male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
00:00:02.43\00:00:03.73
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 got to 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 got to
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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.
00:09:35.14\00:09:36.60
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,
00:10:05.00\00:10:08.44
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
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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.
00:10:24.85\00:10:26.15
They are so worn out by
the enemy, but a lot of it was
00:10:26.19\00:10:28.99
simply physical.
00:10:29.02\00:10:30.36
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.
00:10:44.94\00:10:46.37
They were overworked.
00:10:46.41\00:10:47.74
They were spread out.
00:10:47.78\00:10:49.11
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,
00:11:10.40\00:11:13.80
"God-- the gods will do
00:11:13.84\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
00:11:20.24\00:11:22.74
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.
00:11:24.95\00:11:27.95
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."
00:11:37.53\00:11:39.03
Wait a second, this is a guy who
just prayed and fire came down.
00:11:40.30\00:11:42.63
Now he wants to
pray that he dies.
00:11:42.66\00:11:44.33
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.
00:11:53.51\00:11:55.14
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
Doug: Here at
Amazing Facts International,
00:12:47.13\00:12:49.36
we strive to reach the world
with the amazing truths of the
00:12:49.40\00:12:52.87
Bible and
proclaim the love of Jesus.
00:12:52.90\00:12:55.77
We print thousands of
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00:12:55.80\00:12:58.97
such as books, tracts, and fully
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00:12:59.01\00:13:03.58
all designed to change
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00:13:03.61\00:13:06.51
misunderstandings people
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00:13:06.55\00:13:09.82
Our warehouse is filled with
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00:13:09.85\00:13:13.72
and we're eager
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Make the most of
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It'll surely enhance your
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00:13:23.43\00:13:25.80
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¤¤¤
00:13:34.54\00:13:41.18
Doug Batchelor: But if you're
tired, physically worn out, you
00:13:41.58\00:13:45.35
got to take time
to sharpen yourself.
00:13:45.39\00:13:47.86
Ecclesiastes 10:10, Solomon
said, "If the ax is dull and one
00:13:48.19\00:13:53.06
does not sharpen the edge, then
he must use more strength; but
00:13:53.09\00:13:56.33
wisdom brings success."
00:13:56.36\00:13:57.77
Plan carefully.
00:13:57.80\00:13:59.13
Sharpen the ax.
00:13:59.17\00:14:00.54
You've heard the expression,
"You cannot keep your bow strung
00:14:00.57\00:14:03.04
all the time or it
will lose its zing."
00:14:03.07\00:14:05.27
That's my paraphrase on that.
00:14:05.64\00:14:07.08
You can also look at where Jesus
said, Mark 6:31, He told the
00:14:08.54\00:14:12.75
disciples, "Come aside by
yourselves to a deserted place
00:14:12.78\00:14:16.02
and rest a while."
00:14:16.28\00:14:17.59
Get out in the woods or
the wilderness and let's get
00:14:17.62\00:14:19.69
some rest.
00:14:19.72\00:14:21.06
"For there were many coming
and going, and they did not even
00:14:21.09\00:14:23.16
have time to eat."
00:14:23.19\00:14:24.49
Jesus was so exhausted after
a day of ministry, He slept
00:14:24.53\00:14:27.20
through a storm.
00:14:27.23\00:14:28.53
So you've got to
just carve out time.
00:14:29.06\00:14:31.87
Sometimes if you're a workaholic
like I am, you think it's not
00:14:31.90\00:14:34.74
spiritual if you rest.
00:14:34.77\00:14:36.14
And so you've got to just
say, you know, it is a spiritual
00:14:36.94\00:14:41.18
thing to do to
sometimes do nothing.
00:14:41.21\00:14:42.74
All right, now to frustration.
00:14:44.01\00:14:45.81
Failed expectations,
dashed hopes is a cause of
00:14:46.25\00:14:50.19
much discouragement.
00:14:50.22\00:14:51.59
People have high ideals,
have plans for their life.
