage with day to day that seem to make your life a little more easier, all the way to the events that orchestrate our history as mankind. God is the one in a very deep way who is to be crowned as the source of all good. He's the one who steers everything even when those vehicles are very unlikely to be related to God. And I want you to understand that in different examples, but I want you to see this in a very profound way. God spoke to his people, the people of Israel at one point.

They were in exile. They were in exile and it seemed hopeless. Their sin brought them to Babylon. And here they are not knowing really when they're gonna go back, though some of the righteous understood that there was a set time when they're gonna go back. And God gives a prophecy through the prophet Isaiah.

And he comforts his people for them to see something that could they could not see on the surface, that they would not be able to interpret at face value. Because what God says in a particular prophecy, which is one of the greatest apologetics for the supernatural origin of the word of God. God actually gives a prophecy about a ruler many years before his time by name, by the way, by name. And his name was Cyrus. And this ruler would be raised up by God.

Though he had no covenant with God, though he had no adherence to his commandments, God would handpick a man who did not even believe in him, raise him up, and through him, release the people to go back into the promised land. And I want you to see the goal behind God doing that. I want you to see the motivation in the heart of God in doing something so grand and spectacular. You can turn there. If not, this it will be on the screen.

In Isaiah 45 verse four to six, God speaks through his prophet to comfort the nation of Israel that were in bondage by a foreign foe. And he says in Isaiah 45 verse four. Hey, listen. If again, if you want to really evangelize and you wanna defend the faith, I can't think of a greater text. There are great text, but this one is astounding as a prophecy.

Isaiah prophesied someone hundreds of years. Maybe they say between a hundred and eighty, two hundred years before his time by name. And we read here in Isaiah 45 verse four and six, for the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name. I name you though you do not know me, speaking to Cyrus. I am the Lord, and there is no other besides me.

There is no God. I equip you though you do not know me. That people may know from the rising of the sun and from the West that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. Notice the goal?

It's right there in the first part, for the sake of my servant, Jacob. Listen, this history shifting event that took place for Cyrus to become a world dominating power would surely be inter interpreted differently by the nations who are watching this. But in God's book, it is clear that all of this took place to prepare his people, to reposition his people Israel, and he's telling them ahead of time so that when it happens, they can say, there's no one like you. There's no one like you. What I'm trying to communicate through this is that in this prophecy, the Holy Spirit explains in one way the mindfulness of God that he was the factor behind a secular pagan king being raised up who had no covenant with God for the sole purpose of his people being liberated and then him receiving glory for it.

And so how much more comfort do you need than that in these times where we're seeing nations rage, and politicians becoming tyrannical, and law shifting and dishonesty these rumors of what's to come, how much more can we be comforted to know that God is sovereign over it all? And not only is he sovereign, but the same God who had his chosen people at the time Israel as a priority. And the purposes of his orchestration and navigation over the natures, is he no different for his bride? I look at everything and you can watch whatever station you watch. And you know what I see behind it all?

There is a God on his throne and he has his people and their good, their purification, their sanctification in mind as the primary goal of all of this and he will receive the glory for it. May God open our eyes to see beyond what may seem irrelevant, what may seem disconnected to our faith. Cyrus had no relationship to Israel. Cyrus didn't have relationship to God and yet God says, he doesn't even know me. I'm gonna equip him.

He doesn't even know me. I'm gonna raise him up. And through that, I'm going to bless my people. So just through that, I mean, how much do we fail to see concerning the goodness of God behind what we see in major events and in small micro events in our lives? How much do we actually fail to see?

James wants to reinforce this truth. Believe that God is the source of all good even if you can't interpret the goodness yet. Even though it's something that is difficult to understand in the moment. And I want you to understand that Satan seeks to deceive the people of God in this for many reasons. And here's here's a here's an umbrella reason.

