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Trusting in Trials · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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2. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing, and so on.
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Now, when you read the introduction to this letter, we see that James is writing to those who are in the dispersion. They are scattered all over the place, and sometimes in life we feel like that ourselves.
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We feel that we are far from heaven, and sometimes we feel that we are far from God, and the life that we live and the world in which we live sometimes has that effect upon us.
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We read through the letter, and we see the way in which James understands that. He understands the kind of world his readers are living in.
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He understands the way in which the world is a temptation to them. He understands the different groups of people in the world.
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There are those who are rich. There are those who are poor. There are those who are showing their faith. There are those who are not showing their faith.
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And there is the overall theme of the importance of them living in dependence upon God.
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And right at the very beginning here, we see the way in which James wants to encourage the people with regard to their faith.
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And looking at these two verses this evening, we want to think of trusting in our trials and spiritual maturity.
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Well, first of all, see that there is a prompt in these verses.
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And sometimes we need a prompt.
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We need somebody to poke us, to waken us up to what we should be doing.
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And we rely on good friends to do that for us from time to time.
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But God is the expert at doing that at the right time.
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And here, James is prompting those who are going to hear this letter to think of certain things.
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And he wants them to think especially about the way in which they are going to look at what they are going through in life.
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And he wants them to count it all joy when you meet various trials.
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He wants them to go through a kind of thought process.
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He wants them to think things through.
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And he wants them to think things through in such a way that they will come at last to find joy.
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And it's wonderful the way in which he wants them to count it all joy.
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He wants them to see all of life as a time and experience of joy.
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And that kind of prompt is really staggering.
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We think of our own lives and we think of how much time we spend rejoicing
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and how much time we spend sorrowing.
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But James wants his hearers, his readers, to be joyous all of the time.
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And when we think of joy, we want to ask ourselves, what is joy?
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Is it an emotion?
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Is it a choice?
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Is it a feeling?
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What do you think of when you think of joy?
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When the Bible thinks of joy, it thinks of joy in God.
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And it is experiencing God in a particular way.
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And in order for us to have that kind of joy in God,
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we have to do the things that lead us to joy.
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There is an activity.
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And that activity creates joy in our hearts.
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And then we have joy in God.
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And in general terms, when we read the New Testament,
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we see that joy especially arises out of the resurrection of Jesus.
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He told the disciples in John 16 that he would see them again
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and their hearts would rejoice.
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And your joy no one will take from you.
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There is a joy that has its source in the resurrection of Jesus.
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And that joy should filter through the whole of our lives
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so it becomes part of who we are every day.
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Perhaps all of us tonight need the kind of prompt
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that points us to remember that we should be joyful.
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And we may look at ourselves in the mirror.
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We may reflect on our own lives.
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We may look at the lives of others.
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And we may ask or think, where is the joy?
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But we do remind ourselves that the joy that we have in the Bible,
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it's not going around with a smile on your face all of the time.
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It is something that's deep-seated.
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It's something that takes place in our hearts.
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But the prompt is even more staggering
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when we see the arena in which they are to remain joyful.
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Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds.
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He's giving us a picture as if we're walking along the road,
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walking along the street in life,
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and we encounter somebody.
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We encounter something.
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And as we journey on in the life of faith,
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we will from time to time encounter,
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not oppression, but we will encounter trials.
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And in the book of the letter of James,
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we see that the same word translated trials
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is used in two ways.
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We see as we journey on later on,
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he speaks of being tempted and not being tempted.
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God does not tempt us with evil in version number 12, number 13.
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There is a temptation that is to prove the genuineness of something,
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and there is the temptation to entice us to sin.
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There is the temptation to bring something to shine forth,
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and there is a temptation that seeks to destroy.
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But here we have God working.
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Here we have God encountering us in life with various trials,
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the things that cut across our paths.
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We are familiar with these kinds of things.
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They come in various shapes and sizes.
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They come with physical things.
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They come with providential things.
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They come with things that happen in our hearts.
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They are testings.
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They are trials.
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We see that God tested Abraham,
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asked him to go and sacrifice his son.
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We see at the end of it that God says to him,
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now I know that you fear God
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because you did not withhold your son from me.
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There is the need for us to know joy
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and to have joy and to have joy in the midst of our trials.
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And we know that if we're going to do that,
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there is a lot of thinking
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because, naturally speaking,
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our response to trials is not to have joy.
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It's not to have gladness to sing the song.
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The natural response is not only to reject and to complain,
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but sometimes even to question the very goodness of God.
