Broken: Hope For The Hopeless, Depressed And Discouraged

BROKEN: HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS, DEPRESSED AND DISCOURAGED

HUMOUR INTRO: When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the car, playing golf - always something more important to me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway." The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.

OPENING TEXT:

“I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done. I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die.” (Psalm 143:4-7, NLT).

• How many of you can relate to those words?

• “Losing all hope, paralyzed with fear, my depression deepens, I will die.”

• These words were penned by King David, a man after God’s own heart!

• Job: “And now my heart is broken. Depression haunts my days.” (Job 30:16, NLT).

• Do you feel like you’ve lost all hope, fearful, depressed, and thoughts of dying?

• Do you rarely laugh anymore, feel exhausted, and lack joy in your life?

• There is hope for those who may be struggling with depression.

• If you feel this message isn’t for you: Even though you might not be struggling with depression or discouragement, you absolutely know someone who is!

PERSONAL TESTIMONY:

New Christian, faith church = “I’m on top and rising.” No doubts, fears, troubles or problems. But as I continued in my walk of faith, I experienced rejection, hurts and pain. I had bad days, dark days, depressing days, days I wanted to give up. How could that happen?

STRUGGLING SAINTS IN THE BIBLE:

God doesn’t candy-coat the stories and characters of the Bible.

They were real men and women with real problems and struggles. Look at these heroes of faith who struggled with depression: Abraham (Gen. 15); Jonah (Jonah 4); Job (Book of Job); Elijah (1 Kings 19); King Saul (I Sam. 16:14-23); Jeremiah (Jer. & Lam.); David (Psalms).

WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION? Abuse, conflict, death or loss, genetics, major events (life change), mental illness, substance abuse, being bullied, guilt over sin. Many different reasons!

THE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO WAS BROKEN:

“But Jesus needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.” (John 4:4-6, NKJV).

• Why did Jesus have to go through Samaria?

• He knew that there was a woman there who was broken.

• This woman had tried to find satisfaction in relationships with men – she had been married five times, and was living with a sixth guy – but she was still empty inside.

1. JESUS OFFERS TO US THE WATER OF LIFE:

“7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:7-14).

• Was Jesus talking about well water? No! He was talking about something much deeper!