The Cure for Discouragement

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-24-2024

Psalms 73

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  There are many spiritual obstacles that we face in these last days.  One of the greatest obstacles that cause defeat in the life of the child of God is that of discouragement!  The number one reason that pastors, evangelists, and missionaries are quitting.  Discouragement not only affects the pulpit but also the pews.

 

B.  There are too many areas of life that are discouraging to us all.

 

1.  There Is Sin That Is Rampant.

 

2.  There Is An Apostasy That Is Escalating. 

 

3.  There Is A Falling Away That Is Disheartening.

 

4.  All These Things Lead To Discouragement.

 

C.  It behooves us at this point to remember that discouragement is still a sin, and sin must be dealt with at its source, the heart.

 

Proverbs 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  (All sin is a heart issue!)

 

Matthew 12:35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

 

D.  In verse one, Asaph begins by proclaiming the goodness of God.  God’s Good To Israel And God Is Good To The Clean Of Heart.  This should have told him something, but what he saw in his world overwhelmed him.

                                                 

          1.  Verse 2 – BUT God is not good to me!       

                                                         

          2.  Verse 3-4 – God’s Good To The Wicked

 

          3.  Verse 13 – BUT God is not good to me!

 

          5.  Verse 2-3 – He is ready to quit on God because of a backslidden heart full of envy!

 

E.  There are four different perspectives or different looks found in the Psalm.  Two are good and two are not good.

 

1.  A Distressed Look – vs. 2-12 (His eyes are on the lost and this is what he sees.)

 

          a.  The lost are free to do as they like – vs. 4

 

          b.  The lost have no obvious trouble – vs. 5

 

          c.  The lost are wicked and cruel – vs. 6

 

          d.  The lost have the “Midas Touch” – vs. 7

 

          e.  The lost get away with murder – vs. 8

 

          f.  The lost curse God and receive good – vs. 9-10

 

          g.  The lost mock God and prosper at every hand – vs. 11-12

 

2.  A Disappointed Look – vs. 13-16 (His eyes are on self)

 

          a.  He is disappointed with salvation – vs. 13 “they fare better than I”

 

          b.  He is disappointed with chastisement – vs. 14 “I fail and am whipped”

 

          c.  He is disappointed with the brethren – vs. 15 “just don’t understand”

 

          d.  He is disappointed with things in general – vs. 16 “just too painful to think      about”

 

3.  A Discerning Look – vs. 17-22 (His eyes on the perishing)

 

          a.  The place of understanding – 17 “sanctuary”

 

          b.  The word of understanding – vs. 17 “then understood I”

 

                    1)  The Delusion of the lost – vs. 11-13

 

                    2)  The Dilemma of the lost – vs. 18

 

                    3)  The Destruction of the lost – vs. 19-20

 

          c.  The foolishness of the saint – vs. 21-22

 

                    1)  Questioned God’s Goodness

 

                    2)  Questioned God’s Justice

 

4.  A Delighted Look – vs. 23-28 (His eyes on the Saviour)

 

          a.  The promise of the Saviour – vs. 23-24

 

                    1)  His Presence – vs. 23a

 

                    2)  His Power – vs. 23b

 

                    3)  His Guidance – vs. 24a

 

                    4)  His Reward – vs. 24b

 

          b.  The surety of the Saviour’s Love – vs. 25

 

          c.  The reality of the Saviour’s Comfort – vs. 26

 

          d.  The realization of the Saviour’s Goodness – vs. 27

 

          e.  The resting in the Saviour’s Will – vs. 28

Are You Thankful?

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-24-2024

1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  One of the signs of these last days is that of ingratitude.  2 Timothy 3:2 says, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”  Unfortunately, it has become a characteristic of the professing Christian as well as the religious lost person.  The word “thanks” is found in many places and in several forms in the Bible:  Thanks – 71x  Thank – 26x  Thankful – 3x  Thanksgiving – 27x.  

 

B.  The key to being “thankful” is to be “thinkful.”  Most people are not thankful because they do not take the time to reflect upon just how good the Lord has been to them!  We live in days of “entitlement” thinking.

