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

Encouragement For Us Old Folks

Temple Baptist Church - 8-4-2024

Psalm 71

Introduction:

 

A.  What a great Psalm!  I will call it “The Old Folks Psalm.”  There are some that believe that it is Davidic and was written in his old age.  Regardless of the author, it is about an old man looking forward and also looking back.

 

Psalms 71:5-6  For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.  (6)  By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

 

Psalms 71:17-18  O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.  (18)  Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

 

B.  I want to preach to young and old tonight because a church needs both to function.  We are getting old, and you are following our paths.  Here, we find an old man who is not ready or willing to quit and sit in a “rocking chair” in his later years. 

 

C.  Tonight, I want to use this Psalm to encourage you older folks who have faithfully served the Lord over the years as “exhorting one another” is the ticket to good spiritual health when physical health is failing through ageing.  We now smile at some of the sayings that we use:

 

“Getting older is overrated.”  “I was doing good, but I got over it.”  “I am going down like a one-egg pudding.”  “If I had known that I would get this old, I would have taken better care of myself.”  “Every other name in my contact list ends in M.D.”  Old folks are the greatest carrier of Aids: band aids, hearing aids, seeing aids, walking aids, along with a lot of “aids” that need not be mentioned in a public setting!

 

D.  Just how important are you older folks.  You are the backbone of the local church.  As the years pass and the Second Coming of our Lord approaches, churches are filled with us Old Folks.  It seems that the younger generation has more important, pressing things to do. 

 

E.  We are seeing the “falling away” of young to middle-aged families.  Thank God for you younger families that are here tonight but I also thank God tonight for you Old Folks! 

 

F.  Look around and see how church attendance would be if it were not for you all.  You keep getting “beat up” and, like the old Timex Watch, keep on ticking.

 

G.  This is a rather long Psalm to deal with verse by verse so I want to pull out some of the great truths that will encourage both old and young.

 

1.  Verses 1-8  “let me never be put to confusion.”  Lord, help us to understand what time it is and the times in which we live!  Noah’s Day, Lot’s Day, Perilous Days, Falling Away Days, Laodicean Days, “as the manner of some is” Days, all wrapped up in one.

 

a.  These are confusing times to say the least.  I often say that our children will never know the America that we grew up in.  In our short lifetime, the world has changed more than the previous 6,000 years put together!

 

b.  Our Yesteryears were years of quietness, morality, respect, integrity, peace, peacefulness, prayer in school, Bible reading and memorization in schools, chapel in schools with local pastors preaching the gospel, corporal punishment, get a spanking at school—get a whupping at home, Sundays were the Lord’s Day, preachers preached and congregations listened, we were thankful for small blessings and had great joy for big ones, days of hard work, faithfulness, National pride, saluting the American flag, there were no drugs, safety for the children to play out in the neighborhoods with no fear, girls were girls and boys were boys, sodomy was in the closet, people actually dressed up in their Sunday Best, shoes were polished and holes patched, tattoos were for drunk sailors and taboo for everyone else, underwear was to be worn under instead of outward, etc. 

 

c.  The list could go on and on but, I think you older folks know exactly what I’m saying.  It is confusing today!  Wrong is now right and right is now wrong.  The world has gone sinfully mad, and we don’t belong here anymore.

 

Luke 21:28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 

 

2.  Verses 9-17.  “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.”  These are Discouraging Days.

 

a.  A day when so many of our older soldiers are retiring or quitting because of the effects of these last days on them. 

 

b.  Ofttimes, we feel that we are no longer effective and, therefore useless.   We are “CAST OFF” and forgotten by the world.

 

c.  May we allow the God of Heaven to encourage us so we can be an encouragement to others.

 

d.  Remember that you are the Salt of the Earth, and you still give savor, especially to your pastor.  You have the wisdom of years and wisdom is not a commodity that can be bought.  It is the experience of years.  What would I do without you?

 

3.  Verses 18-24  “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

 

a.  Be a witness of what God has done in your lives.  I continually tell people what God did for Barbara and me.  “O! What a Saviour!”

 

b.  Be an encouragement to our youth as they watch us either continue to serve the Lord in old age or sit down and get out.

 

c.  Be an example of praise.  The Psalmist said, “I will praise … rejoice … talk of they righteousness.”

 

Conclusion:  Each step that we take just leads us closer to home.  Don’t quit, don’t turn back, and never give up!  Fight the fight, finish the course, and keep the faith.  At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be glad!

Discouraged Hearts

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-8-2021

Deuteronomy 1:23-33

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Part of being “heart healthy” is living an encouraged, victorious Christian life.  Yet, possibly the greatest obstacle that the believer faces is discouragement!  I do not want to focus upon the discouragement of the children of Israel because that is history, but we do need to study history so that we will not repeat it in our lives.

 

B.  In our text for this morning, we find the children of Israel still in the wilderness (Kadeshbarnea-Wilderness of the Fugitive or Wandering) but just a “hop-skip-jump” from stepping into the Promised Land—a land flowing with milk and honey! 

