male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
00:00:02.40\00:00:03.70
by the friends of the
Amazing Facts Ministry.
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Doug Batchelor: God has a
thousand answers to your problem
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when you can't think of one.
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You don't need
to be discouraged.
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The only time you need to be
a little discouraged is if you
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think you can live
in sin and be happy.
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You've got to believe that Jesus
is bigger than the devil and
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bigger than your sins,
and He can give you victory.
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Doug Batchelor: I was hoping
some of you were discouraged
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'cause that's what
I'm talking' about today.
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If you're all doing
fine, it's sort of waste.
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But message today is
dealing with the subject
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of discouragement.
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More specifically, the
cause or causes and cure
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for discouragement.
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The devil is a wily foe and he
knows that he can neutralize our
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joy and our effectiveness as
Christians by discouraging us.
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One of the most important
things in a battle is morale.
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You know, there are whole
departments in military that are
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dedicated to encouraging the
morale of their soldiers, and in
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a war their job is to discourage
the morale of the enemy.
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And the devil knows that he's
got the battle pretty much won
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if he can discourage us,
if he can get us downhearted.
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And so we have to be
on our guard against that.
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Now, there are a number of ways
that he attacks, and God has
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given solutions
for those attacks.
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There's cures for
those problems in His Word.
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First thing I'd like you to
know, it's normal for a believer
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to experience discouragement.
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Discouraging things happen.
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And you look in the Bible,
you've got people like Paul,
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David, Elijah, Jonah, Joshua,
the apostles that all grappled
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with and struggled with
discouragement, become downcast
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or disheartened.
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Now, while we're talking about
discouragement, the first thing
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I think I should mention
is don't discourage anybody.
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Unfortunately, sometimes
we discourage each other.
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Have you read there in Numbers
chapter 13, the children of
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Israel on the borders of the
promised land, and ten of the
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spies come back and say, "Oh,
we're never going to make it.
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The giants are too big, and the
walls are too high, and there's
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so many enemies, and
they will never make it."
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They discouraged
the whole nation.
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So not only did they not make
it, those ten spies, the people
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who listened to
'em didn't make it.
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You gotta be very careful.
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You know, Jesus said if we say
something to discourage even one
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of these little ones, it'll
be better for us that we had not
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been born or that a millstone
might be hung about our neck and
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we're cast into the sea.
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That's pretty serious.
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He addresses it two different
ways in different Gospels, but
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Jesus is pretty clear.
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Be very careful not to do
or say anything to discourage,
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especially young ones.
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It can mean children.
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It could mean new believers.
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And there's already devils doing
enough that, we don't need to be
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joining him in his
work of discouraging.
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We want to be encouragers, amen?
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Now, there's basically
five areas I'm going to talk
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about today.
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It's not that this is a
comprehensive, exhaustive list
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of all the ways a person might
grapple with discouragement, but
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it's broken down in
really five categories.
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One would be sometimes we become
discouraged because we feel like
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we failed.
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Some of us have people around us
that tell us we're failures and
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it can make you discouraged.
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And Joshua was a brave soul,
but he even got discouraged.
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You know, after they won
the victory against Jericho in
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chapter 6 of Joshua, you go
to chapter 7, they had a little
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town they needed
to fight called Ai.
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It's not only a little town,
it's only got two letters, Ai.
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That's not artificial
intelligence, it's a town.
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And so they went to battle
against Ai, and it was such a
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little town and they had so been
so successful against Jericho,
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they said, "We don't even
need to mobilize a whole army.
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Just take part of the army.
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We can trounce Ai, little town."
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The Bible tells us, "So about
three thousand men went up from
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there, but the Israelites
fled before the men of Ai.
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And the men of Ai struck down
thirty-six men, and they chased
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them from before the gate as
far as Shebarim, and they struck
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them down on the descent;
therefore the hearts of the
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people melted and
became like water."
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Translation:
they got discouraged.
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Here, we're being led
into the promised land.
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If we can't beat Ai,
we're in big trouble.
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Maybe those ten
spies were right.
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We've taken on too much.
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"And Joshua tore his clothes,
and fell to the earth on his
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face before the Ark of the Lord
'til evening, he and the elders
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in Israel; and they
put dust on their heads."
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They were discouraged.
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You know, it is-- it's a fact
that once you get to the point
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where you are discouraged,
you are weakened even against a
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lighter load.
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Years ago when they would pull
logs around, they didn't have
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logging trucks, they used
to pull the logs with horses.