You ready for this? If we fail to see God as the source of every good and perfect gift, then we will fail to give him glory in everything. If we cannot attribute and we cannot crown him as the one who is the wellspring of all that we enjoy and drink from, then it's gonna be very difficult to do what the bible tells us throughout the scripture and that's glorify him in everything. And I want you to see a perfect example. We've been talking about David a lot.

We're talking about him again more here. I want you to see an example of what is unlocked when this conviction as simple as it may be, not just in theory, but when it is really, really fixed as a foundation in your heart, what it will unleash, what kind of blossoming will come out of it in your life, the fragrance that will come about when we really, really believe this. I mean, when you really look at everything and all you see is God's autograph on it. David gives us a perfect example when he dedicates the temple. He had it on his heart.

I wanna build God a house. My house is more is more beautiful and and he's living in a tent this can't be, so he has this desire to build God a house. God says, there's too much blood on your hands. You're a man of war. Men of war cannot build my house.

I want a man of peace. So his son would do it, but but David does what he can to prepare the resources for this temple to be made when he would pass on into glory. And there's this wonderful prayer of dedication. And I would really encourage you turn those pages to first Chronicles 29 and verse 12 to verse 14. What am I trying to communicate here?

What I'm trying to explain? What is unlocked when we step into the place of really believing that God is the source of every good and perfect gift? And here's what we see in David's life. First Chronicles 29 verse 12. I'll wait for you to get there.

I remember when I I went to one of my first conferences, I didn't have I had zero knowledge of the bible. So the preacher went up there and he says, turn to the book of Hebrews. I'm like, Hebrews, Jews, has to be in the old testament. I was looking in the old testament. So Somebody beside me is like, no, the other side.

I was like, turn into the other side. I always remember that. God is so patient. Here's what David says. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule overall.

In your hand are power and might, and in your hand is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. But who am I? And what is my people that we should be able to thus offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

For all things come from you. This is what King David believed wholeheartedly and he expresses it joyfully as he comes near the end of his life. Listen, by declaring all things come from you, what he is saying is every material, every ounce that we've been able to retrieve was ultimately prepared and provided by God. But it's not limited to that. Because when he says all things, he really means all things.

Things beyond the event that he is celebrating now. When he means all things, he means my kingship. He means my babies, my children, my friends, my my loyal soldiers, all the evasions of the enemy trying to take my life, my physical mobility. And if you read the Psalms, even the soundness of my sleep comes from the one who sustains me while I sleep. All things come from you.

And because of this, we see that David was able to recognize God's intentional and personal provision. And listen, in the same passage, you see the fruit of this conviction. This this actually might solve a lot of the reason why you feel like you cannot be a praise full person. Notice in verse 13, when this conviction is truly set in your soul, it will produce genuine, unashamed, heartfelt worship. Worship.

And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. This is a praise that is particular and it is connected to the realization that from the hand of God comes power, might, and strength. And here's the principle, that an accurate acknowledgment of God stirs the appropriate adoration for God. The accurate acknowledgment of God stirs the appropriate adoration for God. This may sound like it will judge, but it's okay.

We should judge righteously. I have a hunch that maybe one of the reasons why there are some who cannot get themselves to praise, whether it's privately or corporately, is because they don't firmly believe that their successes in its various forms has been enabled by heaven's authority. That that that has to be one of the reasons why. Because you you you are compelled. There is a rumbling in your heart when you have the revelation ever before you that everything that I know, everything that I enjoy, every success that I have experienced comes from the hand of God that was personally extended to me, and if you don't really believe that it will prove itself in one way and that is unable to praise.

Unable to praise spontaneous praise, unable to praise when you have gifted musicians before you, unable to praise when you experience something sweet, unable to praise when you are celebrating some event in your life, unable to praise. I can tell you one thing about people, it goes beyond personality. I'm sorry. I can't buy it. It goes beyond, well, this is just the way I'm wired.

It goes beyond that. You have to dig deep and realize that have you really believed that God has poured out everything upon your life that you consider good and perfect? The temptation to forget God's authorship behind all of our accomplishments was so great. Listen to this. God understands our nature to the degree that in the old covenant, he apart so that we would mute and silence all activity in order to have undivided meditation and recognition for the very same thing that David is saying here.