00:14:52.32\00:14:54.86
Some people live in regret.
00:14:54.89\00:14:56.22
They're constantly discouraged
because of regrets from
00:14:56.26\00:14:58.09
the past.
00:14:58.13\00:14:59.46
They can't shake it off
and so they're frustrated.
00:14:59.49\00:15:02.63
Maybe it's unfinished tasks that
pile up or you feel overwhelmed.
00:15:03.60\00:15:07.80
It can produce discouragement.
00:15:08.77\00:15:10.11
The book of Jonah, you
know, Jonah went through a lot.
00:15:11.14\00:15:13.74
God told Jonah to
go on this journey.
00:15:14.91\00:15:16.38
He didn't really want to do it.
00:15:16.41\00:15:17.71
He said, "I don't want to go
preach and tell the Ninevites
00:15:17.75\00:15:19.61
they're going
to die in 40 days."
00:15:19.65\00:15:20.98
And finally, because Jonah
didn't do what God said, he went
00:15:21.68\00:15:25.39
through a storm, got swallowed
by a whale, got burped back
00:15:25.42\00:15:27.99
out again.
00:15:28.02\00:15:29.32
He finally does what God says.
00:15:29.36\00:15:30.69
For 40 days, he marches up and
down the streets, tells Nineveh,
00:15:30.73\00:15:33.96
"You're going to be destroyed,"
and then God says, "You know, I
00:15:34.00\00:15:37.07
think I'm going
to change my mind."
00:15:37.10\00:15:38.47
And Jonah's going, "I
went through all of that
00:15:39.73\00:15:41.84
for nothing?"
00:15:41.87\00:15:43.20
And he's all discouraged,
"They're going to all think I'm
00:15:43.24\00:15:44.67
a liar.
00:15:44.71\00:15:46.01
I've walked up and down the
streets making this prophecy and
00:15:46.04\00:15:47.51
you're not going to
make my prophecy come true?"
00:15:47.54\00:15:49.08
Jonah got so discouraged.
00:15:49.68\00:15:51.48
"It happened, when the sun
arose, that Jonah prepared--
00:15:51.85\00:15:54.28
that God prepared a vehement
east wind, a hot wind came; the
00:15:54.78\00:15:58.05
sun beat on Jonah's
head, so he grew faint.
00:15:58.09\00:16:00.36
And he wished that death for
himself, he said, 'It's better
00:16:00.79\00:16:04.03
for me to die than to live.'"
00:16:04.06\00:16:06.39
You know, even Paul at one point
said, "We despaired of life."
00:16:06.83\00:16:09.80
And so even some of these
great people got discouraged.
00:16:11.20\00:16:14.34
So what's the cure
when you face frustration?
00:16:15.27\00:16:18.34
Once again, it's
the promise of God.
00:16:19.11\00:16:21.74
Notice what happened.
00:16:21.78\00:16:23.08
2 Peter 1:4, "By which God has
given to us exceeding great and
00:16:23.11\00:16:27.98
precious promises, that through
these we may be partakers of the
00:16:28.02\00:16:32.42
divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the
00:16:32.45\00:16:35.69
world through lust."
00:16:35.72\00:16:37.09
And so if you have met with
great disappointment, keep in
00:16:37.49\00:16:43.47
mind that when you're a
Christian, you're not only
00:16:44.00\00:16:46.90
born once.
00:16:46.94\00:16:48.57
You're born again.
00:16:49.00\00:16:50.37
And I might suggest to you that
if you're a Christian, you're
00:16:50.67\00:16:52.61
born again many times.
00:16:52.64\00:16:54.01
Now, follow me.
00:16:54.88\00:16:56.21
See if this makes sense.
00:16:56.24\00:16:57.55
Paul says, "I die daily."
00:16:57.58\00:16:59.71
If you die daily but you're
not born again every day, then
00:17:01.92\00:17:04.59
you're more dead than alive.
00:17:04.62\00:17:05.95
Is that right?