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And they would put the logs on
these large, wheeled wagons and
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they logged by
driving the horses.
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And this team of horses was all
hooked up and the logger got a
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little ambitious, and he put
a pretty big load of logs on the
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back for these horses to pull.
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And he cracked the whip, and the
horses tried to pull, and you
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know, once you get a load like
that moving, then it's a little
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easier, but breaking it
where you just get moving.
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He cracked the
whip and they strained.
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And he cracked the whip a third
time and they put every fiber of
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their muscle into pulling that
load and then they just stopped.
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They couldn't budge it.
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So he thought, "Well, I
guess I overloaded them."
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So he got up there with a pry
bar, and he rolled off a couple
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of logs, and he
cracked the whip.
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They couldn't move it.
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He rolled off some more logs.
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He cracked the whip.
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They couldn't move it.
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He took half the load off.
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They couldn't move it.
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He finally realized
they weren't even trying.
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They had got to the point
where they were discouraged.
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They didn't know it was a
lighter load and they just
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stopped trying.
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And sometimes it not only
happens to animals, it happens
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to people, where if you feel
like, "I've tried, I've tried,
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and I've failed," you can get to
the point where you just say, "I
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don't try anymore."
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Some people have gone for
years in their life resigned to
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failure because they
tried before and they failed.
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They don't want to face
defeat again and they give up.
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Some people fail in
relationships or they get hurt
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and they don't ever want to try
to love someone again because it
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hurts too much.
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They think it it hurts too much
to love so they can't bear the
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pain, and they don't risk so
they live their lives cloistered
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in this protective shell.
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They became
discouraged with failure.
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So what's the cure?
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Well, look at
the story of Joshua.
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Joshua chapter 7,
verse 10 gives the answer.
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"The Lord said
to Joshua, 'Get up!
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Why are you on your face?'"
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God is so practical.
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Now, you know
what the problem was.
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Why did they lose this battle?
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There was sin in
the camp with Achan.
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That's why they lost against Ai.
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God said, "Look, if you want to
win your battles, you've got to
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deal with the issue.
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You have sin in the camp."
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Why do we
sometimes get defeated?
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Sin.
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So do you want me to tell
you to be encouraged while you
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have sin?
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A lot of pastors
are telling people that.
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Now, don't be discouraged
if you've fallen 'cause you can
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overcome, but if you're wanting
to hear a message that says, "Be
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encouraged in your
sin," that's an evil message.
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That's a message
prepares you to be lost.
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Let me tell you what God said to
Joshua, "Therefore the children
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of Israel could not stand before
their enemies, but they turned
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their back before their enemies,
because they have become doomed
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to destruction.
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Neither will I be with you
anymore, unless you destroy the
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accursed thing among you."
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He says, You've got something
among you and you're failing
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because there's sin in the camp.
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"If you want my power, if you
want my peace, if you want my
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purpose, deal with it.
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Address it.
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Repent.
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Pray over it.
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Cry over it.
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Whatever you need to do, but you
need to address it and you can
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have the victory."
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And they did address it and then
they beat Ai in the next battle.
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Now, the disciples know
what it was like to fail.
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Luke chapter 5, verse 4, "When
Jesus stopped preaching, He said
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to Simon, 'Take your boat,
launch out in the deep, let down
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your net for a catch.'
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But Simon said, 'Master,
we've toiled all night and
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caught nothing.'
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And Jesus kept lookin' at him.
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And Peter said, 'Nevertheless
at your Word we'll let down the
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net again.'"
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And what happened?
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The net was full to bursting.
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Sometimes we fail, we're afraid
to try, and Jesus said, "No, you
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try it with me in the boat.
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Watch what happens," and
you have tremendous success.
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Even though they had a whole
night of failure, we've gotta
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turn back and do it
God's way and then you can meet
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with success.
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Well, there's more I could say
about that, but let's move on to
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the next cause.
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Cause of discouragement
sometimes is fatigue.
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It's the
physical side of things.
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Now, most of what we're talking'
about today when I talk about
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discouragement is from here up.
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Now I'm talking about
discouragement from here down.
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Talking about from the
neck up is usually something
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psychological that discourages
you, but sometimes your
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discouragement is from
the neck down, meaning this is
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purely physical.
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And we'll look at
a case study in that.
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Exodus chapter 1, verse 13, "So
the Egyptians made the children
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of Israel serve with rigor.
00:10:02.90\00:10:04.50
And they made their lives bitter
with hard bondage-- in mortar,
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in brick, and in all
manner of service in the field.
