02 Losing Despair Series

People tell me they don’t watch the TV news. It’s so depressing.” That’s one of the things that causes so much despair. Most of the TV news is either bad or sad. You don’t hear much good stuff that lifts you up.

- Oil prices doubled in a year

- Thousands of lightning strikes in Northern California are to blame for setting more than 800 wildfires in less than a day.

- Massive N.C. Fire hampers flights into Norfolk. Smoke as far north as N.J.

- The New York Times has reported that more than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters took part in major military exercises over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece 1200-1500 miles away from home

- Is this training to take out Iran’s nuclear program?

- Former US Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said on Tuesday that he believes Israel will stage a raid against Iran’s nuclear facilities if Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama wins the upcoming presidential elections.

- Bolton said the IAF would likely strike in the interim term between election day (November 4th) and the inauguration (January 20th 2009) – while George W. Bush is still in office.

- "I think if they are to do anything, the most likely period is after our elections and before the inauguration of the next President," Bolton said in an interview with FOX News.

- Homes foreclose

- The job market suffers its worst decline since 1986

- Paranoia abounds in the home

- What is supposed to lift you from despair only digs deeper into it

- We Can Make it Through If We Do Not Have to Do it Alone

- His Power & Mercy Will Take Us Through

Losing Despair

- Is 61:1-2 Applied to Jesus — Lk 4:18-19

- Isaiah is speaking here so it can also be applied to our own hearts

❶ Tortured by Despair

- Humbly admit your need

- v.1 Brokenhearted, Captives, Bound

- v.2-3 Crying

- v.3 Dreams turning to ashes & dust, Discouragement, Hopelessness,

- v.4 Poverty

❷ Tackling Despair

1. v. 2 - Enough is enough

- the acceptable year of the LORD

- The time has come

2. v. 2 - Believe His Word

- To proclaim

- Making the exchange of binding up,

- v.1 - Liberty

- v.2 - Comfort

- v. 3 - Beauty, Joy, Praise

- The hard times are used by the Lord

3. v. 1 - Live In the Spirit

- “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me”

- Obedient lives

- HS is offering a garment

- Prodigal son was offered one

- The wedding guest is offered a wedding garment

- We are to except this gift

- We are to be obedient

- In down times how can we find faith, hope & freedom from despair?

- v. 3 “that they may be called trees of righteousness”

Isaiah 1:29KJV

29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

- Other translations use this word trees as oaks

- His splendor will be displayed

- Without the fire there can be no pure gold

- Without the pounding on the anvil there can be no useful tool

- To be sustained “Live In The Spirit”

❸ Trampling Despair

Lincoln’s Depression

Many years ago a young Midwestern lawyer suffered such deep despair that his friends thought it wise to keep all knives and razors from him. During this time he wrote, “I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell.” He was wrong. He did recover and went up to become one of America’s most-loved presidents, Abraham Lincoln.

- v.4-6 Note the words “Shall”

- It is Christ that changes everything

- Think of Joseph in Egypt

- The Pharaoh’s were not known for their kindness

- Genesis 41:8-10KJV

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:

- Hebrews were despised

Genesis 41:12KJV

12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

Genesis 46:34KJV

34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.