Tag: Trouble

Wisdom for Life – Sermon Outlines

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I am using the following outline for a 5-week series of messages on James.

Theme: In Christ we find the wisdom to grow through life’s tests.

  1. Wisdom is Needed for Life’s Trials, James 1.
    1. We need wisdom to be steadfast in life’s trials, vv. 1-11.
    2. We need wisdom to be victorious in life, vv. 12-18.
    3. We need wisdom to apply God’s Word, vv. 19-27.
  2. Wisdom is Quick to Hear, James 2
    1. Wisdom is quick to reject hypocritical behavior, vv. 1-7.
    2. Wisdom is quick to remember the holy law, 8-13.
    3. Wisdom is quick to require holistic faith, vv. 14-26.
  3. Wisdom is Slow to Speak, James 3.
    1. Wisdom is slow to speak because of the tongue’s power, vv. 1-5.
    2. Wisdom is slow to speak because of the tongue’s perniciousness, vv. 6-12.
    3. Wisdom is slow to speak because of the tongue’s progeny, vv. 13-18.
  4. Wisdom is Slow to Become Angry, James 4.
    1. It is not a slave to worldly passions, vv. 1-6.
    2. It is submitted to Christ’s lordship, vv. 7-12.
    3. It is subject to God’s will, vv. 13-17.
  5. Wisdom is Sure to Apply God’s Word, James 5.
    1. Wisdom understands the fate of the sinner, vv. 1-6.
    2. Wisdom understands the future of the saint, vv. 7-11/13.
    3. Wisdom applies the faith of the seeker, vv. 12/14-20.

The Boast of Faithfulness

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HIGHLIGHT

2 Thessalonians 1:4 (ESV): 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

EXPLAIN

Paul was extremely complimentary of the church of Thessalonica, in both of his letters to them. In previous verse Paul gave thanks to God for their abundantly growing faith and increasing love. Paul reiterates their great faith in this verse.

In his previous letter, 1 Thessalonians, Paul commended them for the triad of faith, hope, and love. While he directly speaks of faith and love in verses 3-4 of 2 Thessalonians, the following verses speak of the believer’s hope in contrast to the coming judgment of God upon the world.

APPLY

What is the boast of our churches? Some boast great edifices. Some boast of financial security. Some may boast of their influence in the community. Some may boast of dynamic worship teams, great preaching, powerful community. These boasts are wonderful, but are they what God would boast about of us?

Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in this part of God’s revealed Word a boast of a church that was faithful in the midst of persecution, trouble, suffering, and heartache.

May God help us, both as individual followers of Jesus and as the community of God, to be known for faithful love and service to our King of kings!

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to live and serve you faithfully, through easy times and difficult, giving you honor and glory in how I speak, think, feel, and act. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sing for joy

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HIGHLIGHT

Isaiah 49:13 (ESV): 13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

EXPLAIN

At Isaiah 49:8, God began to speak of the restoration of Israel. He pictured the people as captives freed, who would walk down the highway to their homeland. The sun and wind would not scorch them. They would find good in the land as they went. God himself would lead them.

And so God told the heavens and the mountains to sing for joy.

But in verse 14 God spoke of the people’s response at hearing this promise. They would say God had forgotten them. God answered in return that just like a mother cannot forget her baby, so God could not forget his people.

APPLY

For various reasons, we may think at times that God has forgotten us. But we can know that this is not true. Rather, we can sing for joy for the comfort God will bring to us.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, in times of testing and trial keep our faith in you strong. Help us to remember how you have dealt with your people through the ages and may we look to you expectantly, with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The shepherd with his sheep

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HIGHLIGHT

Revelation 7:17 (ESV): 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

EXPLAIN

Revelation 7 is all about how God will take care of and reward those who determine to follow him. First, we read that God will have an angel seal 144,000 from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

Interestingly, these tribes do not match the names of 12 tribes as often listed in the Old Testament: Dan and Ephraim are missing, while Levi and Joseph (as well as Joseph’s son Manasseh) are included. This, among other reasons, may suggest that the 144,000 is a symbolic representation of all God’s people who will be sealed by the angel.

Next, John saw a great multitude that could not be numbered standing before the throne and the Lamb, worshipping God. This innumerable host was identified as those coming out of the great tribulation.

