4 Ways to Defeat Discouragement

Psalm 42:1–5(ESV)

1As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

3My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

4These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

5Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

INTRODUCTION

During his visit to Peru the famous theologian Henri Nouwen describes in his journal his discouragement, his “deep seated feeling of uselessness.”

-The most painful feeling is that of being an outsider,

-someone who doesn’t have a home

-who is tolerated … but not accepted,

-liked but not loved.

King David experienced times of defeat, times of darkness and times of discouragement in his own life as I am sure all of us have too.

So what do we do when these times of discouragement come a long? Well, the scriptures speak to this.

First of all, to defeat discouragement we...

I. Rest in the Lord

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

A. Personal illustration- Car accident

B. To really rest in the Lord is to spend those divine appointments daily with him and to eliminate all distractions that may come.

C. It can be so easy to not do that. When discouraged, many Christians drift away from the Lord, neglecting prayer, God’s Word, and church attendance.

D. God’s Word encourages us, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

E. When we focus on what and who God thinks we are, what happens to us wont shake us up, because God is our rock, our fortress and our protector. He is our place of safe refuge.

Second of all, to defeat discouragement we...

II. Radiate for the Lord

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works” (Matt. 5:16).

A. Radiate means “to give forth or shine

B. When discouragement strikes, some Christians spread gloom and doom. They may stop serving in the church or stop doing what they’ve been doing.

C. But God wants us to continue to shine, to continue to show joy in our various trials, to not give up and lose heart!

D. To really shine for God is to give direction from the way we live our life, and to point people to Christ and show them that He is the only way!

E. The light represents our good works, which must be done with such integrity that all who see have no choice but to credit our Father in heaven.

F. The Christian’s life and influence is to be visible and obvious, not secret or hidden.

G. We must not camouflage our devotion to Christ, but humbly do all we can to allow its truest colors to be seen where we live.

H. We shine brightest when we do that in battling our own personal times of despair, discouragement and darkness.

Third of all, to defeat discouragement we...

III. Rely on the Lord

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Ps. 37:5).

A. When we are going through times of discouragement we need to remember this truth. That this is only temporary and that we will get through this.

B. Some Christians rely on temporal possessions more than on God. Others rely too much on people.

B. Possessions will break and people will disappoint us but, there is one thing that will always remain the same and that is God’s love for us! He is trustworthy and reliable.

C. No matter what comes our way, whether that’s betrayal, heartache or heartbreak we can know that it’s only temporary and that it wont last forever and that God has a purpose for it.

C. So Say no to discouragement. Rely on the Lord. Depend on him. He never disappoints or fails us.

Fourth of all, to defeat discouragement we...

IV. Rejoice in the Lord

“Rejoice in the LORD alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).

I remember a scene in a movie where a dad said to his son “It’s just not my day”. The son replied, “You’re right. It’s not your day. It’s the Lords day. So be glad in it and rejoice!

A. Many Christians fall into discouragement because they fail to offer enough praise to God. They are too busy praying for the next thing instead of praising God for the present time.

B. Some Christians can fall in the comparison trap or become complainers about everything.

C. The psalmist said, “I will bless the LORD at all times” (Ps. 34:1). Say no to discouragement. Rejoice in the Lord today.

Application

So in order for us to defeat discouragement in our own lives we need to rest, radiate, rely and rejoice in the Lord

Holy Communion

READ Luke 22:14–20 (NIV)

14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Call for the stewards and Pass out the elements of the bread and the cup

after everyone is seated......

The Lord himself ordained this holy sacrament. He commanded His disciples to partake of the bread and wine, emblems of His broken body and shed blood. This is His table. The feast is for His disciples. Let all those who have with true repentance forsaken their sins, and have believed in Christ unto salvation, draw near and take these emblems, and, by faith, partake of the life of Jesus Christ, to your soul’s comfort and joy. Let us remember that it is the memorial of the death and passion of our Lord; also a token of His coming again. Let us not forget that we are one, at one table with the Lord.

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who out of Your tender mercy gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption: hear us, we most humbly beseech You. Grant that, as we receive these Your creatures of bread and wine according to the holy institution of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, in remembrance of His passion and death, we may be made partakers of the benefits of His atoning sacrifice.

We are reminded that in the same night that our Lord was betrayed, He took bread and, when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, after supper, He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

May we come before You in true humility and faith as we partake of this holy sacrament. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then may the minister, partaking first, take the bread. let the minister say:

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Take and eat this, in remembrance that Christ died for you.

Then, may the minister, take the cup and say:

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this, in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.

The minister may offer a prayer of confession and supplication,