00:17:06.82\00:17:08.06
So it's true you need to die to
self every day, but I think you
00:17:08.09\00:17:11.03
sort of need to go
through a new birth every day.
00:17:11.06\00:17:13.09
And that means you may
be frustrated from the past
00:17:14.63\00:17:17.57
mistakes and you might have
regrets over your bad decisions,
00:17:17.60\00:17:20.24
but you have to forgive yourself
because God says he'll forgive
00:17:20.27\00:17:23.24
you, and then you move on.
00:17:23.27\00:17:24.64
Or you can be living
in the past all the time.
00:17:26.01\00:17:27.61
Some of you have been
and it just keeps you down.
00:17:27.64\00:17:29.54
If you're a new person, you
don't have to live all the time
00:17:30.88\00:17:32.85
in the regrets of the person
who's dead and buried, right?
00:17:32.88\00:17:36.15
You're born again.
00:17:36.95\00:17:38.29
You move on.
00:17:38.32\00:17:39.65
All right, the other thing that
sometimes causes discouragement:
00:17:40.02\00:17:42.59
family, friends, relationships,
might be a spouse.
00:17:44.13\00:17:50.90
You see a lot of
examples of this in the Bible.
00:17:50.93\00:17:52.80
Matter of fact, in the
Scriptures you find that so much
00:17:52.83\00:17:56.81
of the discouragement that
came on God's people was what we
00:17:56.84\00:17:59.27
would call friendly fire.
00:17:59.31\00:18:01.14
Michael makes fun of David when
he's dancing before the Lord.
00:18:03.48\00:18:06.58
It's coming from
within the house.
00:18:06.61\00:18:08.45
Joseph's brothers sell
him because of jealousy.
00:18:08.85\00:18:11.49
Saul hunts David for
years to kill him, his own king.
00:18:12.85\00:18:15.92
The disciples are arguing among
themselves which of them is
00:18:17.09\00:18:19.66
the greatest.
00:18:19.69\00:18:21.03
Right within the family
sometimes it can be the source
00:18:21.63\00:18:25.23
of great discouragement.
00:18:25.27\00:18:26.63
David was discouraged
because his sons often were
00:18:27.20\00:18:29.94
not faithful.
00:18:29.97\00:18:31.27
Even Samuel the prophet had
sons that were taking bribes.
00:18:31.31\00:18:34.78
Jesus was
betrayed by one of his own.
00:18:35.54\00:18:37.98
You might've had a friendship or
a friend betrayed you, and those
00:18:38.75\00:18:41.92
sometimes hurt the most
keenly and they can plunge you
00:18:41.95\00:18:45.02
into discouragement.
00:18:45.05\00:18:46.42
Maybe you just don't have
any friends and that's why
00:18:46.65\00:18:48.92
you're discouraged.
00:18:48.96\00:18:50.29
Bible tells us there's
a solution for that too.
00:18:51.13\00:18:53.13
Let's talk about the cures.
00:18:53.16\00:18:54.46
2 Corinthians 4:1, "Therefore,
since we have this ministry, as
00:18:55.30\00:18:59.73
we have received
mercy, we do not lose heart."
00:18:59.77\00:19:03.30
Remember to have
faith in God's purpose.
00:19:03.77\00:19:05.74
We talked about having
faith in God's promises.
00:19:05.77\00:19:07.94
Have faith in God's purpose.
00:19:07.98\00:19:09.71
Sometimes you go through the
deepest valleys and you don't
00:19:10.21\00:19:13.65
realize that God is
taking you to a mountaintop.
00:19:13.68\00:19:15.95
You've just got to
get through the valley.
00:19:15.98\00:19:17.35
2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are
hard-pressed on every side, yet
00:19:18.25\00:19:23.49
not crushed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; we are
00:19:23.53\00:19:28.03
persecuted, but not forsaken;
we are struck down, but not
00:19:28.06\00:19:32.07
destroyed--always carrying
about in the body the dying of
00:19:32.10\00:19:35.84
the Lord Jesus, that the life
of Jesus might be manifest in
00:19:35.87\00:19:39.77
our body."
