Dealing With Discouragement - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. The other tool that God uses, His Word. God speaks to us, and then He gave us a tool. Prayer. We speak to God. You know, you need to make that a constant discipline of your life. When God speaks to me and I internalize and meditate on His truth and His Word, I need to pray that back to God. And that's how God hears it.

So I do. I have to remind myself what God has said. Because when I stop reminding myself, I get very forgetful. And when I get very forgetful, I'm just like Elijah.

I get discouraged. You see, I stop listening to what God said and I start looking at the circumstances in my life. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana.

Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's Word meets our world. You know, it's an interesting thing. This whole thing is a setup for them. How did they get out of Egypt? They fought their way out.

Right? They were warriors. God did miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle against the most powerful nation on earth.

And these two million Jews, slaves, get to go free. So just think of what they've seen. Unbelievable.

Just incredible. I mean, if you see the Red Sea open up, you walk through it on dry land and then it closes on the church. You would think that would impress you.

But it tells you something else. What could have God done? He could have just waved his hand that lands empty. Go get it.

He could have done it all. It's a test. You're going to be discouraged. You're going to be faithful. See, you're going to be discouraged or you're going to show courage or you're going to make an effort.

You're going to do something. It's a test. You see, God could have done this with no problem at all. These are just theites. Theites aren't the Egyptians. Doesn't work that way.

It's an amazing thing. But God says of all the different tests I can give you, this might be the most important in your spiritual life. And no matter what happened in Egypt has no bearing on what's going to happen now in the promised land. It's a test. No matter, think of how many things God has brought you through in your whole life. Now, the next time you're facing discouragement, is that all you think about?

Nope. I'm just thinking about now. I find myself almost embarrassed how many times God will test me to see if I'll get discouraged and I still do.

It's just like, what is wrong with me? You know about Elijah. Probably the greatest prophet. Elijah.

I'm just going to read a couple of things, just phrases here. Elijah, God answered his prayers and he made the rain stop. He prayed in the rain stop for a long, long, long time.

Wow. God fed him by ravens bringing him bread and meat. So the bird showed up and brought him food. And he was sustained by that. He performed miracles by the power of God. The widow's barrel of flour and jar of oil never ran out. Ever.

Endless supply. Because Elijah was there doing that. He raised the widow's son from the dead.

Would that get your attention? Of what God has done through you? He called on fire from heaven and consumed the water-soaked sacrifice. And then he took a sword and he killed 300 priests.

I mean, think of what this man has done. But Jezebel threatened his life and fear struck his heart. He became totally discouraged and he was so discouraged that he said, I want to die.

I'm that fearful. And he did the worst thing he could do under discouragement. He isolated himself.

And then he thought and he said to God, I think I'm the only one left at 1 Kings 19 who serves you. There's this pity party. That's discouragement.

Poor me. God told him, no, shut up. There's 7,000 that haven't filed their need of bail.

So there's at least 7,001 of you. How did he get that discouraged that fast? I don't know. But Jezebel scared the bejeebers out of him. But nothing else did. And he knew what God had done in his life. Incredible things.

And it didn't make any difference. He still found every test to be unique on his own and the Jezebel test he got an F on. I'm totally afraid. I'm so discouraged. So what characteristics then should we look for in our own life when we find ourself we think we're starting to fall into discouragement? Well, they show up here in numbers.

Numbers 14, 1. We start crying a lot. We start weeping. You ever been so discouraged you weep?

Yeah. We just start crying. Paul told us, so even if we grieve, we don't grieve like those who have no hope. We should never grieve like someone, because what discourages you? Because you think you have no hope. There it is.

What can I do now? We don't grieve like that. We trust in God, the God of hope, Christ our hope.

Then 14, 2. Here's a sign of a discouraged person. They complain and whine a lot. Some people are so discouraged over all the years of ministry I've done that virtually it seems to me almost every conversation I have starts out with them complaining and whining about something. And by the way, if you love complaining and whining, you live in the right place. There's always enough in this world to complain about. I mean, goodness, you're surrounded by all these people. You see, can you complain about them?

Yes. I mean, that's the whole point. We can complain and we whine, and that's what they end up doing. And by the way, these people were complainers. You go back to Exodus chapter 15, and all they started is complaining. Now, God said, I'm taking you to the promised land. They get out not that far away, and they keep saying, we're thirsty, we're thirsty, oh, we're so thirsty. And he gave them water. Next chapter, we're hungry, we're hungry.

Even after they had manna, what happened? We don't like it, it's just one item on the menu. We like quail, so did God give them quail? Yes. You see, but the point was what? We just start this whining, complaining, it becomes part of us.

Look at 14.3. Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by this sword? Our wives and our little ones would become plunder.

Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? What are they saying? God is killing us.

