Discouragement Smothers Life

DEFINITION FOR DISCOURAGEMENT

- Zig Ziglar struggling early in his sales career selling pots & pans, he placed second in a national firm with a sales staff of over 7,000 and first in another company with 3,000.

- SNIOP Acronym S-usceptible to the N-egative I-nfluence of O-ther P-eople.

> Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future.

> It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow.

> It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old.

>It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. - William Ward.

- When you put faith, hope and love together, you can make it in a negative world.

❶ Source of Discouragement

1. From the Expected places - Without - 4:1-3

2. From Unexpected Places - Judah - 4:10

--- Gen 49:8-10

— Judah was the Kingly Line

— From Judah Jesus cam

3. From Those Near You

- Negativism can rub off unto you - 4:11-12

❷ Causes Of Discouragement

1. A Loss Of Strength - 4:10

- Building a long time - Half up - 4:6

- Getting tired - newness has worn off

2. A Loss Of Purpose - 4:10

- Rubbish of Stress

- Rubbish of working with hard people

- Rubbish of the vicious circle

3. A Loss Of Confidence - 4:10

- Had a mind to work - 4:6

- First strength, then Purpose results in confidence

- Never going to catch up - Get finished

4. A Loss Of Security - 4:11

- Scar tactics of the enemy -WHAM

- We hang unto security

------ Jobs

------ Friends

- Thus a desire to escape - To run away

- Don’t let the mistakes and disappointments of the past control and direct your future.

❸ Dealing With Discouragement

1. Unify Your Efforts Toward A Goal - 4:13

- Brought them together by families

- Home source of encouragement

- Turned their attention from their selves to defense against a enemy

- Preservation became a goal

2. Direct Your Attention to the Lord - 4:14

- What He has said

- What He has done

- People who are discourage think about themselves

3. Maintain A Balance In our Thoughts & Actions - 4:15-17

- Who God is

- Our responsibility - the sword and trowel

4. Determine A Rallying Point - 4:19-20

- Don’t do it alone - Sound the trumpet

- Rally together to give strength and support

5. Develop A “Serving Others” Ministry - 4:21-22

- Watching out for each other

- The outward look takes away the inward look

A decade ago, Quote magazine carried a story about one man’s amazing persistence. The nations of the world had gathered for the Olympic games. Athletes from around the globe had trained for years to compete in the games, and finally, the time had arrived.

The Marathon, while not always exciting to watch, is surely the most severe Olympic test of human endurance. Many runners trained extensively to compete. The race began, and eventually, the winner came running back into the Olympic Stadium, welcomed by cheers from the appreciative fans.

Soon other runners arrived as well, and eventually, the race was over. Over, that is, except for one runner.

A single, lone runner was still out on the course. Other track events continued in the stadium, and an hour passed. Then two. Finally several hours later, the final runner, an athlete from Tanzania, entered the stadium. His pace was slow. His steps were wobbly. His knee was bloody and bandaged from a fall earlier in the race. He looked absolutely terrible, but as he entered the stadium, the fans realized who he was and

what he was doing, and they began to cheer. As he made his way around the track and finally, painfully, across the finish line, the cheers swelled as the fans saluted the man’s determination.

Later, after the race, the runner was asked why, even though he had lost the race by several hours, he had continued running. His answer was simple: "My country did not send me 7000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7000 miles to finish it."

- Paul said that a crown of life awaits each of us who finishes the

race.

- But finishing is much harder than starting.

- Finishing means running day in and day out.

- Finishing means training and self-denial and staying focused on the goal.

God has not put you here to start.

God has put you here to finish.

Keep running the good race.