Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place
Pulpit Series Volume 16 Issue 41 11/12/2006
Pulpit Series Volume 16 Issue 41 11/12/2006
There are two strong forces that oppose christian service they are depression and discouragement. Either one of these is deadly, but both together are a formable enemy!
Sometimes we as Christians enter into a season that seems dark. Confusion surrounds us like dense fog. We may be discouraged or worse yet discouragement may have grabbed hold of us drawing us into deprerssion. Whatever the case, whatever the situation the darkness comes.
When I was twelve I started working in greenhouse. I’d go after school, week-ends and all summer long (.60 per hour). My boss kept some young plants covered by a flower pot. He kept these plant slips in darkness, because he wanted them to strike a deeper root. Apparently keeping the plant in darkness had a purpose.
If we consider that God is the divine husbandman, perhaps He allows us to be in darkness at times in order for us to strike a deeper root, or to get a firmer hold of God.
Once it was a blessing now it is the Lord
Once it was the feelings now it is His word.
Once His gifts I wanted now the Giver own
Once I sought for healing now Himself alone!
John 15:1, 5 I am the true vine and my Father the husband-man. I am the vine, ye are the branches: The husbandman is usually the closest to the vine as when he is pruning it.
Perhaps we like the children of Israel have asked; Is the Lord amongst us or not? Exodus 17:7
Stand on His Word:
Haggai 2:5 As I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remains among you: fear not
Exodus 6:6-7 I am the LORD and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm... And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God
Think about it - “depression and decouragement” have worked havoc.
Yet never more so than today. I believe we are entering upon a spiritual harvest-time.
A season of great opportunity is before us.
Depression and discouragement are paralysing the Lord’s servants, causing the hands to hang down and knees to become feeble.
Have you noticed a decline in Bible preaching churches. Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.
Not eating the bread of life - God’s own children have become weak - the hearts and spirits of many of God’s precious children are drooping - they are tempted to hang their harps on the willows and put the sword back in the scabbard.
It was so in the days of Haggai. Psalms 137:1-3 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we thought about Zion. We hung our harps on the willows.....
The building of the temple had been stopped. Discouragement and depression had paraalysed any godly effort. Soon the work of the Lord ceased completely.
Only two brave leaders Zerubbable and Joshua kept alive their own zeal. The Lord’s people were in desperate need - so the Lord sent prophet, Haggai with a concise word, “Fear ye not!”
Two things empowered his message - the Lord’s promise and the Lord’s presence!
My Spirit remain among you - this is a great source of cheer and strength. My Spirit remains among you fear ye not.
Three times the Word repeats - “Be strong”. Haggai 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, and be strong, O Joshua, and be strong, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work: for I am with you... According to the word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remains among you: fear ye not.
There may not really be a fountain of youth but there most certainly is a fountain of strength - the Lord’s presence and Spirit. Without Him you can do nothing - with Him all things are possible!
The purpose for strength is certainly work! Be strong and work: for I am with you...
II Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.... Friends we are in the last days and it will not get better before Christ returns… in fact it will get worse! “evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”
Depression and discouragement are paralysing the Lord’s servants, causing the hands to hang down and knees to become feeble.
Have you noticed a decline in Bible preaching churches. Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.
Not eating the bread of life - God’s own children have become weak - the hearts and spirits of many of God’s precious children are drooping - they are tempted to hang their harps on the willows and put the sword back in the scabbard.
It was so in the days of Haggai. Psalms 137:1-3 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we thought about Zion. We hung our harps on the willows.....
The building of the temple had been stopped. Discouragement and depression had paraalysed any godly effort. Soon the work of the Lord ceased completely.
Only two brave leaders Zerubbable and Joshua kept alive their own zeal. The Lord’s people were in desperate need - so the Lord sent prophet, Haggai with a concise word, “Fear ye not!”
Two things empowered his message - the Lord’s promise and the Lord’s presence!
My Spirit remain among you - this is a great source of cheer and strength. My Spirit remains among you fear ye not.
Three times the Word repeats - “Be strong”. Haggai 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, and be strong, O Joshua, and be strong, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work: for I am with you... According to the word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remains among you: fear ye not.
There may not really be a fountain of youth but there most certainly is a fountain of strength - the Lord’s presence and Spirit. Without Him you can do nothing - with Him all things are possible!
The purpose for strength is certainly work! Be strong and work: for I am with you...
II Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.... Friends we are in the last days and it will not get better before Christ returns… in fact it will get worse! “evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”
Revelation 12:12 ...the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.
Now is not a time to curl up in the fetal position and die!
Smoke Jumpers Decree: If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed. I will not hear those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginnings and it is not up to me to know how many steps are necessary to reach my goal. I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, failure and retreat; for those are the words of fools and cowards. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward, I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory and if that fails, I will make another. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
Reasons to be discoraged or depressed can be found easily. Even in Paul’s life: He was alone in a strange city, no money, ill health, overworked and persecuted, failure seemed to dog his steps. Yet, he never allowed his mood to silence him or paralyse his God given work.