It was called the Sabbath. And you read in Exodus 31 very clearly that the reason why God gave the Sabbath to the nation of Israel was so that they would remember once a week, it is the Lord who sanctifies me. It's the Lord who set apart me as a special person, as a special people, and all the blessings that we enjoy, it is the Lord. And listen, this was so serious in the eyes of God that to disobey that command was punishable by death. Why?

Because it has direct relationship between nurturing worship as you meditate on the fact that he is the author of everything. And to neglect that would actually feed into the itch of idolatry. So to neglect that would actually be a major contribution to so much of the mishaps and the mistakes and the intentional deviations from God. That's even if you look at why they went into exile, God measured their punishment based on the Sabbath that they have missed. Be because you did not honor the Sabbath, you're going into exile.

You wanna worship false gods? Then go to the nation that worships false gods. And until you make up for the time that you missed the Sabbath, until then, can you come back? What does that tell you? Tells you this, that their neglect of a day that was designated to say, let's just pause on everything and reflect on the fact that God is the one behind all of our business success, our family success, all that we know is from him.

Because of that, there is something there in terms of their idolatry being alive and well. Another message would would be helpful in understanding the Sabbath principle for us Christians today. But you know what that tells me? That God's non negotiable command to that degree teaches us that we, by default, listen, are going to sway in the direction of failing to see God as a source of everything that is good. That is your default frame of mind.

We need to be trained, and we need to intentionally renew our minds and rehearse over ourselves that this is the sanctifying post that I must abide by. He is the source of everything. That constant conscious awareness of God is absolutely crucial to our sanctification. I hope you're convinced of that. But it goes further than just appropriate worship.

Look at this in verse 14 of the same passage. Notice in the first few words of David how his awareness of God's provisional mercies humbles him. But who am I? Who am I? Who am I to deserve and be a recipient of everything here?

This man was unable to praise himself. This man was refusing to be praised by others because of this great offering that he was making for the the house of God. You know why? Because he really believed all I'm really doing on all this is recycling God's resources. You read at the end of verse 14, he says it here, of your own we have given you.

Giving is not very difficult when all you're doing is giving God back what he gave you. Here's the thing. Do we really believe that? Do you see how it affects so many aspects of our life? David was so convinced.

He said, lord, all I'm doing is returning what you gave to me. I'm just recycling your resources. It's very difficult to be puffed up. Very difficult even in your righteous and your sacrificial deeds when you know that you are simply a channel by which God's gifts flow. So you know when James says, do not be deceived my beloved brothers, every good and perfect gift comes from above.

He's not just speaking about the gifts that come to you, he's speaking about the gifts that flow through you, even those gifts. And this incredible because that's a mighty fortress against pride. The revelation not only puts God in his place, it puts you and I in our rightful place as well. And David was there. He was right there.

He had no concern about being smitten by God like Herod was because it's very difficult to be self exalted when you have something so powerful in your thinking that swats away. Every single idea that wants to float in your head that says, you are something. You are something and seeks to eclipse the glory that is due unto God. What this truth does, it shoots those thoughts down. And no wonder Satan wants us to be deceived in this.

Because to fail to see God in every area of our success is to position us to be tempted to believe that we have some contribution in it. And ultimately, to take glory for it. This is the key to humility. You wanna know how you can remain humble? Believe what James is saying.

Don't be deceived. Don't be tricked. Learn how to bounce everything back to the Lord. Learn as a reflex to see him as the originator and the source. There was a time where a man who was very successful in his ministry was told by one of those who were blessed by his ministry.

Hey. Do you see what Jesus and his men are doing? They're baptizing more people than you. You know who I'm speaking about. Right?

John the Baptist. He was told, Rabbi, he was with you across the Jordan to whom you bore witness, look, he's baptizing and all are going to him. And John answers something astounding in John three twenty six and twenty seven. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. A person cannot even receive one thing.