00:10:08.47\00:10:11.21
And all their service in
which they made them serve was
00:10:11.51\00:10:13.94
with rigor."
00:10:13.98\00:10:15.28
It was work and the devil
was working them to death.
00:10:15.31\00:10:17.28
They were exhausted.
00:10:17.31\00:10:18.68
God later tells
Moses, "I've heard the cry."
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They were continually crying
unto the Lord because they were
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so discouraged.
00:10:23.42\00:10:24.82
They were so beaten up.
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They are so worn out by
the enemy, but a lot of it was
00:10:26.19\00:10:28.99
simply physical.
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Nehemiah 4:10, he's tryin' to
build the walls and then Judah,
00:10:30.96\00:10:34.76
the leaders came to Nehemiah.
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They said, "The strength of the
laborers is failing, there is so
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much rubbish we're not
able to build the wall."
00:10:40.74\00:10:44.11
They become fatigued.
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They were overworked.
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They were spread out.
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In 1 Kings 19:4, after a long
day on Mount Carmel, the feeding
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the prophets of Baal and praying
until the-- fasting and praying
00:10:54.72\00:11:00.76
until the the rain came.
00:11:00.79\00:11:02.69
Elijah had a very big day,
a victorious day, but it kinda
00:11:02.72\00:11:05.73
played a toll on him.
00:11:06.26\00:11:07.96
It took a toll
on him physically.
00:11:07.96\00:11:09.50
And then he gets a message from
Jezebel, "God-- the gods will do
00:11:10.40\00:11:15.17
so to me and more also if you're
not as dead as those prophets
00:11:15.20\00:11:18.14
by sundown."
00:11:18.17\00:11:19.57
And instead of turning to the
Lord, Elijah was so tired, and
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he was all hungry, and he
was so weak, he just panicked.
00:11:22.78\00:11:24.91
He got up and he ran,
ran out in the wilderness.
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And listen to this, "He himself
went a day's journey into the
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wilderness, and he came and
he sat down under a broom tree."
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He's out in the middle of
the desert and he gets under
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this shrub.
00:11:36.19\00:11:37.49
"And he prayed he might die."
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Wait a second, this is a guy who
just prayed and fire came down.
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Now he wants to
pray that he dies.
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How could the greatest
prophet want to finally get so
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discouraged he wants to die?
00:11:47.40\00:11:48.84
If he only knew God was going
to take him to heaven in a fiery
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chariot, he wouldn't
have been so discouraged.
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Did you catch that?
00:11:56.78\00:11:58.11
God had big plans for Elijah.
00:11:59.08\00:12:00.58
He's praying.
00:12:00.62\00:12:01.95
He thinks the
life is at the end.
00:12:01.98\00:12:03.28
I'm going to die.
00:12:03.32\00:12:04.65
And he's going to go to
heaven like no other man.
00:12:04.69\00:12:06.22
Does God want to take us up?
00:12:06.25\00:12:07.62
So what is the answer?
00:12:08.59\00:12:09.92
You look in the book of Nehemiah
chapter 4, verse 9. I talked
00:12:10.46\00:12:14.30
about Nehemiah's problem.
00:12:14.36\00:12:15.70
It says, "Nevertheless
we made our prayer to God."
00:12:16.26\00:12:19.13
So one thing is pray.
00:12:19.17\00:12:20.54
When you're tired, what
did Jesus do in the wilderness?
00:12:21.30\00:12:23.77
He prayed.
00:12:23.81\00:12:25.14
"We made our prayer to God, and
because of them we set a watch
00:12:25.71\00:12:29.11
against them day and night."
00:12:29.14\00:12:30.45
Because of the
threats of the enemy, they did
00:12:30.48\00:12:31.81
something practical.
00:12:31.85\00:12:33.15
They they put a guard against
where the enemy was getting in.
00:12:33.18\00:12:35.42
When the devil comes in to bring
discouragement, try and find
00:12:35.62\00:12:39.09
what are the avenues
he's using to get at you
00:12:39.12\00:12:41.42
with discouragement?
00:12:41.46\00:12:42.89
Guard those gates
where he's sneaking in.
00:12:42.92\00:12:45.89
male announcer: Don't forget
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It's now easier than ever
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"Amazing Facts,"
wherever and whenever you want.
00:13:14.02\00:13:16.99
And most important,
to share it with others.
00:13:17.03\00:13:19.66
Doug Batchelor: But if you're
tired, physically worn out, you
00:13:21.76\00:13:25.53
got to take time
to sharpen yourself.
