Upload
marcia-mckinney
View
221
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Feeling Overwhelmed?Feeling Overwhelmed?
•Problems in the home?
•Problems at your job?
•Problems at school?
•Problems in our country?
•Problems in the church?
Discouraged?Discouraged?•because of ungodliness?
•because of apathy?
•because of burdens?
•because of loneliness?
•because of some other reason?
Spiritual Failure
“I don’t want to give in to temptation, but I keep committing the same sins over and over...
God must not love me or care about me because I hate myself and am worthless to the cause of Christ...
Who can serve God in times like these?”
Spiritual Failure
Concerned with spiritual failure?
Look at Peter!
The apostle Peter could have remained discouraged because he failed his Lord so many times and
especially when he denied him three times.
(Luke 22:54-61)
Spiritual Failure
While Judas hung himself, Peter wept bitterly, and 50 days later
had the conviction to preach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God to those who were guilty of having
Him crucified. (Acts 2)
Are you discouraged because of spiritual failure?
Join the club, we have all failed spiritually
Sins of omission or commission-
James 4:17; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 3:4
James 4:17“Therefore, to one who knows the right
thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
1 John 1:8 ““If we say that we have no sin, we are
deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 3:4“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is
lawlessness.”
Are you discouraged because of spiritual failure?
Join the club, we have all failed spiritually
sins of omission or commission- James 4:17; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 3:4
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
(Phil. 4:13).
Why Do We Get Why Do We Get Discouraged?Discouraged?
•Because of Spiritual Failure
•Because of Isolation - we think we are the only one serving God
Thinking “I’m the only one”?
“I am the only one serving God at school, on my job, at the gym, in my neighborhood, or in my hometown.”
You may feel lonely, isolated, frustrated and ready to quit.
Join the club. So did the mightiest prophets of God.
Thinking “I’m the only one”?
Certainly no one could be thinking that.
Elijah did.
After Jezebel had killed the prophets of the Lord, she threatened Elijah,
and he ran away and requested that he might die. (1 Kings 19:1-4)
Thinking “I’m the only one”?
When the Lord asked him what he was doing at Horeb, along with other things Elijah said, “I alone
am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” . (1 Kings
19:10b)
Thinking “I’m the only one”?
Did God let him die?
No, God fed him and gave him encouragement.
God told him that there were 7,000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal. (1 Kings 19:18)
Thinking “I’m the only one”?
If you are thinking “I’m the only one serving God”, you need to realize
that there are thousands of Christians who have not bowed down to the ungodliness of this world and are living righteously today and God knows it. (Titus
2:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:19)
Why Do We Get Why Do We Get Discouraged?Discouraged?
•Because of Spiritual Failure
•Because of Isolation - we think we are the only one serving God
•Because of Apathy- it seems like no one wants to study
No One Listening to You?No One Listening to You?
What if you’d live in Noah’s time?
They thought about evil all the time and filled the earth with
violence. (Genesis 6:5, 11)
No One Listening to You?No One Listening to You?
He preached for at least 100 years and no one (except for 8
souls) wanted to repent of their sins in order to escape
from the worldwide flood and be saved. (1 Peter
3:20)
No One Listening to You?No One Listening to You?
Did he ever think after a few years that no one wants to
hear the truth and so I’ll just quit?
No, he kept preaching. (2 Peter 2:5)
No One Listening to You?No One Listening to You?
Our job is not to get the results that we want because if it is, we might
change or compromise the message; or entice them with
food, fun, or frolic.
Our responsibility is to sow the seed, and God will give the
increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6ff)
No One Listening to You?No One Listening to You?
Are you inviting people to come to worship services?
Are you inviting or encouraging your friends, neighbors, and loved ones to study the Bible?
Do you show concern for their souls?
Overcome Overcome DiscouragementDiscouragement
•Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin.
Remember Victories!Remember Victories!
God had sustained Elijah through his trials.
Elijah needed to recall how God gave him the victory
over the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:36-
39)
Remember Victories!Remember Victories!
God has given us victory over our past sins when we humbly
obeyed the gospel of Christ, (1 Cor. 6:9-11;
Romans 6:17-18) and we allowed Christ to rule our lives.
(Colossians 3:15)
Remember Victories!Remember Victories!
“Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,
each vict’ry will help you some other to win.
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,
look ever to Jesus, he will carry you thru.”
Remember Victories!Remember Victories!
How many times have you prayed to God and He answered your prayers and helped you to overcome some temptation that if you would have given in to it may have led to your death?
(Drunk driving accident, fornication, abortion, AIDS, STD’S,
etc.)
Remember Victories!Remember Victories!
How many times has God’s grace been sufficient for you to
overcome your “thorn in the flesh” and you realized that
when you were weak you were strong like the apostle Paul? (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Remember Victories!Remember Victories!
So “when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your
many blessings, name them one by one! And it will surprise you
what the Lord hath done.”
Overcome Overcome DiscouragementDiscouragement
•Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin.
•Focus on Jesus, not your problem
Focus on Jesus
When Peter obeyed the Lord’s command, he walked on the water.
But when he took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the waves he began to sink.
But he remembered to ask the Lord to save him and He did. (Luke 14:28-29)
Focus on Jesus
When we focus on our problems, we take our eyes off
of Jesus and begin to sink in our spirits to doubt, worry and
discouragement.
We need to focus on Jesus instead.
Why?
Focus on Jesus
Because he is the author and finisher of our faith, who because of his joy, endured the cross for
you and me. If you focus on Jesus, you will not grow weary
and discouraged. (Hebrews 12:2-3)
Focus on Jesus
Don’t worry ... “God will take care of you, thru everyday o’er all the way, He will take care of you.”
So cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you. (1
Peter 5:7)
Focus on Jesus
“We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer”
Don’t worry, pray, and God has promised you that you will have
the peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Overcome Overcome DiscouragementDiscouragement
•Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin.
•Focus on Jesus, not your problem
•Realize God still has work for you to do
Realize there’s work to do
God still had work for Elijah to do when he desired to quit. (1 Kings 19)
God has work for us to do also.
We have been created in Christ Jesus for good works. (Ephesians 2:10)
Realize there’s work to do
We need to press on towards the goal of heaven, rather than
focusing on the failures of the past or on the problems that we presently face. (Philippians 3:12-
14)
Realize there’s work to do
We must be prepared for every work that God has given us to do.
(2 Timothy 2:21)
That means we must take advantage of the opportunities that we have
to do good to all people and especially the household of the
faith. (Galatians 6:10)
Realize there’s work to do
“Each day I’ll do a golden deed by helping those who are in
need, my life on earth is but a span,
and so I’ll do the best I can”
Overcome Overcome DiscouragementDiscouragement
•Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin.
•Focus on Jesus, not your problem•Realize God still has work for you
to do•Encourage & be encouraged!
Encourage!!
We all need to get daily encouragement from each other because we might fall away from God’s will and be hardened in our
sins.
Encourage!!
“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be
hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:12-13)
Encourage!!
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love
and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)