One thing. Do you think you can do one thing without God? To be honest, don't give me the Christianese answer. Be honest. No, brother.

God is good all the time. All time. God is oh. Be honest. Do you believe that you can do one thing without God?

This is where people get a little offended like, why are you speaking to us like Sunday school kids? John was no Sunday school kid. You struggle with jealousy? Do you struggle with envy? When you see God blessing someone else, when you see somebody's ministry growing, when you see somebody that's being used by God, do you have difficulty rejoicing in that?

Or are you one of those who in order to comfort yourself find criticisms and allegations in your head to try to justify why you perhaps are not being used in the same way? John did not struggle with insecurity. And guess what? He didn't need to do some counseling to go and reach down deep inside to see what kind of trauma he experienced for him to feel so insecure. He just had one revelation.

God is the one. God is the one who issues blessing. God is the one who expands the breadth of ministries and God tells me I'm done here, I'm done here. Praise God. If God bless praise God.

Praise God. This is all for God and God does it. It's coming back to him. It's through him. It's for him.

I rejoice at the voice of the bridegroom. I rejoice if God is being glorified through me or apart from me. I rejoice. Perhaps, we're not convinced. Perhaps, we're not convinced.

It's as simple as this, of really believing what James is saying to believe in. And I wanna tell you that the rebellion that we are preserved from is still tied to this. Remember, we talked earlier about David's sin with Bathsheba. Right? Have you ever wondered what encouraged him to do such an atrocious thing?

Have you ever wondered what stirred him? Have you ever wondered what was the deep rooted reason why he he would even entertain the thought of sleeping with another man's wife and in order to cover a sin, killing her husband? You know what's fascinating? It it probably is not what you think right now. Because God speaks through the prophet Nathan and God exposes the deep rooted reason why David did what he did.

And so Nathan speaks on behalf of the Lord in first Samuel 12. And in verse seven and eight, listen carefully to what is said. Nathan said to David, you are the man. Oh, that we would have prophets today. Prophets that look at people with a bony finger and say, you're the man.

You are the man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. I anoint you. Look what the Lord is saying to David. I mean, you read this separate from the event and you would think that there's a different scenario going on here.

God is addressing David and revealing the source of his adultery. I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. I mean, if somebody falls into adultery, you know what I would think?

I mean, hey, you let your lust consume your judgment. You you were enveloped by the passions of the flesh. That's not what God says to David. He says two things. The first thing is, you were capable of this because you forgot how good I've been to you.

You did not remember how I was the source of everything that you are enjoying and everything that you have. And The Lord was very specific, was he not? The master's house, your master's wives, the house of Israel, and the house of Judah. God was specific. So you know what that tells me?

I gotta be specific with my thanksgiving. I gotta be specific with my thanksgiving. If God was specific in listing the very blessings that he was responsible for, then I must be specific in my thanksgiving to him. In order to know the full power of how gratitude keeps me and puts a seat belt around me. So I don't go flying into directions that I will later regret.

You forgot how good I've been to you, and here's the second thought, which is I believe more profound. If this were too little, even though I gave you all of this, if this were too little, I would have gladly added more to you. I would have given more to you. What does this mean? Why did you have to sin to try to add something to you?

Because everything you need is from me and in me. Do you see what he's saying? Why did you have to wander off? So at any point when David felt this dissatisfaction, what he what he could have done and what he should have done is come with that hollowness in his soul and be broken before his maker and say, Lord, there's something in my heart that's not at rest. I'm I'm smelling the buffet of this world and I feel my feet shifting.

You need to do something about this. And what God is saying is I would have gladly added exactly what you needed to know so that you can experience that wholeness that keeps you still. When James says, every good and perfect gift is from above. You know what he's trying to say? If ever you are tempted to try to find something good outside of God, you're being deceived.