The elder who spoke to John said that these martyrs will serve God day and night in the temple, being sheltered by his presence, not hungering, thirsting, or suffering from the heat of the sun anymore. Instead, the Lamb will be their shepherd.

APPLY

If we choose to serve Jesus and remain faithful to him, we can know that he will reward us with his favor. While we may feel all alone in the dark valleys of life, we can rest assured, for He is our shepherd. We can trust that He will renew us and replenish us. All tears and sorrows will one day be wiped away, and we will live in His presence eternally, shouting and singing in worship to Him.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for your assurance that you are faithful. Thank you for the promise that if we remain faithful, we can look forward to living in your very presence for eternity. Thank you that you watch out for your lambs. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fan the flame

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HIGHLIGHT

Jude 20–21 (ESV): 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

EXPLAIN

Jude’s letter lambasts false teachers infiltrating the church, using various vivid word pictures and descriptions to paint them as totally undesirable.

Near the end of his letter, he then writes encouragement to the believers, reminding them that the apostles had warned them of those who would scoff at holiness and cause trouble in the church.

Then, Jude encouraged them to build themselves up in the faith, praying, in the Spirit, keeping themselves in God’s love, waiting for Christ’s mercy.

APPLY

Sometimes, we think that the situation in the world – spiritually, etc. – has never been worse. Scriptures like this demonstrate that in various ages, spirituality has been at a very low ebb. God’s people felt overwhelmed at times in the first century as much as we might in the 21st century.

But God’s truth has endured, and God’s people, building themselves up in their faith, have gained victory, both then and now.

Our responsibility is not to curse the darkness, but to fan the flame of our faith.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, may I grow in Christlikeness each day, trusting you, seeking your wisdom and power, living faithfully for you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Unseen Footprints

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HIGHLIGHT

Psalm 77:19 (ESV): 19 Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.

EXPLAIN

This psalm is attributed to Asaph who said that he was crying out loud to God. Asaph was in great distress. He could not be comforted, and when he thought of God, he felt worse. He couldn’t sleep nor even speak because of his troubled mind and soul.

Finally, he decided to think back on the past. faithfulness of God. He asked if God would never display his love and grace again. That gave the psalmist hope. He determined to remember God’s past faithfulness and appeal to that hope.

In verse 15, Asaph remembered how God redeemed Judah and Israel by his arm. The next few verses speak of how the seas, the sky, and earth respond to God’s presence. Whether the psalmist was thinking of any specific historical event is unclear.

The last two verses of the psalm, Psalm 77:19-20, could refer to the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea. But the key fact noted by Asaph is not that the Israelites crossed on dry ground, but rather the idea, firstly, that God walked through the great waters with the Israelites, and secondly that God’s footprints were unseen.

APPLY

Probably every person has, or will have, a time in their life in which stress about their circumstances and the future robs them of sleep. Our heart is so troubled by wrong that we cannot find rest or comfort.

In those times, we may question, like Asaph, if God will ever restore us. Have we somehow lost God’s favor forever? Do God’s promises of faithfulness not apply to us?

If we remind ourselves of God’s deeds in the past, we can begin to find hope.

Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.

Psalm 77:13–14 (ESV)

It is then we remember and are assured that God walks with his people, even though we don’t see him at the time.

The famous “Footprints in Sand” poem suggests that when there is only one set of footprints God is carrying us. That mental imagery is beautiful.

Psalm 77 does not make that promise. Rather, this psalm assures us that while we must walk through great waters, God walks with us even though we may not see his footprints.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for the assurance that while your footprints may be unseen, you walk before me and with me even through the great trials of life. May I then be faithful to follow your path as you have been and always will be faithful to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have Thine own way, Lord

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HIGHLIGHT

Romans 8:26 (ESV): 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

EXPLAIN

In Romans 7, Paul wrote of the terrible power of the carnal nature, to cause us to do what we know is wrong and don’t really want to do. But in Romans 8, he says there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8 is a chapter of freedom and release, but also of obligation. We are not bound to live by the flesh anymore, but to follow the Spirit. As we live by the Spirit, he bears witness to us that we are God’s children… “provided that we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17).

This mention of suffering then led Paul to discuss how the whole world is suffering and in turmoil until the end of time when God comes to recreate the world.

