Facing Discouragement

 Temple Baptist Church - 4-30-2023

Psalm 13

 

Introduction: 

A.  One of the greatest enemies of God’s people is that of discouragement.  This Psalm is Davidic.  Here we find once again the “man after mine own heart” discouraged.  Though he understood the goodness and graciousness of God (verses 5-6), he is discouraged.

 

1.  Verse 3 is the key verse in the Psalm as David asks God to “lighten mine eyes.”  This means that David knows that his perception is off because God is always good to His children.

 

2.  When Holy Spirit spoke of the trial of our faith “being much more precious than gold that perisheth” in 1 Peter 1:7, it was because we do not naturally see our trials in this perspective.

 

3.  Why do God’s people get discouraged when He is meeting our every need?  Because we see the situation instead of the Saviour.

 

B.    What are the major causes of discouragement? 

 

1.  Discouraged because of the Foe.  Satan is relentless!  He does not slow down, give up, or take a vacation.

 

2.  Discouraged because of the Fight.  Life is hard so get used to it!  Job spoke of this.  Job 14:1-2  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.  (2)  He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

 

3.  Discouraged because of the Flesh.  Our flesh is sinful and weak.  Too often, we give into it and fail of the grace of God.

 

4.  Discouraged because of the Future.  We are so disappointed at the sinfulness and godlessness that surrounds us.  We also know that things will wax worse and worse because the Bible says that it will be so.

 

C.  Three things concerning discouragement:

 

1.  Discouragement Is Sin

 

2.  Discouragement Is Infectious

 

3.  Discouragement Is Curable

 

D.  Where we will not find encouragement:

 

1.  You Will Not Find Encouragement In Circumstances (though they may improve temporarily, they will continue to change).

 

2.  You Will Not Find Encouragement In Human Reason (the world has no spiritual answers).

 

3.  You Will Not Find Encouragement In Self-Pity (this will only cause the trial to deepen).

 

E.  Where do we find encouragement?

 

1.  You Will Find Encouragement In The Lord - 1 Samuel 30:6  And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

 

a.  There Is Encouragement In His Person - Habakkuk 3:17-18  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 

b.  There Is Encouragement In His Presence - Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

c.  There Is Encouragement In His Power - Romans 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

Hebrews 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

 

d.  There Is Encouragement In His Purpose - Philippians 4:12-13  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.   I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

2 Corinthians 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

 

e.  There Is Encouragement In His Protection - 2 Corinthians 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

 

2.  You Will Find Encouragement In the Word - Psalms 119:28  My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. 

 

a.  There Is Encouragement In Its Promises - Deuteronomy 1:21  Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

 

b.  There Is Encouragement In Its Preaching - Hebrews 13:22  And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.

 

2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

3.  You Will Find Encouragement In The Church - Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

         

a.  There Is Encouragement In Your Pastor

 

1)  To Continue - Deuteronomy 3:28  But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

 

2)  To Contend - Jude 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 

3)  To Conform -  Titus 2:11-15  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

 

b.  There Is Encouragement In Your People

 

1)  There Is Visual Encouragement - Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  (It encourages me just to see them!)

2)  There Is Vocal Encouragement - Hebrews 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  (It encourages me just to hear them!)

Walking With God - Part 2 - Enoch Walked with God in Consistency

Temple Baptist Church - 4-30-2023

Genesis 5:21-24

 

A.  In our text, we find the First Mention Principle in the phrase “walked with God.”  Though the principle of walking with God is found all through the Bible, the phrase “walked with God” is only found 3 times: twice in our text and in Genesis 6:9. 

 

1.  This speaks of rarity.  Most of the references to “walk” or “walking” in the Bible is either encouraging, commanding, or admonishing someone to walk.  These three instances of “walked with God” defined the person walking.

 

2.  Enoch walked with God.  God did not walk with Enoch.  When you walk with someone (I sometimes walk with my son), they set the direction, the pace, the length, and the destination of the walk, otherwise they walk with you.

 

3.  If you are not pleased in your walk with another, you can quit and turn back at any time or just choose not to walk with them at all.

 

B.  Before we look at walking with God, I want to look at the times in which Enoch walked with Him as they are pertinent to both his day and our days. 

 

C.  These dates are accurate because the years were specifically given in Genesis, chapter 5.  You can do the simple calculation yourself in a matter of a few minutes. 

 

1.  Enoch was born in the year 3,378 BC.

 

2.  Enoch was 65 years old when he begat Methuselah in 3,313 BC, 687 years from the beginning of time in Genesis 1:1, and 969 years before the flood . 