 

C.  The Person of Thanksgiving.

 

Psalms 69:30   I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

 

Psalms 30:4   Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 

 

     Psalms 106:1   Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

D.  The Places of Thanksgiving.

 

1.  In The Presence of The Lost - Psalms 18:49   Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. 

 

2.  In The Presence of The Church - Psalms 35:18   I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.       

 

Psalms 100:4   Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 105:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 

Psalms 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

 

3.  In Presence of Your Children - Psalms 79:13   So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

 

4.  In The Presence of The Lord - Psalms 95:2   Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 

 

E.  The Period of Thanksgiving - Psalms 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

 

F.  The Publishing of Thanksgiving - Psalms 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. 

 

G.  The Price of Thanksgiving - Psalms 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

 

H.  The Possessions of Thanksgiving:  Thankful for what God has given to us.

 

2 Peter 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 

1.  Thank God For Salvation.

 

a.  At age 28, He came to me when I could not come to Him.

b.  He gave me the faith to be exercised.

c.  He granted me repentance.

d.  His mercy keeps me from hell.

e.  His grace gives me Heaven.

f.  His power to keep me saved.

g.  His watch care to keep me safe.

h.  His chastening to keep me straight.

 

2.  Thank God For Grace.

 

a.  Grace to live.

b.  Grace to suffer.

c.  Grace to stand.

d.  Grace in sorrow.

e.  Grace when it is my time to die.

 

3.  Thank God For Longsuffering And Mercy.

 

a.  When I am good He loves me.

b.  When I am not so good He loves me.

c.  When He chastens me it is with love and compassion.

 

4.  Thank God For Family.

 

a.  I thank God for my wife.

1)  For her faithfulness.

2)  For her forbearance (she has to put up with me 24/7 while you only put up with me for about 5 hours/week!)

b.  I thank God for my children.  I am proud of them.

c.  I thank God for my grandchildren - 6 here and 1 in Heaven.

d.  I thank God for my family in Kentucky. 

 

5.  Thank God For America.

 

a.  I love America!  I am an American by both birth and choice!

b.  I love her freedom.

c.  I love her prosperity.

d.  I love her mountains, plains, deserts, farmlands, from the north to the south, and from the east to the west.  This is my country!

 

6.  Thank God For God’s Word.

 

a.  It’s calm assurance.

b.  It’s open prophecy.

c.  It’s power to save.  (It still works!)

d.  It’s comfort in troublesome times.

e.  It is inerrant, infallible, inspired, powerful, wonderful, and it is free!

 

7.  Thank God For Using You.

 

a.  That God could use a sinner such as I.  Unworthy and unprofitable!

b.  To let me preach in a time such as this.  There are more sinners to preach to; more sin to preach against; more opportunity to shine for the Lord than at any other time since the beginning of time. 

c.  The school from which I graduated.  Tabernacle Baptist Bible College.  It was a good school: faithful to God’s Word and the doctrines of the faith.  It was a place of old-fashioned worship where God was praised and pleased.

d.  Godly pastors and laymen who faithfully taught us the Word of God.

 

8.  Thank God For The Church.  Temple Baptist Church of Laurens, SC.  The greatest church on the face of the earth!

 

a.  For 7 people to start with.  I couldn’t have handled 8!

b.  For godly deacons and their familys who have never given me one ounce of trouble.  Who have stayed by the stuff and continue to faithfully serve their Lord. 

c.  For a church full of people who are not only members of Temple Baptist Church, but are my friends.  They follow instead of fight!  I am theirs and they are mine.  I am proud of them.

 

9.  Thank God For His Many Blessings.

 

a.  Food on the table.

b.  A good bed to sleep in.

c.  A car and truck to drive.

d.  Shoes on my feet and clothes on my back.

e.  We could camp here for a while!

 

10.  Thank God For A Heavenly Hope.

 

a.  All of this and Heaven too.  Glory!!

b.  The blessed hope of His soon appearing.

c.  The blessed hope of my disappearing.

d.  Ruling and reigning with Him.

e.  Living in the New Jerusalem in a mansion.

f.  Spending an eternity with my blessed Saviour and those who have been redeemed throughout all ages.

         

Conclusion:  Unthankful?  Probably Unthinkful!