00:19:39.81\00:19:41.11
And the Bible says, "He would
not be discouraged," Jesus.
00:19:41.14\00:19:43.18
2 Corinthians 4:16--all this is
from 2 Corinthians 4. Notice he
00:19:44.31\00:19:48.02
says, "Do not lose heart
in spite of all that we're
00:19:48.05\00:19:50.82
going through."
00:19:50.85\00:19:52.19
Go to 2 Corinthians
4:16, "Therefore we do not
00:19:52.22\00:19:55.56
lose heart."
00:19:55.59\00:19:56.83
He says it again, "Even though
our outward man is perishing,
00:19:56.86\00:19:59.56
yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day."
00:20:00.06\00:20:02.43
Amen?
00:20:02.46\00:20:03.83
"For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, is working
00:20:03.87\00:20:07.07
for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, while
00:20:07.10\00:20:11.11
we do not look at the things
that are seen, but the things
00:20:11.14\00:20:13.81
that are not seen."
00:20:13.84\00:20:15.21
How did David get
out of his dilemma.
00:20:15.24\00:20:16.58
He's said, "Wait a second, God
told me He's got big plans for
00:20:16.61\00:20:19.31
me to be king.
00:20:19.35\00:20:20.68
I'm not going to be
despairing right now.
00:20:20.95\00:20:23.02
I don't know how God's going to
work this out, but I'm going to
00:20:23.05\00:20:25.79
get up off my face."
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.89
"For the things that
are seen are temporary."
00:20:28.39\00:20:30.36
So often we're discouraged
by temporary circumstances.
00:20:30.39\00:20:34.00
You need to look beyond the
circumstances and remember they
00:20:34.40\00:20:37.47
are temporary.
00:20:37.50\00:20:38.83
You can get through
almost anything if you know
00:20:38.87\00:20:40.57
it's temporary.
00:20:40.60\00:20:41.94
"But the things that
are not seen are eternal."
00:20:44.64\00:20:47.18
Heard about a man walking around
one afternoon, beautiful day.
00:20:49.04\00:20:52.48
And he walked by a park
and there was a bunch of kids
00:20:52.51\00:20:54.95
playing baseball.
00:20:54.98\00:20:56.32
And he got a little closer
and learned it was some Little
00:20:57.02\00:20:59.82
League game.
00:20:59.85\00:21:01.26
And he got up by the dug out and
he saw one boy was grinning from
00:21:01.72\00:21:04.83
ear to ear.
00:21:04.86\00:21:06.19
He said, "How's it going?"
00:21:06.23\00:21:08.26
And the boy said, "It's
18 to nothing, we're losing."
00:21:09.00\00:21:12.43
He said, "Wow, you're
pretty far behind but you don't
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.20
look discouraged."
00:21:16.24\00:21:17.54
He said, "No, we
haven't been to bat yet."
00:21:17.57\00:21:19.17
He thought, "Yeah, it looks bad
now, but we're going to get up
00:21:22.04\00:21:24.61
to bat."
00:21:24.65\00:21:25.98
So we've got to keep a
positive outlook, look beyond
00:21:27.95\00:21:32.52
the problem.
00:21:32.55\00:21:33.89
Number five cause I have
for discouragement is fear.
00:21:34.69\00:21:37.83
And you'd be surprised, fear is
behind more discouragement than
00:21:38.39\00:21:41.93
you might think.
00:21:41.96\00:21:43.30
We're afraid of criticism.
00:21:43.83\00:21:45.17
We're worried about
what people think of us.
00:21:45.20\00:21:46.50
We're worried about
living up to expectations.
00:21:46.53\00:21:49.00
We don't know how
we're ever going to meet
00:21:49.37\00:21:50.81
people's expectations.
00:21:50.84\00:21:52.17
We're afraid we're
going to lose our jobs.
00:21:52.37\00:21:54.18
We're afraid we're going
to lose our relationships.