 

3.  Enoch walked with God for 300 years and became the first “was not” in 3,013 BC, 669 years before the flood.  This means that Enoch walked with God in almost the exact middle years between the beginning (687 after) and the destruction of mankind (669 before) by the flood.

 

4.  Methuselah lived 969 years and was 300 years old when Enoch’s life on earth was done.  Methuselah died the year of the flood, so this put the date of the flood 669 years after Enoch or 2,644 BC or 1,356 years from the beginning.

 

5.  Bishop James Ussher (1581-1656) did the same calculations but on the entire Old Testament and gave 4004 BC as the date of the beginning in Genesis 1:1.  This is consistent with the 7 days of time (a day with the Lord is as a thousand years in our time). 

 

6.  There are 7 days of time given with the 7^th day, a day of rest, the Millennial Reign of Christ in the end time.  Of the remaining 6 days, there were 4 days or 4,000 years from the beginning of time to the First Advent and there have been 2 days or 2,000 years since Christ came.

 

D.  The name Methuselah means “man of the dart”.  It comes from a root word meaning “a shoot of a growth”, or a “missile of attack”.  “It shall be sent” or “when he is gone, it shall come.”  Methuselah was named because of the impending judgement of God that was to come when he was gone.

 

1.  Shortly after the creation, mankind began to quickly depart from the ways of God.  We do not know how long Adam and Eve remained innocent but probably not too long.  In chapter 3, we find the fall.

 

2.  In chapter 4, in the process of time, we found Cain killing Abel because of a hatred for righteousness.  These two men were born after the fall and were now grown so this would possible be within 30-40 years later.  Two men with both taught the truths about sin, its consequences, atonement, and faith with two distinctly different outcomes.

 

3.  In chapter 4, we see the establishment of the wicked line of Cain and the re-establishment of the Messianic line through Seth. 

 

4.  Chapter 5 sets forth the line of Adam or the Messianic line of Christ, but spiritual decline once again began and finds its culmination in chapter 6. 

 

Genesis 6:5-6  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  (6)  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.  (It did not take long for the sinfulness of mankind to escalate to this point.  Now, the “sons of God” or the Messianic Line of Seth was affected by the wickedness of the ungodly line of Cain.  Men like Enoch were now the exception or rarity rather than the rule.)

 

E.  I said all that to say this, Enoch walked in perilous times.  Men of God who walked in days of peril.  Enoch walked “with God”,  not God walked with Enoch.  This means that Enoch walked everywhere God let him as God was the leader, not the Follower.

 

F.  Enoch was a beautiful type of a raptured church of the end times.  I want to break down these verses so as to view them in a biblical manner.

 

1.  Enoch evidently had some wasted years.  “And Enoch lived sixty and five years.”  There was no mention of the first part of Enoch’s life.  This opens the possibility that Enoch may have had some wasted years.  Before our walk with God commences, our years are spent in vanity.  Many have had so many wasted years though they may not be viewed as such by many.  These were the years of youth, the pinnacle of strength, the choice years of life. 

 

Proverbs 23:26  My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

 

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.  (10)  Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.  (12:1) Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

 

2.  Enoch had a changed life.  “and begat Methuselah”  The birth of Methuselah changed the life of Enoch: "His death shall send", or “when he is gone, it shall come”  A prophecy of the impending judgement of God.  Methuselah died the year of the flood.  Not in the flood but just prior to it. 

 

3.  Enoch had a beginning in his walk with God.  “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah”  It is important how we begin our walk with God.  Evidently the birth of Methuselah not only marked the beginning of Enoch’s walk with God, this event caused a change in Enoch.  The value and gift of children is one of the greatest of all.  Children are a loan from God to be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

4.  Enoch had maintained a consistency in his walk with God.  “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years”  This was the remainder of Enoch’s life.  He remained in constant fellowship with the Lord in his perilous times.

 

5.  Enoch was a godly family man during his walk with God.  “and begat sons and daughters”  Enoch was not a hermit or isolationist.  He lived a normal but spiritual life before his family.  He led his family, they did not deter him.

 

6.  Enoch had a glorious finish in his walk with God.  “(23)  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:  (24)  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not”  Not that he died a natural death but that he was forever missing on this earth.  I do not know what his family thought but, one of these days, the saints will not die but will be suddenly missing.

 

7.  Enoch was finally home with God!  “for God took him.”  The end of Enoch’s walk with God ended with him walking with God forever.

