Opening illustration: During the Boer War (1899-1902), a man was convicted of a very unusual crime. He was found guilty of being a “discourager.” The South African town of Ladysmith was under attack, and this traitor would move up and down the lines of soldiers who were defending the city and do everything he could to discourage them. He would point out the enemy’s strength, the difficulty of defending against them, and the inevitable capture of the city. He didn’t use a gun in his attack. It wasn’t necessary. His weapon was the power of discouragement.
Encouragement, on the other hand, can be a powerful friend. It strengthens the weak, imparts courage to the fainthearted, and gives hope to the faltering. One of the greatest ministries we can have is to lift the spirits of fellow believers.
Many Christians have become weary in their daily conflict with the evil one and are tempted to give up in their spiritual struggle. They need an encouraging word. Pastors and others involved in ministry need expressions of appreciation and the assurance of our prayer support. With discouragement taking its toll, they need encouragement to spur them on.
Let us ponder on the two scripture texts for this morning and understand the impact discouragement can have on our lives. Let us turn to Numbers 21:1-6 and Galatians 6:9.
Introduction: Are you tired of being discouraged? Whether or not your situations change, you can experience joy, peace, and contentment. Circumstances don't have to dictate your emotions. You have someone on your side who is always available to help you, strengthen you, and uphold you.
Although discouragement is a form of attack from Satan (his greatest weapon of warfare), God can redeem any discouraging circumstances and bring blessing to a person who is discouraged as that individual seeks God for deliverance. The biggest benefit of suffering through a time of discouragement is that it confirms our need for God.
Discouragement can effectively produce deeper maturity in Christ, because through it God can destroy a believer’s delight in temporal things (see Philippians 3:7-11) and one’s confidence in human effort (see Romans 7:22-24). God has ordained that His strength be made perfect through our weakness. God told the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Discouragement effectively exposes our weakness and should always motivate us to seek the Lord’s strength.
1. What causes discouragement?
Conflict within the family – Matthew 10:34-39
Giving God the 2nd place in your life – Luke 9:57-62
Not being content with God’s blessings – Numbers 11:4-6 (place of service, opportunities, talents/abilities, job/salary)
Satan’s greatest weapon – discouragement. Some of the greatest men in the Word of God were defeated because of being discouraged.
Illustration: Former heavy-weight boxer James (Quick) Tillis is a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980s. He still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa. "I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under by arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, 'I'm going to conquer Chicago.' "When I looked down, the suitcases were gone." When situations like these come in our lives suddenly and unexpectedly, what do we do? Sure, we get discouraged! What can happen and how we deal with it becomes very important.
2. What happens when we get discouraged?
We pray the wrong prayers:
a) Moses prayed to die – Numbers 11:10-15
b) Elijah prayed to die – 1 Kings 19:4
We say the wrong things: (impulsive in our speech and action)
a) Job said the wrong thing – Job 3:1-6
b) David said the wrong thing – Psalm 116:11
We begin to think the wrong things:
a) John while in prison – Matthew 11:2-6
b) Martha – John 11:39
We do the wrong things:
a) Moses smote the rock – Numbers 20:7-11
b) Elijah ran away – 1 Kings 19:3
c) We start meeting or acquainting with the wrong people. (Most common thing which most folks do is they surround ourselves with the wrong people)
We begin to see the wrong things:
a) Giants instead of God – Numbers 13:30-33
b) Difficulties instead of God’s power – Matthew 14:28-31
c) We need to have our eyes on the problem solver NOT the problem.
We end up in the wrong place:
a) Jonah in the belly of the fish – Jonah 1:17
b) Elijah under the tree – 1 Kings 19:4
We get into (yield) the wrong spirit: (Numbers 21:1-6)
a) Spirit of Defeatism
b) Spirit of Depression
c) Spirit of Murmuring
d) Spirit of Grouchiness – resentment, grumpiness, moody
e) Spirit of Criticism
Luke 18:1 says “… that men always ought to pray and not lose heart …”
Illustration:
• Beethhoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred to play his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
• The teacher of the famous opera singer Enrico Caruso said Caruso had no voice at all and could not sing.
• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper for lacking ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.
• Eighteen publishers turned down Richard Bach’s 10,000 word story about soaring seagull before MacMillan finally published it in 1970. By 1975, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull had sold more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone.
3. What should we do?
Concentrate on God’s Greatness – Psalm 77:11-12
Consistently give thanks for His Greatness – Psalm 77:13-14 (In 2008 Iowans didn’t ask money for flood)
Consider His past works (testimony) – Psalm 77:19-20
Deal with the problem of others – considering them your own
Illustration: William Carey, the father of the modern missionary movement, arrived in India in 1793 with a burden to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who had never heard the name. For seven years he proclaimed the gospel message faithfully week after week, month after month, with not a single native of India converted to Christ. Through years of struggle and doubt, Carey was often discouraged but never defeated. To his sisters back home in England he wrote:
"I feel as a farmer does about his crop: sometimes I think the seed is springing, and thus I hope; a little blasts all, and my hopes are gone like a cloud. They were only weeds which appeared; or if a little corn sprung up, it quickly dies, being either chocked with weeds, or parched up by the sun of persecution. Yet I still hope in God, and will go forth in his strength, and make mention of his righteousness, even of his only."
4. Are you discouraged?
Consider the final point of question 3. (loving your neighbor as yourself)
Galatians 6:9 says that “… let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” The condition to reap a harvest is not to be/stay discouraged.
Application: A little encouragement can spark a great accomplishment.