You're being deceived. The moment you begin to sense thoughts creeping in you want you wanna know how you know you have the infancy of deception crawling into your soul? This is how. The moment you feel these thoughts whispering to you, suggesting to you, there's something good out there. There's something there.

I think I need to have an affair to spice up my my life. I don't I don't feel like I'm in love anymore with my husband. I don't feel like I'm in love anymore with my wife. I think I need to just add some some fantasy to my existence. Yeah.

You know, I think I'm gonna just back up from my commitment to church. I work so much already, but I need to work some more. I wanna make some more money because I think what will really, really make me happy is if I just get the new edition of the car that I already have. I think I think that's what's really gonna help. It's just a website.

Not hurting anybody. Images on a screen by myself, nobody has to know. I just need to medicate the pain in my life and surely this will be enough to distract me. It's just another glass of wine. Just another glass.

It's not like I'm driving. Just need a escape. If you wanna detect whether something is good, whether something is from God or not, here's your gauge. If God said he is the source of all good, but what you are being tempted with is something that God is saying is not good. You're being deceived.

Isn't that simple? So wonderful. So simple. But the more we entertain those thoughts like David did, the more we open ourselves up to the seductions of this life that end up causing deep wounds and pain. Don't be deceived.

You will never find anything satisfying outside of God himself. I promise you. But we see here also that the Holy Spirit has something else in mind when he wrote about this in James. When we fail to perceive the graciousness of God, there's a there's a wider context that really, really suggest probably the greatest time when we attempted to to to be like, he yeah. I mean, he died for me, but it's really hard to believe how he is good with how things are going in my life.

Zoom out of James one and understand the initial thought and realize how this connects with that first thought, what we just read. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above. Well, in what context did he say that? All you have to do is read the first two, three verses to understand what James is dealing with with his readers.

And this is what he's dealing with in verse two. You know it. You've quoted it, I hope. I hope you memorize it. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

He is writing to a burden group of Christians. He is writing to people who experiences various kind of trials to the point now they are tempted to actually accuse God of not being good. And though the trials of life, there are a variety of them. They all have one thing in common. You wanna know what it is?

Each of them are eager and ready to tempt you to believe that God is really not good. And when we are having our comfort disturbed, when we are helplessly watching somebody that we love suffer, it does not take much time. Though you've attended all those bible studies, though you've heard sermons, though you have podcasts that you listen to on the way to work that are edifying, it does not take very much time when the sting is severe and the heat gets hotter for you to come to the point where you hear things such as, how can God really do this to a child of his? And Satan's voice amplifies, and all the conversations that you have with atheists starts to make a little bit more sense at least to the flesh. How?

How? This is what you get to sign up for Jesus? This is what he offers you? I don't know. It was it was easier finding a spouse before I got saved.

Right? It was much easier to cruise on through this life. Before I was very vocal about my, is this what I get? James knew that. And the Holy Spirit knows that.

He knows that Satan, the world, this flesh will weaponize your trials, will weaponize your suffering. Instead of counting it with all joy that you would count it and then accuse God because of it. This is what James would say. Don't be deceived especially as you endure trials. I love what what he says here.

He says, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. Then say if. When? It's about time. It's inevitable.

Yeah. It might take you by surprise, but if you're a follower of Jesus Christ, it's just a matter of when, not if. I'm just giving you a heads up. And this is where those who have scars, who are familiar with trials, who might be enduring something now, might be wondering, I get what you're saying, preacher, but can you give me a little bit more to work with to know how I can actually really believe? Like, believe to the point where I can sing about how good God is when this this pain is just too powerful.

If you're not careful, you start thinking things and people have said this and it makes me wonder just how how far deception could take people. Well, because they're suffering, there can't be a god. How could there be a good God if we suffer? How can God let me suffer like this and and claim to be good and then demand for my rejoicing about his goodness? So there can't be a God.

And here's my simple answer. It's not very deep. It's not very philosophical. It's very simple. How does that help you?

By canceling the existence of God. Does that make your suffering better? Does that put more meaning to your suffering or less meaning to your suffering? So okay. Cancel God from your belief.