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  Walking with God in evil times is Possible.  It is up to everyone to make the choice.

 

2.  Walking with God in evil times is a Privilege.  You can walk with and talk with God!

 

3.  Walking with God in evil times is Pleasurable.  It is the greatest life available to the believer.

 

4.  Walking with God in evil times is Practical.  It is the only life that will satisfy the believer.

 

5.  Walking with God in evil times is Protective.  As the hen gathers her chicks under her wings, God protects those who walk in the realm of divine safety.

 

6.  It is important that God’s children “walk with God” in this life.  Walking with God is not perfection.  We are all flesh and fail God in this life, but He will not fail us!

When You Have the Devil for a Father - Who's Yo Daddy?

Temple Baptist Church - 4-26-2023

John 8:31-48

 

Introduction:

 

A.  The Book of John portrays the Deity of Christ, the Eagle.  It begins with the eternality of Christ seen in chapter one and also 8:

 

John 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.

 

John 8:58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

 

B.  We saw last week that many believed but, to be consistent with Matthew 7:12-14, many more did not believe.

 

Matthew 7:12-14  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  (13)  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

C.  Verse 33.  Though they could have believed and chose not to, they continued to press Christ as to who He truly was. 

 

1.  Their answer to verse 32 was that were Abraham’s seed and did not need to be freed because they had never been in physical bondage.

 

2.  They never faced the fact that they were sinners by birth as well as by choice.  The seed of Abraham was to the lost just a sign of being a Hebrew by birth.  They though that gave the special merit with God.  The Nation of Israel was God’s covenant people, but individual Jews were only His by a new birth.

 

D.  Verse 39, 41.  They claimed Abraham as their father in verse 39 and God their Father in verse 41.  Their thought was that their relationship with God was established upon their physical birth family and national heritage.  This was a total rejection of both the Son of God and therefore God the Father.

 

E.  If they had known Christ, they would have known the Father. 

 

John 8:19  Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

 

John 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 

F.  Verse 44.  The Lord’s indictment.  “Ye are of your father the devil.”  I find only two fathers listed here so which one will be you father: the God the Father or the “god of this world,” the devil. 

 

G. When the devil is your daddy, you will have these 13 characteristics.  13 is the number of ill omens.

 

1.  Verse 34.  They will continually be in bondage to sin.  “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”  (God’s children will be free from the bondage of sin.)

 

2.  Verse 35.  They will eventually leave the church with some lame excuse.  “And the servant abideth not in the house for ever”…

 

3.  Verse 36.  They will never be truly free indeed.  “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (Indeed – to become clean)  (God’s children will become clean and not dirty.)

 

4.  Verses 37, 40.  They will become the enemies of God.  “seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.”  (God’s children will be friends of God, not His enemies.)

 

5.  Verses 39-40.  They will never have a saving faith in Christ.  “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.  (40)  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.”  (God’s children will have faith in Christ and Christ alone.)

 

6.  Verse 42.  They will never have a love for Christ Jesus.  “If God were your Father, ye would love me”  (God’s children, having not seen Him, will love Him.)

 

7.  Verse 43.  They will not hear the Word of God.  “even because ye cannot hear my word.”  (God’s children have both the outer and inner hearing of God’s Word.)

 

8.  Verse 44.  They take on the characteristics of the devil and the world.  “the lusts of your father ye will do.”  (God’s children will be transformed from glory to glory through the knowledge of God.)

 

9.  Verse 44.  They will reject everything that is spiritual.  “and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him”  (God’s children will not only accept truth, they will abide in God’s truth.)

 

10.  Verse 44.  They will lie to themselves and others.  “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar”

 

11.  Verse 45.  They will become blinded to the glorious gospel.  “I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”  (God’s children see Him and this world through spiritual eyes that behold and accept spiritual truth.)

 

12.  Verse 46.  They will speak evil of the Christ.  “Which of you convinceth me of sin?”  (God’s children will not speak evil of their wonderful LORD!)

 

13.  Verses 47.  They will have no love for the things of God and fall in love with the world.  “ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”  (God’s children may fail at times but they will continue to have a love for the things of God that will bring them to repentance and restoration.)

 

Who’s your daddy?

Walking With God - Part 1 - Adam and Eve Walked with the Voice of the Lord

Temple Baptist Church - 4-23-2023

Genesis 3:8-9

 

Introduction:

 

A.  This morning, I want to begin a series on “Walking With God.” 

 

1.  In our verses for this morning, we see the familiar story of Adam and Eve just after the fall. 

 

a)  A time of transition from innocence to guilt; fellowship with the Lord to fleeing from the Lord; a time of disobedience, defilement, destruction (as they were now doomed to die), division, discouragement, and disappointment. 