00:13:25.57\00:13:28.04
Ecclesiastes 10:10, Solomon
said, "If the ax is dull and one
00:13:28.37\00:13:33.24
does not sharpen the edge, then
he must use more strength; but
00:13:33.27\00:13:36.54
wisdom brings success."
00:13:36.58\00:13:37.98
Plan carefully.
00:13:38.01\00:13:39.35
Sharpen the ax.
00:13:39.38\00:13:40.68
You've heard the expression,
"You cannot keep your bow strung
00:13:40.72\00:13:43.18
all the time or it
will lose its zing."
00:13:43.22\00:13:45.42
That's my paraphrase on that.
00:13:45.79\00:13:47.22
You can also look at where Jesus
said, Mark 6:31, He told the
00:13:48.69\00:13:52.89
disciples, "Come aside by
yourselves to a deserted place
00:13:52.93\00:13:56.13
and rest a while."
00:13:56.40\00:13:57.70
Get out in the woods or
the wilderness and let's get
00:13:57.73\00:13:59.80
some rest.
00:13:59.83\00:14:01.24
"For there were many coming
and going, and they did not even
00:14:01.27\00:14:03.34
have time to eat."
00:14:03.37\00:14:04.67
Jesus was so exhausted after
a day of ministry, He slept
00:14:04.71\00:14:07.38
through a storm.
00:14:07.41\00:14:08.74
So you've got to
just carve out time.
00:14:09.28\00:14:12.08
Sometimes if you're a workaholic
like I am, you think it's not
00:14:12.11\00:14:14.95
spiritual if you rest.
00:14:14.98\00:14:16.35
And so you've got to just
say, you know, it is a spiritual
00:14:17.15\00:14:21.39
thing to do to
sometimes do nothing.
00:14:21.42\00:14:22.96
All right, now to frustration.
00:14:24.23\00:14:26.03
Failed expectations,
dashed hopes is a cause of
00:14:26.46\00:14:30.37
much discouragement.
00:14:30.40\00:14:31.77
People have high ideals,
have plans for their life.
00:14:32.50\00:14:35.04
Some people live in regret.
00:14:35.07\00:14:36.40
They're constantly discouraged
because of regrets from
00:14:36.44\00:14:38.27
the past.
00:14:38.31\00:14:39.64
They can't shake it off
and so they're frustrated.
00:14:39.67\00:14:42.78
Maybe it's unfinished tasks that
pile up or you feel overwhelmed.
00:14:43.75\00:14:47.95
It can produce discouragement.
00:14:48.92\00:14:50.25
The book of Jonah, you
know, Jonah went through a lot.
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.89
God told Jonah to
go on this journey.
00:14:55.06\00:14:56.52
He didn't really want to do it.
00:14:56.56\00:14:57.86
He said, "I don't want to go
preach and tell the Ninevites
00:14:57.89\00:14:59.76
they're going
to die in 40 days."
00:14:59.79\00:15:01.16
And finally, because Jonah
didn't do what God said, he went
00:15:01.86\00:15:05.57
through a storm, got swallowed
by a whale, got burped back
00:15:05.60\00:15:08.17
out again.
00:15:08.20\00:15:09.50
He finally does what God says.
00:15:09.54\00:15:10.87
For 40 days, he marches up and
down the streets, tells Nineveh,
00:15:10.91\00:15:14.14
"You're going to be destroyed,"
and then God says, "You know, I
00:15:14.18\00:15:17.28
think I'm going
to change my mind."
00:15:17.31\00:15:18.68
And Jonah's going, "I
went through all of that
00:15:19.95\00:15:22.05
for nothing?"
00:15:22.08\00:15:23.42
And he's all discouraged,
"They're going to all think I'm
00:15:23.45\00:15:24.89
a liar.
00:15:24.92\00:15:26.22
I've walked up and down the
streets making this prophecy and
00:15:26.25\00:15:27.72
you're not going to
make my prophecy come true?"
00:15:27.76\00:15:29.29
Jonah got so discouraged.
00:15:29.89\00:15:31.69
"It happened, when the sun
arose, that Jonah prepared--
00:15:32.06\00:15:34.46
that God prepared a vehement
east wind, a hot wind came; the
00:15:34.96\00:15:38.23
sun beat on Jonah's
head, so he grew faint.
00:15:38.27\00:15:40.47
And he wished that death for
himself, he said, 'It's better
00:15:40.90\00:15:44.14
for me to die than to live.'"