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The God who is in the trial.
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The God who is the object of our faith.
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So often we crumble at the least trial in life
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and faith seems to disappear
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because we're not thinking it through.
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And perhaps tonight that's where we are at.
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This has happened.
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This has come into your life.
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And because this has happened,
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your whole experience has changed.
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And by the very thing that you're going through,
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you're rebelling against it.
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You're rejecting it.
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And you're even questioning the very grace of God.
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And if that is the case,
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how much tonight you need the prompt from God,
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his hand upon your shoulder,
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his alert to you,
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his waking you up
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so that your response to your trial
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will be one of faith
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and not one of fear or of rejection.
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The prompt to have joy all of the time.
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That's what we long for.
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And the Bible is suggesting to us this evening
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that that's what we should have.
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Following on from that,
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we want to see that there is
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a particular perception here.
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How on earth am I going to rejoice
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in all of my trials?
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Only from the right perspective.
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And James says to them in version number three,
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for you know,
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you're going to do this
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based on what you know.
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And based on what you know,
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not of your trial,
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not of life in general,
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but based on what you know
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of the God who is your savior,
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based on what you know
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from the word of God,
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which he has breathed out for us
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to equip us to live for him.
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It is a perspective
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that's based on the knowledge of God.
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And in the very relationship with God,
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the promise that he gave to Jeremiah
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through Jeremiah in chapter 31,
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that when he makes this new covenant
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with his people,
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all shall know me.
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It's a fact of a Christian experience
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that we know God.
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If we don't know God,
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we are not the children of God.
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But because we are the children of God,
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we do know God.
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And it is that knowledge of God
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that gives us the perspective
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with which we're going to look down
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upon the whole of life
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and look down especially
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upon our trials.
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And what does that knowledge
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of God tell us
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that enables us to have joy?
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It is that the testing of your faith
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produces steadfastness.
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The testing,
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the trial,
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what they're going through.
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And interestingly,
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once more to do with the words
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that James is using,
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he is using a different word
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here in verse 3
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to what he has used in verse 2
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with regard to trials and testing.
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The testing here
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is a process through which
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the genuineness of something
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is confirmed.
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And James is saying to them,
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this is what you know,
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that the trial of your faith
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is actually for your good.
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it's confirming
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who you are
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and it's enabling your faith
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to shine forth
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in such a way
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that it did not before
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and that it could not
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up until now.
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And God appoints the encounter,
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he appoints the meeting with us
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along life's way
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for that very purpose.
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It produces steadfastness.
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There's an energy
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that comes from God
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that works in the midst
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of our very testing
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and that energy
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is something
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that produces something
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in ourselves.
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And what it produces
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in ourselves
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is
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steadfastness.
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It's that sense
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of
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being constant
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and being firm
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and being established.
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The picture
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that the word gives us
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is remaining
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under
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bearing circumstances.
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No matter
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what the circumstances are,
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it's
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continuing
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under them.
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And is that not
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what
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our trials
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so often feel like?
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They feel so much
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like a weight.
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And if
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we don't have
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the right perspective,
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the weight is crushing.
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and it can crush us
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right down
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into the ground.
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It can break us
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emotionally.
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It can leave us
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a crying wreck
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because of
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the huge burden
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of the very
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testing process
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through which
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God is taking us.
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But despite that,
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and regardless of that,
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it does
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produce
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the effect
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of
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steadfastness.
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And that's why
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Job was saying
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in Job chapter 23,
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when he has
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tried me,
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I will
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come forth
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like gold.
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And the very
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experience
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that we think
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will cause
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our faith
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to fail
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is the very
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experience
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through which
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your faith
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is refined,
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through which
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its impurities
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are taken away
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and through which
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it becomes
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really strong.
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Douglas Moon
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says,
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like a muscle
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that becomes strong
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when it faces
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resistance.
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So Christians
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learn to remain
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faithful to God
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over the long
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haul
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only when they
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face difficulty.
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How have we
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survived
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until now
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in our faith?
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only because
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through our
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difficulties
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God has
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strengthened our
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faith.
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And had he not
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done that,
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we would have
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failed long ago.
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We would be like
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the seed that
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fell upon the
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rock in the
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parable.
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And when the
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testing came
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when the sun
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rose,
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the scorching
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heat,
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faith vanished
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that they
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fell away.
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The perspective,
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the wonderful
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thought,
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that whatever
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is happening
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to you tonight
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and whatever
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happened to you
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yesterday
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and whatever
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happens to you
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tomorrow,
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God is working
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for your good
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to produce
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your faith,
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to stretch
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that muscle
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of faith.
