Alba 8-18-13 (Revised 10-23-2022)
HELP ME GOD, I'M DISCOURAGED
John 10:10
I don’t know if this story about Abraham Lincoln is true or not, but the story is told that Lincoln was surprised one day when a rough looking man drew a revolver and pushed it in his face. "Abe" figured that debate or argument was out of the question.
"What seems to be the matter?" asked Lincoln, with all the calmness and self-confidence he could muster.
"Well," replied the stranger, who did not appear at all excited, "some years ago I swore an oath that if I ever came across an uglier man than myself, I’d shoot him on the spot."
A feeling of relief came over Lincoln at this point. "Shoot me," Lincoln said to the stranger, "for if I am an uglier man than you, I don’t want to live."
Our world is full of unhappy, dissatisfied and discouraged people. Today's message is about the emotion of discouragement: Help Me God, I'm Discouraged!
Discouragement comes to everyone at some time or other. Many are discouraged about life. Discouraged about a job search or career. Discouraged about weight loss or gaining weight. Discouraged about dating. Discouraged about being single. Discouraged in marriage.
For this reason, people everywhere are looking for answers to the emptiness they feel inside. They will try anything, if it might bring them some sort of satisfaction or happiness.
The devil, according to legend, once advertised his tools for sale at public auction. When the prospective buyers assembled, there was one oddly shaped tool which was labeled "Not for sale."
Asked to explain why this was, the devil answered, "I can spare my other tools, but I cannot spare this one. This the most useful implement that I have. It is called Discouragement, and with it I can work my way into hearts otherwise inaccessible. If I get this tool into a man's heart, the way is open to plant anything I may desire."
Perhaps this explains why there is so much divorce, suicide, thoughts of suicide, drug dependency, alcohol abuse, criminal behavior, prostitution, sexual impurity, depression, pornography, eating disorders, emotional and psychological disorders.
Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” We are messed up. So, what is the solution?
There is an answer to the eternal question, "How do we overcome discouragement and find happiness and satisfaction in life?" Jesus stated in John 10:10 the purpose for why He came.
He said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The purpose for Jesus coming into this world is to bring life. He purchased eternal life by dying on that cross and taking the punishment we deserve for our sins. For those who believe in Him there is forgiveness of those sins, and a life that is eternal.
The life He gives helps us to overcome the discouragements we so often face. But there is an enemy of the peace and joy that we can have in Christ. So...
1. Beware of the Enemy
Jesus said in John 10:10 that Satan’s purpose is to “steal and kill and destroy”. We live in a land where things get stolen all the time. Identity theft is something we have heard much about during the past few years.
Incidents of various types of identity theft have more than doubled in recent years and now represent the leading consumer fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission, accounting for 42% of all complaints.
The real tragedy with identity theft is you may never realize that it has happened to you until you receive bills for a credit card you never had – or a bad credit report includes debts you never created – billing cycles pass and you don’t receive a statement – and charges appear on your bills that you did not authorize.
Identity theft can be very subtle in the beginning, and before you know it you find yourself attempting to prove your identity. It is not good to find yourself in the position of having to prove who you are to creditors or some local agency.
Jesus warns us of an identity thief, the Devil himself. In the spiritual realm, a kind of stealing is going on in many lives. The Devil is in the business of ripping off things that don’t belong to him!
The Devil doesn't need your car or your house, or your money. But he is interested in stealing Spiritual treasures. Things that have value with God and are of eternal significance.
When we become Christians, our identity is in Christ. And yes, identity theft does take place on the Spiritual Level. The devil does his best to steal our likeness to Christ.
Satan would like nothing more than to corrupt the image of God in you, drain your spirit, and therefore, derail your becoming like Christ.
For that in itself is the essence of Christianity – to be like Christ. Are you discouraged at your lack of progress in that area?
The Devil has done his work of discouragement for a long time. If you feel discouraged, you are not alone. God's children do get discouraged, as the following Bible verses remind us.
Concerning the prophet Elijah it says in 1 Kings 19:4 “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, 'It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!'”
In Ecclesiastes 2:17 it says,“Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Even in more recent times, well-known preachers have admitted discouragement.