00:15:44.17\00:15:46.51
You know, even Paul at one point
said, "We despaired of life."
00:15:46.94\00:15:49.94
And so even some of these
great people got discouraged.
00:15:51.35\00:15:54.48
So what's the cure
when you face frustration?
00:15:55.42\00:15:58.49
Once again, it's
the promise of God.
00:15:59.25\00:16:01.96
Notice what happened.
00:16:01.99\00:16:03.29
2 Peter 1:4, "By which God has
given to us exceeding great and
00:16:03.32\00:16:08.16
precious promises, that through
these we may be partakers of the
00:16:08.20\00:16:12.60
divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the
00:16:12.63\00:16:15.87
world through lust."
00:16:15.90\00:16:17.27
And so if you have met with
great disappointment, keep in
00:16:17.67\00:16:23.68
mind that when you're a
Christian, you're not only
00:16:24.21\00:16:27.12
born once.
00:16:27.15\00:16:28.78
You're born again.
00:16:29.22\00:16:30.59
And I might suggest to you that
if you're a Christian, you're
00:16:30.89\00:16:32.82
born again many times.
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.22
Now, follow me.
00:16:35.09\00:16:36.42
See if this makes sense.
00:16:36.46\00:16:37.76
Paul says, "I die daily."
00:16:37.79\00:16:39.93
If you die daily but you're
not born again every day, then
00:16:42.03\00:16:44.70
you're more dead than alive.
00:16:44.73\00:16:46.07
Is that right?
00:16:46.94\00:16:48.17
So it's true you need to die to
self every day, but I think you
00:16:48.20\00:16:51.14
sort of need to go
through a new birth every day.
00:16:51.17\00:16:53.21
And that means you may
be frustrated from the past
00:16:54.78\00:16:57.71
mistakes and you might have
regrets over your bad decisions,
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.45
but you have to forgive yourself
because God says he'll forgive
00:17:00.48\00:17:03.45
you, and then you move on.
00:17:03.49\00:17:04.85
Or you can be living
in the past all the time.
00:17:06.22\00:17:07.82
Some of you have been
and it just keeps you down.
00:17:07.86\00:17:09.76
If you're a new person, you
don't have to live all the time
00:17:11.09\00:17:13.06
in the regrets of the person
who's dead and buried, right?
00:17:13.09\00:17:16.33
You're born again.
00:17:17.13\00:17:18.47
You move on.
00:17:18.50\00:17:19.83
All right, the other thing that
sometimes causes discouragement:
00:17:20.20\00:17:22.77
family, friends, relationships,
might be a spouse.
00:17:24.31\00:17:31.11
You see a lot of
examples of this in the Bible.
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.01
Matter of fact, in the
Scriptures you find that so much
00:17:33.05\00:17:37.02
of the discouragement that
came on God's people was what we
00:17:37.05\00:17:39.49
would call friendly fire.
00:17:39.52\00:17:41.29
Michael makes fun of David when
he's dancing before the Lord.
00:17:43.63\00:17:46.73
It's coming from
within the house.
00:17:46.76\00:17:48.56
Joseph's brothers sell
him because of jealousy.
00:17:48.96\00:17:51.60
Saul hunts David for
years to kill him, his own king.
00:17:52.97\00:17:56.04
The disciples are arguing among
themselves which of them is
00:17:57.21\00:17:59.77
the greatest.
00:17:59.81\00:18:01.24
Right within the family
sometimes it can be the source
00:18:01.84\00:18:05.45
of great discouragement.
00:18:05.48\00:18:06.85
David was discouraged
because his sons often were
00:18:07.42\00:18:10.15
not faithful.
00:18:10.19\00:18:11.49
Even Samuel the prophet had
sons that were taking bribes.
00:18:11.52\00:18:14.99
Jesus was
betrayed by one of his own.
00:18:15.76\00:18:18.19
You might've had a friendship or
a friend betrayed you, and those
00:18:18.96\00:18:22.10
sometimes hurt the most
keenly and they can plunge you
00:18:22.13\00:18:25.20
into discouragement.
00:18:25.23\00:18:26.60
Maybe you just don't have
any friends and that's why
00:18:26.84\00:18:29.10
you're discouraged.
00:18:29.14\00:18:30.47
Bible tells us there's
a solution for that too.
00:18:31.31\00:18:33.31
Let's talk about the cures.
00:18:33.34\00:18:34.68
2 Corinthians 4:1, "Therefore,
since we have this ministry, as
00:18:35.51\00:18:39.95
we have received
mercy, we do not lose heart."