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and I'm
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sure we
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will all
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agree that
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it's a
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muscle that
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needs stretching,
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so weak,
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sometimes so
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feeble,
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that it's
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hard working
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and we
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need the
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exercise that
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comes through
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the testing
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through which
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God strengthens
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and enables
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and causes
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us to
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persevere
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and to
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persevere
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because the
15:45
knowledge that
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we have
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is increased
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in that
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process
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and that
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increase of
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knowledge
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in the time
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of testing
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ensures
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that we do
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not separate
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from God
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but guarantees
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that we are
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bound
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closer together
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with him
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than ever
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before.
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And then we
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have joy,
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then we
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easily
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counted all
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joy
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because of
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the knowledge,
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because of
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the perspective
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of God
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as he looks
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down
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upon the
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furnace
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watching over
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your trials
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and mine
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and ensuring
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that the
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temperature
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doesn't go
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beyond what
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they're able
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to bear
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and ensuring
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that the
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temperature
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is such
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that it
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will produce
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the refining
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to perfection.
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And so
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like Job
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when he
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has tried
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you,
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you will
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come forth
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like gold.
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And thirdly,
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we want to
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think of
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participation.
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In version
16:51
number four,
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and let
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steadfastness
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have its
16:55
full effect.
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Why is he
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saying that?
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He is
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saying that
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because they're
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not letting
17:05
steadfastness
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have its
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full effect.
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He is
17:10
saying that
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because there
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is resistance
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in them.
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There is a
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lack of
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submission.
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And that
17:18
lack of
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submission
17:19
means that
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they have
17:20
no joy
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and that
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no matter
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how great
17:23
the pain,
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they have
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lost their
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joy and
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they're overcome
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by sorrow
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and they're
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never going
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to recover.
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other.
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And it's
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thought-provoking
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for us all
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tonight that
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the joy that
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we crave,
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it is absent
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because of
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what we're
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not doing
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as well as
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what we are
17:46
doing.
17:46
and if
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we're
17:48
growing as
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the children
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of God
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who have
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this
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knowledge
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of God
17:52
then we
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should be
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developing
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and growing
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and we
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should have
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this real
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sense
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of the
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joy,
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the deep
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seated
18:03
sense of
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trusting
18:05
in the
18:05
grace of
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God
18:06
and that
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producing
18:07
its fruit.
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And we
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may well
18:11
ask ourselves
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and I
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may well
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ask myself
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not only
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tonight but
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every step
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of my
18:17
journey of
18:18
faith
18:18
am I
18:19
standing
18:20
in the
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way of
18:21
God?
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Am I
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resisting
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what God
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is doing?
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Am I
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rejecting
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what God
18:27
is giving
18:28
to me
18:29
for my
18:29
good?
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And
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therefore
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am I
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going
18:33
through
18:33
my
18:33
life
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of
18:34
faith
18:34
with
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the
18:36
absence
18:36
of
18:36
the
18:36
thing
18:37
I
18:37
crave
18:38
to
18:38
have
18:38
the
18:39
joy
18:39
of
18:40
the
18:40
Lord
18:40
which
18:40
is
18:40
the
18:41
fruit
18:41
of
18:41
the
18:41
spirit
18:42
love
18:42
and
18:42
joy
18:42
and
18:43
peace.
18:44
I
18:44
long
18:44
for
18:45
that
18:45
and
18:46
yet
18:46
soften
18:47
their
18:48
opposite
18:48
and
18:49
here
18:49
James
18:49
is
18:50
saying
18:50
let
18:52
steadfastness
18:53
have
18:53
its
18:54
full
18:55
effect.