Some of God’s children are drifting further and further into darkness and despair. Rather then striking a deeper root, they enter into mourning. However, hear the Word of the Lord - “My Spirit remains among you, fear ye not.”
Just let Him have His own way with you and all will be well. Haggai 1:13 I am with you, says the LORD.
Others are pretty much overwhelmed by the magnitude of the forces coming against them. This is for you
II Kings 6:8 The king of Syria went to war with Israel . His method of warfare was not by a regular continued invasion, but by dashes across the border on undefended places. However, he found that he was stopped at every point. Wherever they decided to attack they found their plans were known and their carefully planned surprise was defeated. He suspected treason and no wonder. He challenged his servants on the matter. They informed him that Israel’s God speaking through Elisha revealed their sneak attack plans. So the Syrian king sent an expedition to capture Elisha never, dreaming that this scheme would also be revealed to him.
These are terrible times we are living in, and it seems as if Satan is allowed to put forth tremendous powers in these last dark days.
All the Satanic forces seem to have united in one desperate onslaught upon the forces of righteousness and truth and against the Lord’s own people.
Back in II Kings 6 Elisha’s servant rises early to start his day and looking out the window sees a mighty army surrounding the city... He cries out What are we going to do?
Have you been looking out of that window too?
And Elisha said, Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.
And Elisha asked the LORD to open his servant’s eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw the mountain side was full of horses and chariots of fire - all around Elisha.
Ah, this incident teaches us that we are not alone and deserted even when we seem most to be. Like Elisha it is our duty, not so much to pray that the Lord and His host might be with us - rather that we recognise He is already with us!
God’s promises and His presence take out depression and discouragement.
I John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Now is not a time to curl up in the fetal position and die!
Smoke Jumpers Decree: If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed. I will not hear those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginnings and it is not up to me to know how many steps are necessary to reach my goal. I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, failure and retreat; for those are the words of fools and cowards. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward, I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory and if that fails, I will make another. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
Reasons to be discoraged or depressed can be found easily. Even in Paul’s life: He was alone in a strange city, no money, ill health, overworked and persecuted, failure seemed to dog his steps. Yet, he never allowed his mood to silence him or paralyse his God given work.
Some of God’s children are drifting further and further into darkness and despair. Rather then striking a deeper root, they enter into mourning. However, hear the Word of the Lord - “My Spirit remains among you, fear ye not.”
Just let Him have His own way with you and all will be well. Haggai 1:13 I am with you, says the LORD.
Others are pretty much overwhelmed by the magnitude of the forces coming against them. This is for you
II Kings 6:8 The king of Syria went to war with Israel . His method of warfare was not by a regular continued invasion, but by dashes across the border on undefended places. However, he found that he was stopped at every point. Wherever they decided to attack they found their plans were known and their carefully planned surprise was defeated. He suspected treason and no wonder. He challenged his servants on the matter. They informed him that Israel’s God speaking through Elisha revealed their sneak attack plans. So the Syrian king sent an expedition to capture Elisha never, dreaming that this scheme would also be revealed to him.
These are terrible times we are living in, and it seems as if Satan is allowed to put forth tremendous powers in these last dark days.
All the Satanic forces seem to have united in one desperate onslaught upon the forces of righteousness and truth and against the Lord’s own people.
Back in II Kings 6 Elisha’s servant rises early to start his day and looking out the window sees a mighty army surrounding the city... He cries out What are we going to do?
Have you been looking out of that window too?
And Elisha said, Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.
And Elisha asked the LORD to open his servant’s eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw the mountain side was full of horses and chariots of fire - all around Elisha.
Ah, this incident teaches us that we are not alone and deserted even when we seem most to be. Like Elisha it is our duty, not so much to pray that the Lord and His host might be with us - rather that we recognise He is already with us!
God’s promises and His presence take out depression and discouragement.
I John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Psalms 34 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears… This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles… The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them…O taste and see that the LORD [is] good: blessed [is] the man [that] trusts in him… there is no want to them that fear him… they that seek the LORD shall not want any good [thing]… The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles… The LORD [is] nigh to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit...Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all...none that trust in him shall be desolate.
1 comment:
What a blessing for us to access your Sword and Trowel series online through your new blog. I missed the message this past Sunday as I was in the nursery, so this is a wonderful opportunity to catch up and do my homework. In reading this entry it comes to my mind that without dark times the light times would have no contrast - and living in half light is sometimes is as much as living in the dark. I've come to think that my largest growth in faith has been in coming through those dark times. If we did not experience them ourselves how could we possibly imagine what others go through and minister through this shared journey? Thanks for your words, Pastor Ed
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