00:18:39.98\00:18:43.45
Remember to have
faith in God's purpose.
00:18:43.92\00:18:45.89
We talked about having
faith in God's promises.
00:18:45.92\00:18:48.09
Have faith in God's purpose.
00:18:48.12\00:18:49.86
Sometimes you go through the
deepest valleys and you don't
00:18:50.36\00:18:53.80
realize that God is
taking you to a mountaintop.
00:18:53.83\00:18:56.06
You've just gotta
get through the valley.
00:18:56.10\00:18:57.47
2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are
hard-pressed on every side, yet
00:18:58.37\00:19:03.67
not crushed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; we are
00:19:03.71\00:19:08.24
persecuted, but not forsaken;
we are struck down, but not
00:19:08.28\00:19:12.28
destroyed-- always carrying
about in the body the dying of
00:19:12.31\00:19:16.05
the Lord Jesus, that the life
of Jesus might be manifest in
00:19:16.08\00:19:19.99
our body."
00:19:20.02\00:19:21.32
And the Bible says, "He would
not be discouraged," Jesus.
00:19:21.36\00:19:23.39
2 Corinthians 4:16-- all this is
from 2 Corinthians 4. Notice he
00:19:24.53\00:19:28.20
says, "Do not lose heart
in spite of all that we're
00:19:28.23\00:19:31.00
going through."
00:19:31.03\00:19:32.37
Go to 2 Corinthians
4:16, "Therefore we do not
00:19:32.40\00:19:35.74
lose heart."
00:19:35.77\00:19:37.01
He says it again, "Even though
our outward man is perishing,
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.74
yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day."
00:19:40.24\00:19:42.64
Amen?
00:19:42.68\00:19:44.05
"For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, is working
00:19:44.08\00:19:47.28
for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, while
00:19:47.32\00:19:51.32
we do not look at the things
that are seen, but the things
00:19:51.35\00:19:54.02
that are not seen."
00:19:54.06\00:19:55.42
How did David get
out of his dilemma.
00:19:55.46\00:19:56.79
He's said, "Wait a second, God
told me He's got big plans for
00:19:56.83\00:19:59.53
me to be king.
00:19:59.56\00:20:00.90
I'm not going to be
despairing right now.
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.20
I don't know how God's going to
work this out, but I'm going to
00:20:03.23\00:20:05.97
get up off my face."
00:20:06.00\00:20:08.07
"For the things that
are seen are temporary."
00:20:08.57\00:20:10.54
So often we're discouraged
by temporary circumstances.
00:20:10.57\00:20:14.18
You need to look beyond the
circumstances and remember they
00:20:14.61\00:20:17.68
are temporary.
00:20:17.71\00:20:19.05
You can get through
almost anything if you know
00:20:19.08\00:20:20.78
it's temporary.
00:20:20.82\00:20:22.15
"But the things that
are not seen are eternal."
00:20:24.85\00:20:27.39
Heard about a man walking around
one afternoon, beautiful day.
00:20:29.26\00:20:32.69
And he walked by a park
and there was a bunch of kids
00:20:32.73\00:20:35.13
playing baseball.
00:20:35.16\00:20:36.50
And he got a little closer
and learned it was some Little
00:20:37.20\00:20:40.00
League game.
00:20:40.04\00:20:41.37
And he got up by the dug out and
he saw one boy was grinning from
00:20:41.84\00:20:44.94
ear to ear.
00:20:44.97\00:20:46.31
He said, "How's it going?"
00:20:46.34\00:20:48.41
And the boy said, "It's
18 to nothing, we're losing."
00:20:49.14\00:20:52.58
He said, "Wow, you're
pretty far behind but you don't
00:20:54.12\00:20:56.35
look discouraged."
00:20:56.38\00:20:57.69
He said, "No, we
haven't been to bat yet."
00:20:57.72\00:20:59.32
He thought, "Yeah, it looks bad
now, but we're going to get up
00:21:02.26\00:21:04.83
to bat."
00:21:04.86\00:21:06.19
So we've got to keep a
positive outlook, look beyond
00:21:08.13\00:21:12.70
the problem.
00:21:12.73\00:21:14.07
Number five cause I have
for discouragement is fear.
00:21:14.87\00:21:18.01
And you'd be surprised, fear is
behind more discouragement than
00:21:18.57\00:21:22.14
you might think.
00:21:22.18\00:21:23.51
We're afraid of criticism.
00:21:24.05\00:21:25.38
We're worried about
what people think of us.