18:57
Take
18:57
possession
18:58
of this
18:58
whole
18:59
thing
18:59
instead
19:00
of
19:00
pushing
19:01
it
19:01
away
19:01
embrace
19:03
it in
19:03
your
19:03
heart
19:03
and
19:04
make
19:04
it
19:04
your
19:04
own
19:05
and
19:06
once
19:07
you
19:07
do
19:07
that
19:07
you
19:09
will
19:09
no
19:10
longer
19:10
hinder
19:10
the
19:11
work
19:11
of
19:11
God
19:11
but
19:12
you
19:12
will
19:12
allow
19:13
the
19:13
steadfastness
19:15
to
19:15
have
19:15
its
19:16
full
19:18
effect
19:18
to
19:20
reach
19:21
the
19:21
pinnacle
19:22
which is
19:25
God's
19:26
design
19:26
and all
19:28
that you
19:28
are
19:28
going
19:29
through
19:29
and
19:31
what
19:32
we
19:32
desire
19:33
most
19:33
of
19:34
all
19:34
and
19:35
what
19:35
we
19:36
cannot
19:36
reach
19:36
so
19:37
often
19:37
because
19:37
of
19:38
who
19:38
we
19:38
are
19:38
is
19:39
what
19:40
God
19:40
has
19:41
purposed
19:41
for
19:42
us
19:42
so
19:44
we
19:44
cannot
19:44
say
19:44
tonight
19:45
that
19:45
we
19:45
don't
19:45
have
19:45
joy
19:45
because
19:46
God
19:47
did
19:47
not
19:47
purpose
19:48
that
19:48
we
19:48
would
19:48
have
19:48
it
19:48
right
19:49
now
19:49
but
19:51
what
19:51
we
19:52
can
19:52
say
19:52
is
19:53
that
19:53
if
19:53
we
19:54
don't
19:54
have
19:54
joy
19:54
in
19:56
the
19:56
way
19:56
that
19:56
God
19:56
has
19:56
purposed
19:57
to
19:57
have
19:57
it
19:58
in
19:58
our
19:58
lives
19:59
and
19:59
our
19:59
hearts
19:59
then
20:01
we
20:01
ask
20:01
what
20:01
are
20:02
we
20:02
withholding
20:03
what
20:04
are
20:04
we
20:04
embracing
20:05
at
20:06
the
20:06
expense
20:06
of
20:07
embracing
20:07
his
20:08
providence
20:09
and
20:09
his
20:09
will
20:10
and
20:10
his
20:10
purpose
20:11
and
20:12
how
20:12
we
20:12
need
20:12
to
20:12
exchange
20:13
how
20:14
we
20:14
need
20:14
to
20:14
empty
20:15
our
20:15
hearts
20:16
of
20:17
the
20:17
thing
20:17
that
20:18
stands
20:18
in
20:18
the
20:18
way
20:19
of
20:19
embracing
20:20
what
20:20
God
20:20
is
20:21
doing
20:21
and
20:22
then
20:22
it
20:22
will
20:22
have
20:23
its
20:23
full
20:24
effect
20:26
it
20:27
will
20:27
reach
20:27
its
20:28
telos
20:28
there's
20:29
the
20:29
goal
20:29
there's
20:31
what
20:31
God
20:32
has
20:32
in
20:32
view
20:32
that's
20:34
what
20:34
he
20:34
wants
20:34
us
20:35
to
20:35
be
20:35
and
20:36
that's
20:37
what
20:37
I
20:37
want
20:37
to be
20:37
ourselves
20:38
if we're
20:38
honest
20:38
but let
20:40
us
20:40
tonight
20:42
think of
20:43
participating
20:44
participating
20:44
in this
20:45
very
20:45
thing
20:46
to
20:47
ensure
20:47
that
20:47
we're
20:47
not
20:48
standing
20:49
in
20:49
the
20:50
way
20:50
of
20:50
what
20:50
God
20:50
wants
20:51
to
20:51
do
20:51
for
20:51
us
20:52
and
20:53
in
20:53
the
20:53
participation
20:54
then
20:55
that
20:57
you
20:57
may be
20:58
perfect
20:58
and
20:59
complete
21:00
lacking
21:02
nothing
21:03
it's
21:07
an awful
21:07
thing
21:08
in any
21:08
kind
21:08
of
21:08
experience
21:09
any
21:10
area
21:10
of
21:10
life
21:11
to
21:12
think
21:13
that
21:13
there's
21:14
a
21:14
deficit
21:14
that
21:15
we
21:15
cannot
21:15
do
21:15
what
21:16
we
21:16
want
21:17
to
21:17
do
21:17
because
21:18
we
21:18
lack
21:19
certain
21:19
things
21:19
sometimes
21:21
we
21:21
can
21:21
be
21:21
so
21:21
conscious
21:22
of
21:22
what
21:22
we
21:22
lack
21:23