But, as our highlighted verse states, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. In everything, God works for the good for those who love him. And we can rest assured that if God is for us, we are in good hands! We are more than conquerors… through Christ!

APPLY

Before I began this devotional time, I read a news article about the tragedy in Miami. About half an apartment building collapsed a few days ago. Five have been reported dead, and some 150 are still missing.

Nearby churches first prayed for miracles, but now that so much time has passed and survivors have not been found, the churches are praying for God’s comfort for the grieving.

My Old Testament reading for today is Job 14-16, in which Job despaired of hearing from God. He felt like his suffering was unjust, but God was not answering his cry. Instead, he felt like God’s response to him was like a running creek wearing away the soil and rocks or like archers surrounding a target, pumping arrows in their victim.

While we may not personally have suffered a tragedy like those in Miami have or like Job did, there are many times in our lives that we do not know how to pray. We should not expect that God will miraculously make things better so that we do not experience heartache and suffering. Romans 8:17 suggests that suffering is a necessary part of our growth in Christlikeness.

But we can know in times of desperation that the Spirit intercedes for us. When we do not know what to say, the Spirit prays for us with groaning unable to be expressed by language.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit’s intercession for me today. While I might express many things in prayer, I desire his prayer that I might live in your will. Have your way with me, Amen.

Have Thine own way Lord

Have Thine own way

Thou art the potter I am the clay

Mold me and make me after Thy will

While I am waiting yielded and still

Adelaide A. Pollard

Our confidence and hope

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HIGHLIGHT

Job 4:6 (ESV): 6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

EXPLAIN

Eliphaz the Temanite was the first of Job’s friends to speak and to try to make sense of the tragedy Job had experienced.

In verses 3-4, Eliphaz spoke of Job’s various good deeds. And in verse 6, he suggested that fear of God and integrity in one’s ways gives us confidence and hope.

There is truth in what Eliphaz said. We do find confidence when we know we are living a holy life before God.

Yet there is a danger here also. Our fear of God and integrity comes through our faith in God and our resulting faithfulness, aided by the Spirit, to God. Furthermore, confidence and hope do not preclude trouble from coming our way.

Eliphaz continued down this train of thought to suggest that Job couldn’t be truly pure before holy God. Therefore, he argued, Job had sinned and therefore God was punishing him or allowing this difficulty in his life.

This, of course, was not true. God had commended Job as most upright, but still allowed Satan to test him. The tragedies Job had experienced were not the consequence of any sin he had committed.

APPLY

1 John 3 emphasizes this truth.

1 John 3:14 (ESV): 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

1 John 3:21–22 (ESV): 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Our confidence is not found in our goodness, but rather in that by grace through faith God has redeemed and renewed us; therefore, our changed life is evidence of God’s grace.

If our faith is in God and we are striving by his help to live holy, we can have confidence and hope even though we may suffer difficulty and setback in life.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, my hope is in you. Thank you for your grace. Continue to change me to be more like you. Amen.

When the war drums sound

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HIGHLIGHT

2 Chronicles 14:1 (ESV): 1 Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.

2 Chronicles 15:19 (ESV): 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

EXPLAIN

The beginning of my reading for today which begins the recounting of Asa’s reign notes that God gave him peace.

At one point during Asa’s reign, Zerah the Ethiopian attacked him with a million man army and 300 chariots, but Asa depended on God and God gave Judah a glorious victory.

My reading ends with the statement that there was no more war until Asa’s 35th year. The next chapter details a disastrous decision by the king.

When Judah was threatened Israel, Asa made a covenant with Syria. Israel had to withdraw and Asa gained victory, but at the expense of God’s blessing.

God chastened Asa because he trusted in man’s help instead of seeking God’s help. The rest of Asa’s life and reign was lived without seeking God’s help.

APPLY

The two chapters I read today seem to anticipate the disastrous decision of Asa in tomorrow’s reading. Asa prospered and served God wholeheartedly… for a while… before the war drums sounded again. But then his fears overcame his faith.

The question for us is… do we have a faith that will remain true when the “war drums” sound in our lives? We may be serving God well now while everything seems to be going “okay”, but how will we respond when all that we have worked and struggled for is threatened?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, strengthen my faith. Help me to live faithfully for you in times of ease and times of distress. May I honor your name by my response to trouble. Amen.