Remove God from your acknowledgment. Now what? That create more clarity or create more problems? I think you're you're smart enough to see where I'm going with that. Here's my answer based on the word of God.

James says, count it all joy because in verse three, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. It produces something. Always. Always. There's something that is carved in you.

There's something of a facet that is sharpened that could not be discovered, that could not be realized apart from the pressure of that pain. Apart from the burning of that fiery trial, there's something that is realized, there's something that is known. And if there's anything that comes out of it, it's the genuineness of your faith. I was just having this conversation with other people about Job and his suffering. Job is a is a mysterious book to some degree.

Philosophers who don't even believe in God love to discuss it. Usually, teaching in their indoctrination centers. I don't call them university anymore. To try to cause people to say, what kind of a God is this that has bets with Satan and And there are many answers to the suffering of Job, but one of the things that suffering does is that it reveals to you, the sufferer, the genuineness of your faith. It shows you, it teaches you, it reveals to you if your faith is legitimate.

And so what happens to you is that you see the realization of the work of God by the Holy Spirit in your life when you when you still can cling to Jesus Christ, his word, his righteousness, his commands, even though it doesn't pay off in the moment. So James says confidently, you can actually count it all joy, genuine joy, because you have a revelation that this is surely going to produce something. The psalmist said it this way. I'll read it to you in psalm one nineteen verse 71. It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn your statutes.

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. Now, here's what's amazing. You read that, and he says it in the past tense. It is good for me that I was afflicted. And usually that's when you realize that it was good.

When you come out of it, when you go through it, and when you see the polishing power of that affliction. Hey, that was actually good. It wasn't in the moment. It didn't feel like it at least. And now that God has pulled me through, I can actually say confidently it was actually good.

But in the new covenant, we we have something more powerful because you know what James says? He's counted all joy, my brothers, when you meet the trial. Never mind go through it when you confront it in its immediacy. When you realize it right now, when you know, oh man, this I'm I'm headed towards a storm. I can see it.

That phone call comes in. That doctor's report comes in. Things begin to brew and it's out of your control and you try to you try to put some kind of safety nets around it and it's not working. And here's what James is saying, you don't even have to wait till after the fact. You can have such a faith in God and his goodness that when you meet it, you can count it all joy.

That's the new covenant. That's the power of the truth that we have with the fullness of the revelation of the word of God. You know what the psalmist was working with when he said this? Leviticus. Numbers.

The things that we can barely read through. And yet you can say, it was good that I was afflicted. I learned something in my affliction. Yet, James goes beyond that. He says, you can meet it and you can meet it with a smile.

I pray that that would be your experience. I pray that that would be your testimony. I'm gonna stop here. I'm gonna stop here with a story. There's a man by the name of Robert Robinson.

Robert Robinson was born in the mid seventeen hundreds. And this, young boy at the age of eight years old had his father die. Difficult. Not growing up with a dad is not an easy thing. His mother had great trouble raising him.

He was a little rebel, disobedient, causing ruckus. So much so that later on, in his early teens, she shipped him off to London to a trade school. Whatever her intention was, it didn't really help because once he went there, all he did was join a gang, and he was the leader of it. So now he has these rebels in their teenage years, and what they would do is drink, gamble, and cause issues. One day, this man, Robert and his friends decided to get a fortune teller drunk.

They just want to mess around. And so she drinks and in a strange series of events during that time as they're sitting there, this woman intoxicated looks at Robert and says, you will live to see your children and your grandchildren. It's a very simple statement, but with his hardened heart, it did something to him. Because he thought to himself, well, if that's if that's the case, I can't be living the way I'm living. But he pushed aside the thought and he'd never considered it again until not too long after that, an evangelist came to town.

And there was much talk about this evangelist. This evangelist was named George Whitfield. George Whitfield, if you haven't heard of him, read about him. If you're serious follower of Christ, he will humble you. This man in his early twenties saw revival in the thousands.