 

1.  And it was such a place.  “And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us …” 

 

2.  It was all that God said that it was!  In verses 20-21, Moses told the people to “fear not neither be discouraged”  Twelve spies were sent into the land and 10 gave an evil report while two gave a good one.  The “evil report” discouraged the heart of the people.

 

3.  Yes, there were wall cities to be breached; there were giants to be faced; there were wars to be fought; there was land to be taken; but the reward was found in the words: “It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.”  (Verse 25)

 

4.  Let us look at these verses:  Deuteronomy 1:29-30  Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.  (30)  The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; 

 

a)  An Encouragement Given – “Dread not, neither be afraid of them”

 

b)  A Promise Re-stated – “The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you”

 

c)  A History to be Relied Upon – “according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes”

 

C.  I want you to see what discouragement is this morning.  DISCOURAGEMENT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE!!  The children of Israel chose to become victims. 

 

1.  They heard an “evil report” (fake news if you will) and chose to allow it to be a source of discouragement.

 

2.  Then they blamed the 10 spies for the discouragement.  They chose to believe spies over God!  If you choose to be a victim, you can always blame someone else for where you are.  THEY KNEW WHAT GOD HAD DONE IN EGYPT, THEY SAW HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE, THE RED SEA, MARAH, MANNA, THE ROCK OF HOREB, AMALEK, AND WHAT HE HAD SAID AT SINAI!

 

D.  No one or nothing can cause you to be discouraged!  Either God is God, or He isn’t!  God either holds your life in His hand or He does not!  Either a sovereign God controls your circumstances, or He does not!  Discouragement is my fault; discouragement is your fault!

 

E.  The cost of their discouraged hearts was great.

 

1.  Discouragement Traded Eleven Days For Forty Years!  Vs. 2-3  Discouragement lengthens your trials and tribulations!  They had already made the 11 day trip and were in Kadeshbarnea!  All they had to do was cross over Jordan and the land was theirs.

 

2.  Discouragement Traded Victory For Defeat!  Vs. 40-46  Discouragement caused an assured victory from the Lord to become a devastating defeat because the Lord was not with them.  Discouragement destroyed their joy!

 

3. Discouragement Traded Canaan For The Wilderness!  Vs. 9, 25; 19, 35, 40  Canaan was truly a land flowing with milk and honey and the wilderness that they had come through was a barren, arid land.  Discouragement will keep your soul dry while denying you the milk and honey that God intended to flood your soul!

 

4.  Discouragement Traded Their Burying Place From Canaan To The Wilderness!  Vs. 34-40a  “But as for you!”  Israel died in defeat!  I don’t know about you, but I want my life to end right.  I want to die serving the Lord, not in discouragement and defeat!

 

F.  To put it plainly, their discouragement destroyed their lives and caused them to miss the Promised Land and die in the wilderness.  Discouragement destroyed their lives and, therefore, their usefulness.

 

G.  Thus, it is in our day.  You hear more people speaking in discouragement than you do rejoicing in victory.  We do face much in the way of disappointment in our day and much of it is because of the brethren as well as the world.

 

1.  Preachers are retiring or just plain quitting because of discouragement.  It is just not like it once was?  Have they not read their bible?

 

2.  People that were once faithful to God are quitting because of discouragement.  So many have been hurt; so many have been enticed by the world or worldly churches.

 

H.  I call Discouragement Public Enemy #1!  Their hearts were discouraged (vs. 28).  Sometimes, if you are not careful, you just get tired of the fight!

 

J.  We lose more people to discouragement than sinfulness.  We lose more people to discouragement than to apostasy.  We lose more people to discouragement than to division.  We so often lose more people that are added.

 

K.  I want to give you 5 areas for discouragement in our day.  You can choose to be discouraged in any or all of these things.

 

1.  Discouraged by our Faith – Not tired of the way but tired in the way.  Loneliness in service.  “Though none go with me, still I will follow.”  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He has not changed.

 

2.  Discouraged by our Family – Disappointment in family.  We are often discouraged when we see the spiritual condition of our families.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He will walk with you.

 

3.  Discouraged by our Friends – King David spoke of “mine own familiar friend” forsaking him.  One that he ate with; one that he walked with; one that he went to “church” with.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He will never leave nor forsake you.

 

4.  Discouraged by our Finances – Today, we see inflation rising faster than wages.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He owns it all and has promised to supply ALL our needs.

 

5.  Discouraged by our Failures – This one is a “biggie” because all the other sources of discouragement that I mention are not as personal.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  When you fail, He will not fail; when you fall, He will pick you up; when you sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and restore you to a place of righteousness. 898uj

 

Conclusion:  How can we live a victorious Christian life without being discouraged?  Change the things that you can change and trust God with the things that you cannot change.

 

1.  Find your encouragement in the Lord, not in your circumstances.  He knows where you are in life and if God is “good with it,” then we ought to be good with!

 

2.  Learn to follow God, not man!  You will hear “evil reports” all your lives.  We live in an evil world.  Learn to live!  God will never let you down; He will always be there with you and for you.  I promise you; IT WILL BE ALRIGHT!

 

3.  Purpose to be an encouragement to others, not a source of discouragement.  “And exhorting one another” instead of “our brethren have discouraged our heart!”