What's that mean? God is not good. He's not as good as I would be if I were God. You see, when we start doing that, you can see how this works. That's open rebellion against God. I mean, the next verse, so they said to one another, let's appoint a leader and return to Egypt. Well, that's wrong.

I can't tell you how many levels. Whoever said this might be hard for an American, God's never, ever supported democratic leadership. Please understand that. Democracy is not God's idea. It's the Greek's idea. There's no democracy in the Old or New Testament. Who appoints a leader? God does. I mean, let's take a vote. And so they said, we want to appoint somebody else.

We'd love somebody else to do that. See, it's so easy to turn discouragement into open rebellion. Do all Christians have great marriages? Nope. I mean, some do, but a lot don't, and that's usually when I see them. And I have seen, and I mean this in the right way, for completely non-biblical reasons, people become so discouraged in their marriage, they just say, I'm going to find someone else. I'm going to divorce this person and find another one. Is that what God says?

No, but you don't understand. I understand. It's discouraging. You know, it can be really discouraging, but notice our discouragement can lead us into really bad choices. And it happens all the time.

The other thing is, it can go even further. Let me read on here. He says in verse 4, they said to one another, let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of the assembly of the congregation and the sons of Israel, and Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh. And he said of those who had spied out the land. And they tore their clothes, and they spoke to all the congregation, the sons of Israel, and they said, the land, he said, which we pass through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us into the land and give it to us, the land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. Do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey.

Their protection has been removed from them. The Lord is with us, do not fear them. What's the response? That's called good sound biblical insight counseling. Now the response. The congregation said, stone with stones.

Isn't that interesting? God speaks to his people, all right, get some stones, we're going to kill these guys. He said, then the glory of the God appeared in the tent of the meeting of the sons of Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, how long will this people spur me? You can see what's happening now.

The consequences of discouragement that happens here. He says, how long will this people spur me? How long will they not believe in me? Despite all the signs of which I performed in their midst, I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them. I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.

I'm taking them out. Now this is a test, understand this, of leadership. Who's their leader? Moses. So who should intercede for his people? Moses.

And that's what he does. Read the book of Numbers, by the way, it's like a comedy book. Moses spends more time on his knees than numbers.

I mean, it's just endless. People sin, Moses intercedes. People sin, Moses intercedes. People sin, Moses intercedes.

But what's what he does this time? Moses said to the Lord, you got to love this. Then the Egyptians will hear of it and he says, for by your strength you brought this people from their midst and they will tell it to their inhabitants of this land that they have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of the people. For you, O Lord, are seen eye to eye while your cloud stands over them and you go before them in a pillar and a cloud and day and a pillar of fire at night. Now if you slay the people as one man, then the nations who have heard of you, of your fame will say, because the Lord could not bring people into the land, which he promised by them by oath. Therefore, he slaughtered them in the wilderness.

Please understand what he's doing. Wait, don't you think this is bad PR of your God? I mean, you're God. You overcame the Egyptians. You can't even go into the land of the ites.

How does that make you look? I mean, this is interesting how you could say this to God. Moses does. But now I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as you have declared. He said, the Lord has slowed anger, abundant loving kindness, forgiveness and iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting iniquity of the fathers and the children to the third and fourth generations. Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, just as you also forgiven this people from Egypt even until now. I want to also remind you, God, who you really are. That's exactly what God wanted to hear. That's why there's an intercession. Moses gets an A. It's an interesting thing, by the way, God's standard for leadership.

I don't know. Maybe 20, 25 times the people go in complete disobedience and every time Moses intercedes. Then finally, he's just so sick and tired of him, he can't go on.

So he takes his staff and he smacks the rock. As soon as he does, God says, you'll not enter the promised land. That's a failure of leadership. To whom much is given, much is expected. The people got forgiven countless times. Moses wants.

He doesn't get to enter the land. It's an interesting way that God views leadership. So in verse 20, the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word. I have pardoned them again. And it doesn't seem to help much down in verse 26, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, How long shall I bear this evil congregation who are grumbling against me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against me. Say to them as I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will surely, he said, do to you. Your corpses will lie in the wilderness, even all your numbered men.

According to your complete number from 20 years old and upward, those of you who have grumbled to me. Surely, he said, you shall not come into the land which I swore to you, except Caleb and Joshua. Your children, however, whom you have said would become prey, I'll bring them in, and they will know that the land, this is the land which you rejected. But as for you, your corpses will fall in the wilderness. Your sons shall be shepherds for 40 years in the wilderness, and you will suffer for your unfaithfulness until your corpses will die in the wilderness. There will be consequences to your sin. I have forgiven them, but there are consequences.

Boy, is that fact still alive for us now? Can I do anything and God will forgive me? Yes. Can I do anything and escape the consequences?

No. This is their consequence. That whole generation is going to die in the land. They're going to die in the wilderness, every single one of them.