00:21:54.21\00:21:55.88
We're Afraid of everything else.
00:21:55.91\00:21:57.21
So fear can cover a
lot of discouragement.
00:21:57.25\00:21:58.95
Even in the book of Job, he
confesses, Job 3:25, "For the
00:22:00.05\00:22:04.65
thing I greatly feared has come
upon me, and what I dreaded has
00:22:04.69\00:22:09.09
happened to me."
00:22:09.12\00:22:10.49
In John 20:19, after the
crucifixion and even after the
00:22:11.96\00:22:16.36
resurrection, the disciples
didn't believe that Jesus rose.
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.90
It says, "The same day at
evening, being the first day of
00:22:18.93\00:22:21.70
the week, the doors shut,
the disciples were assembled,
00:22:21.74\00:22:24.94
for fear."
00:22:24.97\00:22:26.31
While they're all assembled for
fear, suddenly they notice Jesus
00:22:26.81\00:22:30.11
in the room.
00:22:30.15\00:22:31.48
And he said, "Peace be to you."
00:22:31.51\00:22:32.85
How often they're in the boat,
they're terrified of the storm,
00:22:33.28\00:22:35.48
and Jesus gets
up, he says, "Peace."
00:22:35.52\00:22:37.05
How many times they were afraid
and Jesus said, "Be at peace."
00:22:37.82\00:22:41.29
You know, I like Psalm 23, "Yea,
though I walk through the valley
00:22:42.82\00:22:47.56
of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil; for You are
00:22:47.60\00:22:51.20
with me."
00:22:51.23\00:22:52.67
You know, this is something that
is really--this is why it's a
00:22:52.70\00:22:55.74
classic psalm.
00:22:55.77\00:22:57.14
"Though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death."
00:22:58.97\00:23:01.81
You are going to
have shadows in life.
00:23:02.98\00:23:04.91
You are going to
go through valleys.
00:23:06.38\00:23:08.15
Some of those valleys are going
to be pretty terrifying and you
00:23:08.98\00:23:11.95
may be rubbing elbows with
death, your own or the loss of
00:23:11.99\00:23:16.79
someone you love.
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.23
That can discourage you, but the
word that is the operative word
00:23:18.26\00:23:22.96
here--a couple of them.
00:23:23.00\00:23:24.33
One is you don't
park in the valley.
00:23:24.37\00:23:26.67
You don't settle in the valley.
00:23:27.30\00:23:29.27
You don't make
your home in the valley.
00:23:29.70\00:23:31.61
You go through the valley.
00:23:31.64\00:23:32.97
Don't stay in the valley.
00:23:33.01\00:23:34.34
Some people are always
discouraged because they've
00:23:34.38\00:23:35.68
pitched their
tent in the valley.
00:23:35.71\00:23:37.08
You're supposed to
be moving through it.
00:23:37.98\00:23:39.55
Why?
00:23:40.65\00:23:41.95
Because He is with you, amen?
00:23:41.98\00:23:44.79
He said, "For you are with me."
00:23:46.12\00:23:47.76
Deuteronomy 31:8, "And the Lord
said, 'He is the one who goes
00:23:48.76\00:23:53.50
before you.
00:23:53.53\00:23:54.83
He will be with you, He will not
leave you or forsake you; do not
00:23:54.86\00:23:58.50
fear or be dismayed.'"
00:23:58.53\00:24:00.30
Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom
00:24:01.00\00:24:04.67
shall I fear?
00:24:04.71\00:24:06.01
The Lord is the strength
of my life; of whom shall I
00:24:06.04\00:24:08.08
be afraid?"
00:24:08.11\00:24:09.41
If you've got God on your side,
exactly who is it that you're
00:24:09.44\00:24:11.48
afraid of?
00:24:11.51\00:24:12.88
Isn't God bigger than everyone?
00:24:13.28\00:24:14.65
So if the devil is constantly
trying to discourage us, greater
00:24:15.28\00:24:18.35
is He that is in you
than he that is in the world.
