Sunday Morning Sermon
Preached by John Gaines at Leonard Street Church of Christ
November 30, 2003
Life is a Test
1. Recently there has been a tremendous amount of local publicity to a book titled The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Warren is a Baptist preacher who "pastors" a huge mega-church called Saddleback in Lake Forest, California. A number of local churches conducted campaigns called "Forty Days of Purpose" where members studied and meditated on Mr. Warren's book and applied it to their lives. I'm in the process of reading the book. I haven't finished it yet, but I've found some good things. The seed idea for this sermon and the two which will follow the next two weeks come chapter 5 in this book. However, I have several instances where Warren makes statements which conflict with Bible teaching. The book has some worthwhile thoughts for those who are able to discern the difference between truth and error. If you're confident of your ability to read with that discernment and benefit from the good while rejecting the bad, then read with due caution. If you're uncertain whether or not you are able to recognize error in the book, then leave it alone.
2. God does test us through the experiences of life.
a. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden [Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."].
b. Abraham -- Sacrifice your son! [Genesis 22:1-2 (NKJV) Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
c. Hezekiah [2 Chronicles 32:27-31 (NKJV) Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items; 28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks. 29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. 30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.]
d. The New Testament emphasizes that we are tested through the troubles of life.
(1) James 1:2-3 (NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Let's read from the New Living Translation, James 1:2-4: Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
(2) Faith is tested by fire [1 Peter 1:7 (NKJV) that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
(3) Persecution and trials result in a good outcome [Revelation 2:10 (NKJV) "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.]
3. Our understanding is limited about how God goes about testing us. We do know that He knows everything that happens in our lives. Those experiences and how we respond to them function to shape our lives and mold us into the kind of people we become. The way we respond to the tests of life chart a direction for us. Rick Warren writes, "We don't know all the tests God will give you, but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies. In my own life, I have noticed that God tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how I handle possessions, and tests my love through people" [p. 43].
4. There are certain guarantees in the New Testament about the way God uses the events of our lives to test us.
I.
GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US WITH EVIL.A. James 1:13-15 (NKJV) Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. In Greek, the same word can be used for "trial" and "temptation." God does "test" us (He allows us to be subjected to trials) but He does not tempt us (in the sense of influencing us to do evil).
B. Satan is the tempter [Matthew 4:3, 10]. Satan tries to solicit us to do evil.
1. Satan can be resisted [James 4:7 (NKJV) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.]
2. Every individual is ultimately responsible for his own conduct. We can't justify sin in our lives by saying "God made me this way." Neither can we say, "The devil made me do it." Temptation works when we are drawn away by our own lusts. We are enticed into sin because the desire is already there and we choose to give in to it. Desire gives birth to sin and sin brings forth death.
3. God allows the possibility of sin. He does not build a wall around us so that it is impossible for us to sin. Adam and Eve were placed in a garden where a forbidden tree was located. Abraham could have refused God's command to sacrifice Isaac. We can rebel against God and refuse to keep His commandments today.
II. GOD DOES NOT ALLOW US TO BE TEMPTED BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO ENDURE.
A. God does not want us to sin.
1. He knows the wages of sin is death [Romans 6:23]. He does not want anyone to perish [2 Peter 3:9].
2. God gives us the strength to resist temptation. We always can pass the test and stay with God [1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.]
B. God's protection limits the power of temptation. It is not permitted to be so strong that we cannot "bear it." There is always a way of escape. In the time when Jesus was on the earth, people were overcome and possessed by demons. Satan does not have that kind of power today. God's power gives us a way out. I like the comment made on this verse by Lawrence Richards. He said, "God's 'way out' is quite simple. We are to "get out!" He points out that the very next verse, 1 Corinthians 10:14 (NKJV) says, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." How did Paul tell the Corinthians to deal with the temptation to return to the practice of idolatry? Run away from it! Flee idolatry! The same advice applies to any sin which tempts us. Resist it by running away from it.
III. THE WAY WE HANDLE THE TESTS OF LIFE HAVE TREMENDOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR FUTURE.
A. Adam and Eve failed their test in the Garden of Eden and sin came into the world [Romans 5:12 (NKJV) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned;] The wages of sin remains death [Romans 6:23].
B. Passing the test yields good consequences.
1. Abraham obeyed God's instructions regarding Isaac. He did not actually have to sacrifice his son on an altar, but he was prepared to do whatever God told him to do. His faith is commended in Hebrews 11:17-19 (NKJV) By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
2. The crown of life is promised to those who are faithful unto death [Revelation 2:10].
CONCLUSION
1. All this talk about tests makes us think of school. There are parallels with the testing we go through in life.
a. School has daily grades . . . homework, quizzes, class participation grades, etc. Likewise, every thought and action we have every day is a test of how we've learned and applied God's teaching.
b. School sometimes offers make-up tests and "do-overs" for bad grades. Teachers can be gracious and give students second chances when they do poorly in their work. God certainly offers us second chances, and third chances, and fourth chances. Seventy times seven does not begin to exhaust the limits of God's mercy. He is always willing to forgive when we truly repent and seek forgiveness in the way He has taught us to do.
c. Schools have a deadline day when teachers must turn in final grades for each student. Those grades cannot be changed and they go into the student's permanent record. All those final grades make up a student's grade point average and that G.P.A. can become very important in the student's future life. Better colleges admit students based on high school G.P.A. Academic scholarships depend on G.P.A. Future employers may look over school transcripts and make employment decisions based on G.P.A. High school and college students have to live with the knowledge that something very important to their future is being formulated by the grades they make day by day as they go through school. Spiritually, the record we're making is even more important eternally. One day, the books will be opened and we'll be judged according to the things written in the books [Revelation 20:12 (NKJV) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.] On that Judgment Day, your final grade from all the tests of life will be revealed.
2. Jesus can turn all the F's into A's. That's what His death on the cross accomplishes for us. But only if we obey the gospel and live the Christian life.
3. Invitation