It's an amazing thing. So, they tell, the leadership tells the people, this is the way it is, and typical of God's people after God has spoken judgment on them. We're ready, Lord. We're ready, but let's go get them.

Amazing. Verse 39, when Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. In the morning, however, they rose up early and went to the ridge of the hill country and said, here we are, we have indeed sinned, but we're going up to the place which the Lord has promised.

Let's go get them. Too late. He's a long-suffering God, but this is too late. Moses said, why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord?

He'll not succeed. He said, do not go up or you'll be struck down by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you, for the Amalekites and Canaanites will be there in front of you and you will fall by the sword in as much as you have turned your back on following the Lord, and the Lord will not be with you. But, he says, but they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country, neither the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp, and then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, struck them, beat them down as far as, and they were all killed.

Tremendous consequence to continual discouragement. They never entered the land. The writer of Hebrews loved that idea so much that when he wrote his whole book of Hebrews, he said that's the danger of walking away from the Lord. You'll never enter the Promised Land.

He called it in Hebrews for us, the faith rest life. You're never going to go in. You'll be a Christian, you'll go to heaven, but you're not going to the Promised Land.

You're never going to have the abundant life Jesus spoke of. You've just pushed this too far. That's what they say. So, what should we do then?

It's pretty simple for us, just a couple of things. One is our faith has to lead to courage, trusting in God's promises. You have to. How do I not get discouraged? My faith has to lead me to action. It has to. I have to believe, and the only way I prove I believe something is to do it.

Make every effort, as he says in Numbers. Billy Graham said this, Today many people are living in bondage of fear. In a recent study, a psychiatrist said that the greatest problem facing his patients was fear. Afraid of going insane, committing suicide, being alone, afraid of heart disease, cancer, disaster, death.

We are becoming a nation of fearful people. Down through the centuries, in times of trouble, temptation, trial and bereavement and crisis, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love him. The Bible is crowded with assurances of God's help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause the human heart to fear. Today, the Christian can come to the Scriptures with full assurance that God is going to deliver the person who puts his trust and confidence in God. Christians can lock into the future with promise, hope and joy without fear, discouragement or despondency.

So I think then the second step for us would be simple. The other tool that God uses, his word. God speaks to us. And then he gave us a tool, prayer. We speak to God.

You know, you need to make that a constant discipline of your life. When God speaks to me and I internalize and meditate on his truth and his word, I need to pray that back to God. Not so God hears it, so I do. I have to remind myself what God has said because when I stop reminding myself, I get very forgetful and when I get very forgetful, I'm just like Elijah.

I get discouraged. You see, I stop listening to what God said and I start looking at the circumstances of my life. There's a story that goes back hundreds of years.

I've heard it ever since I became a Christian, but it's so appropriate here. They've updated it lately and they call it a garage sale. And it says that Satan had a garage sale. And it said he marked all his tools with their appropriate price, hatred, envy, lust, deceit, lying, and pride. Laid apart from all these was a rather harmless-looking but well-worn tool marked with a much higher price than the rest. A buyer pointed it out and asked, what is that tool? And Satan said, that's discouragement.

Why is it priced so high, he asked. He said, because it's more useful to me than any of the others. I can pry open a man's heart with it and when I can't get near to him with the other tools I have, I can get inside him with discouragement.

Once inside, I can make him do whatever I choose. It's a badly worn tool because I use it on almost everyone. Very, very few know that it even belongs to me. The devil's price was so high that the tool of discouragement was never sold. He continues to use it to this day on God's people. That's discouragement. Next time you're discouraged, think of numbers. Think of David and Goliath. Think of Elijah.

And then react appropriately. Let's pray. Father, I'm sure someone in this room is discouraged today. All of us in this room have been discouraged, at least in the past. It's so easy for us to lose sight of what you've said and constantly, constantly sort of bewitched by the circumstances of our life.

It guides everything we end up doing and we end up crying and complaining and rebelling against you because we've become so discouraged. Father, let your word this morning penetrate our souls so that we can do a preemptive strike with discouragement. When we start to feel ourselves that way, may we get ourselves back onto your word and your promises. And then may we act in faith on the basis of what you have said, not what we're going through. I pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen. At that website, you will find not only today's broadcast, but also many of our previous audio programs as well. At Fellowship in the Word, we are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help this radio ministry continue its broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly or with just a one-time gift. Support for our ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word, 4600 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, Louisiana 7006. If you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format, that is as a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible Church, then you should visit our website, fbcnola.org.

That's fbcnola.org. At our website, you will find hundreds of Pastor Bill's sermons. You can browse through our sermon archives to find the sermon series you are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you are looking for, you can listen online, or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own convenience. And remember, you can do all of this absolutely free of charge. Once again, our website is fbcnola.org. For Pastor Bill Gebhardt, I'm Jason Gebhardt, thanking you for listening to Fellowship in the Word. .