00:24:18.39\00:24:21.89
Hebrews 13, verse 5, "For He has
said, 'I will never leave you or
00:24:21.92\00:24:25.39
forsake you.'"
00:24:25.43\00:24:26.76
2 Chronicles 32:6-7,
"When Hezekiah saw they were
00:24:27.10\00:24:32.13
surrounded by the enemy,
he sent military captains over
00:24:32.17\00:24:36.27
the people."
00:24:36.30\00:24:37.61
People were afraid of
the Assyrians, which was a
00:24:37.64\00:24:38.97
great army.
00:24:39.01\00:24:40.34
He sent military
captains over the people.
00:24:40.81\00:24:42.64
He gathered them together.
00:24:42.68\00:24:44.05
Assyrians had been beating on
the gates, saying, "No way can
00:24:44.61\00:24:47.35
you beat our army."
00:24:47.38\00:24:48.68
And it's true, they
were way, way bigger.
00:24:48.72\00:24:50.09
"Surrender to us,
worship our gods."
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.55
Hezekiah said,
"Not going to do it."
00:24:52.59\00:24:53.96
So he did
everything he could do.
00:24:55.92\00:24:57.26
He gave them encouragement.
00:24:57.83\00:24:59.13
He said, "Be strong and be
courageous; do not be afraid or
00:24:59.16\00:25:02.30
dismayed before the king
of Assyria, nor before all the
00:25:02.33\00:25:05.83
multitude," massive army, "that
is with him; for there are more
00:25:05.87\00:25:09.70
with us than with him."
00:25:09.74\00:25:11.27
He spread his
problem before the Lord.
00:25:11.51\00:25:13.38
He prayed.
00:25:15.58\00:25:16.91
He went to the temple.
00:25:16.95\00:25:18.25
He said, "God,
we're under attack."
00:25:18.28\00:25:19.61
God said, "Don't worry.
00:25:19.65\00:25:20.95
You will not
have to fire an arrow.
00:25:20.98\00:25:22.32
You won't have to
fight in this battle.
00:25:22.35\00:25:23.65
Stand still."
00:25:23.69\00:25:24.99
And the Bible says during
the night, the angel of the Lord
00:25:25.02\00:25:27.62
went through the Assyrian
camp and smote 185,000 soldiers.
00:25:27.66\00:25:31.99
Trust that the Lord
says, "I'm with you.
00:25:32.73\00:25:34.30
You don't have to be afraid."
00:25:34.30\00:25:35.63
God has a thousand answers
to your problem when you can't
00:25:36.26\00:25:39.80
think of one.
00:25:39.83\00:25:41.20
You don't need
to be discouraged.
00:25:41.74\00:25:43.20
The only time you need to be
a little discouraged is if you
00:25:43.24\00:25:46.11
think you can live
in sin and be happy.
00:25:46.14\00:25:48.01
Well, that
would be discouraging.
00:25:48.84\00:25:50.18
You've got to believe that Jesus
is bigger than the devil and
00:25:50.78\00:25:53.68
bigger than your sins,
and He can give you victory.
00:25:53.72\00:25:55.62
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Doug: Friend, God came to
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00:27:05.45\00:27:09.26
form of a man.
00:27:09.29\00:27:10.63
His name was Jesus.
00:27:10.66\00:27:12.43
He came for three reasons:
To show us what God is like,
00:27:12.46\00:27:15.86
to show us how to live, and
finally, to die for our sins
00:27:15.90\00:27:19.93
that we might be forgiven.
00:27:19.97\00:27:21.94
But this only works if you
choose to accept him as your
00:27:21.97\00:27:24.97
personal Savior, confess
you're sorry for your sins,
00:27:25.01\00:27:28.28
and invite him to be
the Lord of your life.
00:27:28.31\00:27:30.95
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00:27:30.98\00:27:33.45
Why don't you ask him now?
00:27:33.48\00:27:34.85
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