Part 7
It Comforts the Discouraged
Romans 15:4 For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Quick Review: The reason that Preaching is so
important is because it…
·
Message
1 – Conveys the Desires of God
·
Message
2 – Counteracts the Darkness
·
Message
3 – Corrects the Deception
·
Message
4 – Captivates the Distracted
·
Message
5 – Confirms the Disciples
·
Message
6 – Charts the Direction
Intro: One of the number one reasons that
God’s people fall by the wayside is because of discouragement.
Many times,
Christians find themselves discouraged, frustrated, afraid and helpless.
But the Word
of God – through the preaching will bring comfort and healing to those that are
disheartened.
There’s
nothing like a Biblical message with the anointing of the Holy Ghost on it to
breathe new life into the heart and soul of a weary child of God.
·
NOTE: God knows where you are. And He will ALWAYS meet you at your point of
need.
The ravens
brought bread and flesh to Elijah all the way down by the brook.
The 5,000
hungry men and women on the hillside sat down and ate right there on that
hillside!
God knows
what you need, and He always meets your need.
I. The Causes of Discouragement
There are a
wide variety of events and circumstances that can bring about discouragement.
A. The Flesh
There’s very
few things that can consistently cause a believer to lose courage like the
daily struggles with the flesh.
Our daily
failures and faults can over a period of time literally take the wind out of
our sails.
·
Psalms 40:12
For innumerable evils have
compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not
able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart
faileth me.
It is very
frustrating when you do your best to make choose correctly, respond patiently,
love perfectly, speak honestly, live godly, witness passionately, pray
consistently, and to so often come up short.
Satan has a
heyday in the mind and heart of a Christian that tries to live for God, and
makes mistakes in the process.
B. The Fight
If there’s
anything that will grind on a Christian like constant opposition, I don’t know
what it is.
There’s
something about a spiritual Christian that LOVES AND CRAVES peace, fellowship
and unity.
Whether the
fight be with the world, Satanic forces or with carnal believers – fighting takes
it out of us.
·
II Cor. 7:5 For, when we were come into
Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without
were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us
by the coming of Titus;
C. The Field
There’s
nothing as fulfilling as laboring in the field with God.
There’s also
nothing as discouraging as laboring in the field with God.
·
I Cor. 3:5-9 Who
then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as
the Lord gave to every man? I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that
planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are
one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For
we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry,
Though we
understand that he that planteth and he that watereth is anything, that goes
against the grain.
Even while
you are serving, and sowing the seed, and watering the seed, you can grow
weary.
II. The Cost of Discouragement
A. A Loss of Perspective
A discouraged
person has taken their eyes off of God and are looking at themselves and their
circumstances.
·
NOTE
Elijah under the juniper tree. Got is eyes on one woman and forgot the
thousands of faithful men…
B. A Loss of Passion
A discouraged
person struggles to properly care for the needs of others because they are
consumed with their wants.
A
disheartened person is a half-hearted worker.
C. A Loss of Power
A discouraged
person is weak because they are operating in the power of the flesh, rather
than in God’s strength.
·
Nehemiah 8:10
…for the joy of the LORD is your
strength.
III. The Cure for Discouragement
There are
several obviously.
One of the
best is praying in the Holy Ghost.
·
Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up
yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
It takes an
enormous amount of desire and hunger to pray in the Holy Ghost when you are
discouraged.
One of the
biggest lies Satan tells a discouraged person is that they CANNOT pray. Or that
God doesn’t care.
Another is
drawing strength from the Word of God, through personal devotions and
preaching.
·
Psalms 119:49 Remember
the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
·
Psalms 119:81 My
soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
·
Psalms 119:114 Thou
art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
·
Psalms 119:116 Uphold
me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my
hope.
·
Psalms 130:5 I
wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
It has been my experience that Christians that suffer from
chronic discouragement DO NOT LISTEN to preaching.
IF – they attend, they listen with half-hearted, self-pity
and fail to allow the TRUTH of the Word so saturate their dry souls.
And the more preaching they miss, the more preaching it
takes to bring them up to speed.
Many believers are living in a SELF-MANUFACTURED FAMINE
because they intentionally abstain from preaching.