00:21:25.41\00:21:26.72
We're worried about
living up to expectations.
00:21:26.75\00:21:29.22
We don't know how
we're ever going to meet
00:21:29.58\00:21:31.02
people's expectations.
00:21:31.05\00:21:32.39
We're afraid we're
going to lose our jobs.
00:21:32.59\00:21:34.39
We're afraid we're going
to lose our relationships.
00:21:34.42\00:21:36.09
We're Afraid of everything else.
00:21:36.12\00:21:37.43
So fear can cover a
lot of discouragement.
00:21:37.46\00:21:39.16
Even in the book of Job, he
confesses, Job 3:25, "For the
00:21:40.20\00:21:44.77
thing I greatly feared has come
upon me, and what I dreaded has
00:21:44.80\00:21:49.20
happened to me."
00:21:49.24\00:21:50.61
In John 20:19, after the
crucifixion and even after the
00:21:52.07\00:21:56.51
resurrection, the disciples
didn't believe that Jesus rose.
00:21:56.54\00:21:59.05
It says, "The same day at
evening, being the first day of
00:21:59.08\00:22:01.92
the week, the doors shut,
the disciples were assembled,
00:22:01.95\00:22:05.15
for fear."
00:22:05.19\00:22:06.52
While they're all assembled for
fear, suddenly they notice Jesus
00:22:07.02\00:22:10.33
in the room.
00:22:10.36\00:22:11.69
And he said, "Peace be to you."
00:22:11.73\00:22:13.06
How often they're in the boat,
they're terrified of the storm,
00:22:13.50\00:22:15.66
and Jesus gets
up, he says, "Peace."
00:22:15.70\00:22:17.23
How many times they were afraid
and Jesus said, "Be at peace."
00:22:18.00\00:22:21.47
You know, I like Psalm 23, "Yea,
though I walk through the valley
00:22:23.00\00:22:27.74
of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil; for You are
00:22:27.78\00:22:31.41
with me."
00:22:31.45\00:22:32.88
You know, this is something that
is really-- this is why it's a
00:22:32.91\00:22:35.95
classic psalm.
00:22:35.98\00:22:37.35
"Though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death."
00:22:39.19\00:22:41.96
You are going to
have shadows in life.
00:22:43.12\00:22:45.06
You are going to
go through valleys.
00:22:46.53\00:22:48.26
Some of those valleys are going
to be pretty terrifying and you
00:22:49.10\00:22:52.07
may be rubbing elbows with
death, your own or the loss of
00:22:52.10\00:22:56.91
someone you love.
00:22:56.94\00:22:58.34
That can discourage you, but the
word that is the operative word
00:22:58.37\00:23:03.18
here-- a couple of them.
00:23:03.21\00:23:04.55
One is you don't
park in the valley.
00:23:04.58\00:23:06.88
You don't settle in the valley.
00:23:07.52\00:23:09.48
You don't make
your home in the valley.
00:23:09.92\00:23:11.82
You go through the valley.
00:23:11.85\00:23:13.19
Don't stay in the valley.
00:23:13.22\00:23:14.56
Some people are always
discouraged because they've
00:23:14.59\00:23:15.89
pitched their
tent in the valley.
00:23:15.92\00:23:17.29
You're supposed to
be moving through it.
00:23:18.19\00:23:19.76
Why?
00:23:20.86\00:23:22.13
Because He is with you, amen?
00:23:22.16\00:23:24.97
He said, "For you are with me."
00:23:26.30\00:23:27.94
Deuteronomy 31:8, "And the Lord
said, 'He is the one who goes
00:23:28.94\00:23:33.68
before you.
00:23:33.71\00:23:35.04
He will be with you, He will not
leave you or forsake you; do not
00:23:35.08\00:23:38.71
fear or be dismayed.'"
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.45
Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom
00:23:41.15\00:23:44.82
shall I fear?
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.15
The Lord is the strength
of my life; of whom shall I
00:23:46.19\00:23:48.22
be afraid?"
00:23:48.26\00:23:49.56
If you've got God on your side,
exactly who is it that you're
00:23:49.59\00:23:51.63
afraid of?
00:23:51.66\00:23:53.03
Isn't God bigger than everyone?
00:23:53.43\00:23:54.76
So if the devil is constantly
trying to discourage us, greater
00:23:55.40\00:23:58.47
is He that is in you
than he that is in the world.
00:23:58.50\00:24:02.07
Hebrews 13, verse 5, "For He has
said, 'I will never leave you or
00:24:02.10\00:24:05.57
forsake you.'"