that
21:23
we
21:24
lose
21:24
sight
21:24
of
21:25
the
21:25
things
21:25
that
21:25
God
21:25
has
21:25
given
21:26
to
21:26
us
21:26
but
21:28
here
21:28
is
21:28
God
21:28
working
21:29
so
21:30
that
21:30
we
21:30
will
21:31
not
21:31
lack
21:32
anything
21:32
he
21:34
wants
21:34
to
21:34
fill
21:35
our
21:35
experience
21:36
he
21:36
wants
21:36
to
21:37
fill
21:37
our
21:38
cup
21:38
in
21:38
such
21:38
a
21:38
way
21:38
that
21:40
we
21:40
will
21:40
feel
21:41
we
21:42
lack
21:42
nothing
21:42
because
21:43
our
21:44
joy
21:44
is
21:44
complete
21:45
in
21:46
God
21:46
that
21:50
we
21:50
may
21:50
be
21:51
perfect
21:51
and
21:52
complete
21:52
I
21:54
said
21:55
at the
21:55
beginning
21:55
that
21:55
sometimes
21:56
we
21:56
feel
21:56
we're
21:57
far
21:57
away
21:57
from
21:58
heaven
21:58
and
21:58
far
21:58
away
21:59
from
21:59
God
21:59
and
22:01
we
22:01
know
22:01
that
22:01
there
22:02
is
22:02
a
22:02
perfection
22:03
and
22:04
a
22:04
completion
22:05
that
22:06
will
22:06
only
22:06
be
22:06
ours
22:06
when
22:07
we
22:07
get
22:07
to
22:07
heaven
22:08
but
22:10
there
22:10
is
22:10
another
22:11
perfection
22:11
and
22:12
there
22:12
is
22:13
another
22:13
completion
22:13
and
22:15
that
22:15
is
22:16
that
22:16
our
22:16
development
22:17
should
22:17
correspond
22:18
to
22:19
where
22:19
we
22:20
are
22:20
on
22:20
the
22:20
journey
22:20
of
22:21
faith
22:21
if
22:22
it
22:22
does
22:23
not
22:23
then
22:23
there's
22:23
something
22:24
seriously
22:24
wrong
22:25
and
22:26
the
22:27
maturity
22:27
that
22:27
the
22:28
Bible
22:28
speaks
22:28
of
22:28
that
22:29
Paul
22:29
speaks
22:30
of
22:30
and
22:30
Jesus
22:31
himself
22:31
speaks
22:32
of
22:32
that
22:32
maturity
22:33
there
22:34
should
22:34
be
22:34
a
22:34
corresponding
22:35
level
22:36
of
22:37
maturity
22:37
in
22:37
our
22:38
faith
22:38
to
22:39
the
22:39
years
22:39
that
22:39
we
22:39
have
22:40
travelled
22:40
with
22:40
God
22:41
on
22:41
this
22:42
journey
22:42
and
22:44
so
22:44
tonight
22:44
let's
22:45
hear
22:47
the
22:47
prompt
22:47
let's
22:48
be
22:48
alert
22:49
what
22:49
is
22:49
God
22:50
saying
22:50
to
22:50
us
22:50
let's
22:52
ensure
22:53
we have
22:53
the
22:54
right
22:55
perspective
22:55
make
22:57
sure we
22:57
know the
22:58
word of
22:58
God
22:59
make
22:59
sure we
23:00
know more
23:00
of
23:00
Jesus
23:01
Christ
23:01
make
23:02
sure we
23:02
know more
23:03
of God
23:03
as the
23:03
object
23:04
of
23:04
our
23:04
faith
23:04
to
23:06
give
23:06
us
23:06
the
23:06
perspective
23:07
that
23:07
ensures
23:08
joy
23:08
and
23:09
then
23:09
let's
23:11
ensure
23:11
that
23:11
we
23:11
are
23:11
participating
23:12
in
23:12
what
23:13
God
23:13
is
23:13
doing
23:13
not
23:14
standing
23:14
in
23:15
his
23:15
way
23:15
but
23:16
willingly
23:17
submitting
23:18
to
23:18
him
23:18
and
23:19
recognising
23:20
the way
23:21
in which
23:21
he
23:21
blesses
23:22
and the way
23:23
in which
23:23
he fills
23:24
and the way
23:25
in which
23:25
he tops
23:25
up
23:26
our
23:27
experience
23:27
of his
23:28
grace
23:28
and therefore
23:30
our
23:30
experience
23:31
of his
23:32
joy
23:32
may God
23:33
bless
23:33
these
23:33
thoughts
23:34
to us
23:35
so
23:37
concluding
23:37
psalm
23:37
is
23:37
psalm
23:38
number
23:38
34
23:39
from
23:40
St.
23:40
Psalms
23:41
on page
23:41
number
23:41
41