Billy Graham said, "The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'”
Charles Stanley said, “Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there's a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to Himself to trust Him. Therefore, my discouragement is from Satan.”
How does the Devil use his weapon of discouragement on us? Here is an example from nature that may help us understand the process of how the thief steals, kills, and destroys.
As most of you know, the Oyster is a two-pieced shell fish. The major predator of the Oyster is the Starfish. Muscle for muscle, the Oyster is the stronger of the two creatures. The oyster has one large powerful muscle that it uses to close its two shells like a vise.
The Starfish has no muscle as strong as the Oyster’s. But, it has five Legs with many smaller muscles that it alternately rest and exert tension when taking hold of an Oyster with its suction cups.
The pressure on the one large muscle is at first easily resisted. It is low-level, but constant and unyielding. In time, the Oyster is exhausted and unable to hold its shell closed any longer. The Starfish breaks in and devours it.
In the same way, the constant pressure from sin, the world, and the devil seeks always to drag us down into modes of thinking, and acting that bear no resemblance to Jesus. Even Christians have difficulty trying withstand that constant pull and can become discouraged.
William Ward gave the following definition of Discouragement: *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.
It is when we lose sight of God's provision and protection that we can become very discouraged. But what did Jesus mean when he said that we can have “life more abundantly,” “life to the full?”
2. Here's the Encouragement
A good dictionary will define the word "full" as "complete, perfect, being at the highest or greatest degree, the maximum".
So when this word is in reference to one’s life, it would mean a life that is complete, not lacking in anything essential. It would imply that one’s life is provided an abundance and quality in life.
The good news is that not only did Jesus come to save us when He died on that cross, but he also came to give us an abundant life to be lived here and now.
This is much like a second blessing: Eternal life, plus "life to the full"! Many Christians are not living life to the full because they don’t know what it is! Many Christians don’t really think that such a life is available to them. How sad! That gives the devil opportunity to use his weapon of discouragement.
God's desire is that His children are living a life full of happiness, peace, and a genuine friendship with Him.
Through Jesus it is, without a doubt, still available today. It can be done, and Jesus came to do it! Jesus calls this quality of living, "Abundant Life!" Listen to these scriptures.
In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
In II Corinthians 12:9 the apostle Paul writes, “And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The apostle Peter says in I Peter 5:7 that if you are discouraged you should be “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Abundant living is a life that is filled with the things that are good for us.
People who receive the abundant life are given special qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All gifts of the Holy Spirit,
That is followed by compassion, purity, humility, modesty, faith, character, wisdom, enthusiasm, dignity, optimism, confidence, honesty, and a relationship with God.
The life we experience because He came is not something we have to wait on, it’s something we can possess and do possess right now.
If discouragement comes, that is when we need to look at what Jesus has done for us. Hebrews 12:1-4 reminds us that Jesus faced much more than we do. It says:
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
Now, notice I have not said that we can experience a life without without difficulties, without sin, without sadness, illness, trial, tribulation and temptation as some would claim is possible.
But we have a Savior who faced what could have been great discouragement and came out the victor! Here is the truth: Jesus gives life, abundant life!
The abundant life is full of all the things money can’t buy. No matter how much money you have, you can not buy more patience, self-control, or salvation! Hardware stores do not sell wisdom or hope.
Someone said, "The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it." I think this is true for many.
But there is an answer to the eternal question, "How do I overcome discouragement and find happiness and satisfaction in life?"
Jesus stated it in John 10:10. He said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they (that means you and me) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
CLOSE:
"Did you ever notice," said a faithful old lady, smiling into the troubled face before her, "that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in the same old place where they had caught nothing?”
We think that if we could only get off to some new place when we get discouraged, trying again would be an easier thing.
Or we think that if we could be somebody else, or go somewhere else, or do something else, it might not be so hard to have fresh faith and courage; but it is the same old net in the same old pond for most of us.
The old temptations are to be overcome, the old faults are to be conquered, the old trials and discouragements before which we failed yesterday to be faced again today.
We must win success where we are, if we win it at all, and it is the Master Himself, who, after all these toilful, disheartening failures, bids us `try again.'—Sunday School Times.
Because it is Jesus who gives us hope and ability to overcome discouragement.