00:24:05.61\00:24:06.94
2 Chronicles 32:6-7,
"When Hezekiah saw they were
00:24:07.28\00:24:12.35
surrounded by the enemy,
he sent military captains over
00:24:12.38\00:24:16.48
the people."
00:24:16.52\00:24:17.82
People were afraid of
the Assyrians, which was a
00:24:17.85\00:24:19.19
great army.
00:24:19.22\00:24:20.56
He sent military
captains over the people.
00:24:21.02\00:24:22.86
He gathered them together.
00:24:22.89\00:24:24.26
Assyrians had been beating on
the gates, saying, "No way can
00:24:24.83\00:24:27.56
you beat our army."
00:24:27.60\00:24:28.86
And it's true, they
were way, way bigger.
00:24:28.90\00:24:30.27
"Surrender to us,
worship our gods."
00:24:30.77\00:24:32.73
Hezekiah said,
"Not going to do it."
00:24:32.77\00:24:34.14
So he did
everything he could do.
00:24:36.10\00:24:37.44
He gave them encouragement.
00:24:38.01\00:24:39.31
He said, "Be strong and be
courageous; do not be afraid or
00:24:39.34\00:24:42.44
dismayed before the king
of Assyria, nor before all the
00:24:42.48\00:24:45.98
multitude," massive army, "that
is with him; for there are more
00:24:46.01\00:24:49.85
with us than with him."
00:24:49.88\00:24:51.42
He spread his
problem before the Lord.
00:24:51.65\00:24:53.52
He prayed.
00:24:55.72\00:24:57.06
He went to the temple.
00:24:57.09\00:24:58.39
He said, "God,
we're under attack."
00:24:58.43\00:24:59.76
God said, "Don't worry.
00:24:59.79\00:25:01.13
You will not
have to fire an arrow.
00:25:01.16\00:25:02.50
You won't have to
fight in this battle.
00:25:02.53\00:25:03.83
Stand still."
00:25:03.87\00:25:05.17
And the Bible says during
the night, the angel of the Lord
00:25:05.20\00:25:07.80
went through the Assyrian
camp and smote 185,000 soldiers.
00:25:07.84\00:25:12.17
Trust that the Lord
says, "I'm with you.
00:25:12.91\00:25:14.48
You don't have to be afraid."
00:25:14.51\00:25:15.84
God has a thousand answers
to your problem when you can't
00:25:16.48\00:25:20.02
think of one.
00:25:20.05\00:25:21.42
You don't need
to be discouraged.
00:25:21.95\00:25:23.42
The only time you need to be
a little discouraged is if you
00:25:23.45\00:25:26.32
think you can live
in sin and be happy.
00:25:26.35\00:25:28.22
Well, that
would be discouraging.
00:25:29.06\00:25:30.39
You've got to believe that Jesus
is bigger than the devil and
00:25:30.99\00:25:33.90
bigger than your sins,
and He can give you victory.
00:25:33.93\00:25:35.80
male announcer: Don't forget
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To get your digital copy of
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It's now easier than ever
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And most important,
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will give you confidence about
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Rapture, the Antichrist, and the
00:26:28.35\00:26:31.79
Mark of the Beast.
00:26:31.82\00:26:33.15
You'll also get the truth about
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So don't miss out, get started
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male announcer: Written by
the hand of God and spoken with
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His voice.
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Some words will never fade.
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Get Pastor Doug Bachelor's
12-part sermon series on the Ten
00:27:19.13\00:27:22.00
Commandments by
calling 800-538-7275 or
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visit afbookstore.com.
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female: I really wanted to start
a new devotional habit, but life
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got in the way.
00:27:32.15\00:27:33.38
Next thing I know, we're a month
into the new year and I'm like,
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"What's the point of starting?"
00:27:35.95\00:27:37.42
Then I saw "365 Amazing
Answers to Big Bible Questions."
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Each day is a single study
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day and not miss a thing.
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They're crisp,
clear, and enlightening.
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visit afbookstore.com.
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00:28:03.85\00:28:05.85
It's sure to be a blessing.
00:28:05.88\00:28:07.22
And thank you for your continued
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00:28:07.68\00:28:11.02
Jesus Christ to the world.
00:28:11.05\00:28:12.75
We hope you'll join us next week
as we delve deep into the Word
00:28:13.02\00:28:16.36
of God to explore
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¤¤¤
00:28:21.30\00:28:24.87
male announcer: This
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