Spiritual Maturity #3

A. Read the news paper, evening news. Swindled out of life savings. Lost home in a fire. Similar
experience 25 years ago. In 3 days, I was fired from my job, my mother died and our home burned.
In times like that self pity, an embittered attitude can cause you to miss some of the most important
lessons God has to teach you. I truly believe it's possible for God to be involved in grief, loss of family
members and prized possessions.
Some of the choicest blessings from God come through the back door of life. And guess what? We can miss them because we’re not ready to accept them. You have to view those Losses and tragedies in the context of the entirety of life. Until you do that, you will never understand that sometimes tragedy and loss can be a blessing in disguise.
Losses come in many ways and they are wrapped in all kinds of packages. And most have
experienced loss of a loved one. Loneliness, heartbreak, sorrow. What about the loss of life-
time possessions like a farm or ranch.
(A) What do you do? How do you handle it? Possible to survive intact? Can any good come
from all this? From our own experience, Bess and I can tell you, that the answer to those
questions is a resounding, “YES!”
James, the brother of Jesus tells us in, Jas. 5:10-11. In the Old Testament, Job is
an example of a man who lost everything the world holds dear and came out on top
because he trusted God. Look what Job started with, Job 1:1. You don’t get any
better than that. An incredible man of God. Greatly respected in heaven and on
earth.
(a) Vs. 2. A devout family man. A man with Incredible Wealth, Vs. 3a. Sheep,
simi trucks, tractors, pickups, hired hands. Invented Corporate Farming.
Vs. 3b. He had prestige, honor, respect. His name is a house-hold word.
Understand, humanly speaking Job did not deserve the losses he suffered. In Vs.8, God said, “...there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" He was contemporary with Abraham. Abraham sinned often. He was weak in his faith and it took God 26 years to grow him into strong faith, = Bible says, “Abraham was a man after God’s own heart.”
Jno. 9:1-3. Isn’t it worth any loss we have to suffer so that God’s glory and might can be reflected to all the world so lost souls can be let to salvation? Would you be so selfish, ungrateful that you would begrudge that and not count it as life’s greatest honor?
Not all losses come because we’ve done something wrong. Job was a Godly man. How would you react to that kind of loss? How did Job respond to it? Vs. 20-21. He worships God. Not rail in self pity, “Why me, I don’t deserve this?”
How possible? He is so beautifully linked to God he does not get side-tracked. Turns to God. He will season us, mature us, put steel into our fragile frames.
Some people never suffered severe loss. Been pampered and spoiled by life. When loss comes they get cranky, sour. Act like spoiled, selfish child. Rant and rave, whine and turn face to the wall and pout. What did Jesus do when He died unjustly? Did He throw a hissy fit? “Not my will, but thy will be done.”
(2) Understand, God does not sit on cloud dropping gold wrapped gifts to some spoiled, selfish brat who whines and throws temper tantrums because can not have what wants. So God throws another tidbit and says, “There now, be happy.”
(1) God allows adversity as well as prosperity. Understand, God is not obligated to make us comfortable. God has only one obligation. To do what is necessary to complete our spiritual growth and salvation.

(1) God’s business is growing Christians. Jno. 15:1-2. Guess what? Pruning is painful. God’s intent is to grow us from immature milk drinking babes to mature, responsible, meat eating adults. So, just cooperate and grow up.
(b) Most of the time it takes adversity to get you to look beyond yourself to God
and His will for your life. Your goal in life, as a Christian, is not to be happy,
satisfied, comfortable, have all you want. Your primary goal in life is to glorify
God. If it takes loss and suffering to accomplish that, we should be the first to
rejoice.
(c) Job. 5:17-22. We do not always live on the mountain top. There are also
valleys. Ps.. 24:4. In the valley of death I find strength and great courage in
God’s rod and staff. That valley is a source of maturity.
(2) The biggest lie you can tell a non-Christian. Trust God and all your worries are over. That is an Un-Biblical belief. Come to Jesus and you step into a world of testing you never knew existed. Matt. 16:24.
(a) Guarantees you will suffer loss. The first thing you must loose is yourself. Job.
23:1-17. Job has lost every thing dear to mankind. Heart broken he goes
into the darkness of night looking for God. He cries out, “I look, but He is not
there.” We all understand that language don’t we. We’ve all been there at
least once in our lifetime.
(1) How do you handle it? The same way Job did. By refusing to loose faith. By seeing life from God’s perspective. Believing what God said in Rom. 8:28.
(3) God will reward your faithfulness just as He did Job’s. It may not be physical wealth. But, He will guarantee spiritual wealth. He will grow in you the right attitudes, character, that will draw you to him. The real, worthwhile things money cannot buy.
(1) He will give you security for your insecurities, purpose and renewed direction. The wisdom to mature and always do His will so He will be able to always bless you with the greatest possession of all. Eternal Life.
(2) ACTS 20:32.

Spur - 09/29/02 am Bob Martin