 

b)  What a sad day as they would now have to leave Paradise, the Garden of Eden, with all its perfection—provision—beauty and live in a sin cursed world with all its problems.  They left never to return to their home.

 

Genesis 3:23-24  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  (24)  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

2.  Sounds like the days that we live in as the world is a place of deception and defilement.  God’s children face discouragement and disappointment as they must “walk” among the sinful of this present evil world.

 

B.  I will not dwell upon the fall of man in this chapter but wanted to pick out a phrase that shows a pattern in Adam’s life. 

 

1.  The First Mention of the word “walk”,  or  “walking” was a with a Voice: “the Voice of the LORD God” or, in our day the Word of God! 

 

Adam and Eve did not see a physical presence of Jehovah God walking but heard the “voice of the LORD God” walking. 

 

What a First Mention Principle!  Walking with the Word of God!  This was not a singular instance because they hid themselves from Who they knew would be coming to walk with them.  This reference was a continuation of something that took place on a regular basis.

 

2.  The Last Mention of the word “walk” is found in Revelation, chapter 21.  Revelation 21:24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

 

3.  As men walked with the Voice of God in the beginning, they shall walk with the Word of God and in the Light of God in eternity.  Between these two mentions, God’s children walked with God.

 

C.  The Voice walked and the Voice talked.  John 1:1 explains this phenonium as it shows the correlation between the Word of God from the beginning, the Incarnate Word, the Inscribed Word of God, and the Coming Word in Revelation chapter 19. 

 

1.  The Voice of the LORD God - Genesis 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

 

2.  The Word of God - John 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.

 

3.  The Incarnate Word of God - John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

4.  The Inscribed Word of God - 1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

5.  The Coming Word of God - Revelation 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

 

D.  The Bible declares that Jesus Christ was the Word (John 1:1), is the Word, and still will always be the Word of God (Revelation 19:13).

 

E.  Adam and Eve hiding from the Voice of the Lord shows that they knew Him and had previously walked with Him.  As Adam and Eve walked with the presence of the Word of God, so we who are saved also walk with Him—either in sweet fellowship or hiding somewhere in “the Garden.”

 

F.  Let me say at this point that God loved Adam and Eve so much that He would not allow them to hide.  God restored fellowship through the shedding of blood.  This same biblical principle allows us, as sinners saved by grace, to walk with q thrice holy God.

 

G.  We cannot walk with God without God’s Word.  

 

1.  We “Walk With God” in the new birth through His Word.  1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  (We cannot walk with God until we know and are born of God.)

 

2.  We “Walk With God” in Hearing His Word.  Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (Two hearings here: the audible hearing of the Word of God and the inward hearing or listening to the Word of God.  We cannot walk with God when His Word falls on “deaf ears.”)

 

3.  We “Walk With God” in Reading His Word.  1 Peter 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:  (We cannot walk with God in His Word unless we spend time in the Bible.  Picking it up and dusting it off for church does not strengthen our relationship with God.)

 

4.  We “Walk With God” in Trusting His Word.  Psalms 119:127-128  Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.  (128)  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.  (Since we cannot see or audibly hear God, we MUST trust the Word of God.  Since all that we comprehend about God is found in the Bible, we cannot “cherry pick” which verses that we trust.  Walking with God is trusting God.)

 

5.  We “Walk With God” in Meditating upon His Word.  Joshua 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  (Meditating upon God’s Word makes it a consistent part of our daily walk with God.  Walking with God in His Word comes through deliberating or pondering upon it.)

 

6.  We “Walk With God” in Studying His Word.  2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (Walking with God in His Word is based upon proper understanding it.  God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  The Bible is our foundation upon which we build our lives.)

 

7.  We “Walk With God” in Adherence to His Word.  James 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  (Walking with God in His Word is both hearing and doing or applying the Scriptures to our lives.  The Bible sets Christian parameters for holiness of life.)

 

8.  We “Walk With God” in Sharing His Word.  Mark 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  (The Lord is not willing that any should perish.  His will is that “all men be saved” and come to the knowledge of the truth.  God so loved that He gave His life for sinners.  If we walk with Him, we will be soul conscious and souls winners.)

 

Conclusion:  The Voice of the LORD God is vital to our walking with Him.  “Either the Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible.