A Sermon The Apostle Paul Would Preach (A Sermon On Encouragement)

He decided to have an auction.

He hired a auctioneer to come into his shop to take an inventory of all his valuable tools.

He told the auctioneer everything is up for auction except one tool.

He walked over to his work table and picked up a hammer he had since he was a young man. He said everything else is up for auction but this old hammer that I have used over the years.

THIS MAKES ME THINK OF A…

Illus: Legend has it that Satan once had an auction. He auctioned off all the weapons he possessed except one; it was the tool of discouragement.

He was asked why he refused to auction off the tool of discouragement.

His answer was “With this one tool I can accomplish everything I want to accomplish.”

The tool of discouragement is the most powerful weapon that Satan has and he is a master at knowing how to use it skillfully!

Some of the greatest men who ever lived have become discouraged with life.

• We are told that President Abraham Lincoln had severe problems with discouragement.

• Martin Luther, the reformer, had severe problems with discouragement.

We are told that he got so discouraged one time that his wife dressed up in black. He asked her where was she going and she told him she was going to a funeral.

He said, “Who died?” She said, “God died!” He said, “God isn’t dead!” She said, “The way you have been acting I thought perhaps He had died!”

As we look in the scriptures we see some of the great saints of God had a difficult time with discouragement.

Men such as…

• Jeremiah

• Jonah

• David

• Elijah

• Solomon

• Abraham

Yes, some of the greatest men and women who ever lived have had to battle discouragement.

It is satan’s greatest weapon that he has used over and over.

Illus: According to the American Psychiatric Association, it is a problem with:

• One of every ten men

• One of every four women

The devil knows that discouragement is a powerful weapon.

HOW IS HE USING THIS POWERFUL WEAPON?

He is busy using it:

• TO DESTROY MARRIAGES

The divorce courts with couples you would have never dreamed they would be there.

Yet this nation are filled with couples waiting for their turn to get a divorce simply because they have become discouraged in their marriage and feel divorce is the solution to their discouragement.

Also the devil is using the tool of discouragement…

• TO DESTROY CHURCHES

There was a time in this nation that families would join a Bible preaching church and remain in that church their entire life.

But today the devil is using the tool of discouragement to destroy churches and families are jumping from church to church like a bunch of grasshoppers.

Also the devil is using the tool of discouragement…

• TO DESTROY THE YOUTH OF THIS NATION

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people at the age 15 to 24 in the U.S.

Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Discouragement has always been a problem!!!

When Elijah was here on earth, he was probably one of the greatest servants of the Lord.

Yet this great man got so discouraged that he almost had a nervous breakdown. S

In fact some believed he did have a nervous breakdown because of the symptoms he displayed in the scriptures.

Before satan attacked him he was mightily used of God.

But notice WHEN Satan tried to stop this servant of God.

We need to consider two things

I. It was WHEN HE WAS ON A ROLL!

Why?

One thing we can count on in this life, no matter how good things might be today, not too far down the road bad times will be coming.

With every hill a valley is to follow.

DID YOU KNOW THERE IS SUCH A SEASON OF THE YEAR THAT IS CALLED POST HOLIDAY DEPRESSION?

WHAT IS THE CAUSE FOR POST HOLIDAY DEPRESSION?

The holidays are exciting and a busy time that last from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.

This period might include:

• Celebrations

• Parties

• Family get-togethers

• Thanksgiving,

• Christmas,

• New Year’s Eve.

That’s a long period of time of excitement.

EMOTIONALLY YOU MIGHT SAY WE ARE ON A ROLL!!!

After this period of an EMOTIONAL HIGH we have to come down to facing the routine of life.

Illus: You might say thr HONEYMOON IS OVER and realities set in.

Illus: Have you ever been on vacation and you had the most wonderful time of your life. You came back home and you had to face the routine of life.