And he was in Robert's town. And so, Robert looks at his friends, he goes, I have an idea. Why don't we go to the meeting? Let's heckle the guy. Let's go to the meeting.

Let's cause a ruckus. His friends agreed. This is why I'm not discouraged when people come to meetings like this for reasons apart from God. You're sitting under God's word. He sets you up.

And so Robert's there with the intention of causing trouble. And George Whitfield gets up. What do you think George Whitfield preached in that sermon? It wasn't everything's gonna be okay. Just, you know, you you might have a good life, just add Jesus because, you know, he created you and just tuck him in somewhere.

No. No. No. No. You know what he preached with somebody in that crowd who didn't grow up with a father, who was hollow, who was empty, who suffered, who was numb because of sin.

You wanna know what he preached? George Whitfield, you brood of vipers. Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Stuff you don't hear a lot today. There was this man, Robert, staring with his friends.

Shook. I can tell you this, he didn't heckle. He didn't cause a ruckus. For three years, that sermon haunted him. Three years.

And so, guess what else I'm not discouraged by? The lack of response to the message the same night you preach it. Because this man didn't answer any alter call, he didn't come up to George Whitfield to talk, he didn't look for a preacher, he just went on his way for another three years. And after three years he finally bend the knee and gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. And this young man followed the call of God to become a pastor, and he preached the word of God, and he declared the word of God.

And very shortly after his conversion, he penned a hymn. A hymn that churches still sing today. A hymn that doesn't make sense for somebody who lost their dad at eight years old. Somebody who had every right to look to the heavens and say, how can you, a good God, take my dad away? How can you inflict suffering?

I mean, as a young child, how do you expect me to believe in a God who apparently loved me enough to die for me but couldn't keep my dad in my life? That man who could have used all the excuses in the world penned, come thou fount of every blessing. Tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing. Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it. Mount of God's redeeming love. You have a choice in this life. What you will do with your suffering.

It will either harden you to hate God and to go about your way only to incur more suffering because you are turning your back on the one who made you and who has purpose even behind the pain. Or if you allow that suffering to bring you with a softened heart to say, I may not understand it, but I realize that there is no such thing as innocent people suffering because none of us are innocent. None of us are innocent. There is only one person who is innocent and who suffered in a way that doesn't make sense, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. What are you gonna do with your suffering?

What are you gonna do with your upbringing? What are you gonna do with your trials? Where are you gonna go? Are you gonna go into deception? Maybe the fist that you're raising to heaven can be unwound by God and it be turned into a hand that would sing his praises and write of his glories.

You think this is a fake thing that Robert was writing about? Oh, it's very real. It's very real. There is a tasting and a seeing of the Lord that goes beyond explanation. There's some things that can be explained, and I believe that we should explain doctrine and theology.

But we have to go beyond explanation and into the realm of experience. That is what is available to you. And my message here is not particular for the person that doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. My message is to the believer tonight, that you'd be built up in your faith. To make sure that you can go to a deeper level with God with the simple revelation that you set before you.

He is indeed the source of every good and perfect gift. And I pray that you would come to that realization. And I trust that the Holy Spirit through this brief message will honor and not because it's the words of man, but the word of God himself. Lord, we thank you for this meeting. Help us see what David saw.

For all things come from you. Lord, we pray that tonight if there would be anything, it would be the sound of crowns being laid at your feet. All of our trophies and all of our prizes would be removed from this the shelf of self and brought before the throne of grace. And that in this place, father, inspired by the work of the spirit, there would be loudest praise that we can truly say, come thou fount of every blessing. Call for songs of loudest praise.

Lord, we just ask for those who have a complicated case of of a trial that your word would do a deep surgery. Lord, let the revelation of your word heal hearts tonight. And we pray that tonight there would be a new level, a new level of trust, a new level of adoration toward the one that provides all that we love. And all the things that we fail to see as a blessing. Lord, receive glory.

Receive maximum glory and honor in this place. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.