A sermon on overcoming despair
1)
America is
facing some economic difficulties and all are affected in one way or
another.
a) We pay more for food, gas, and get less interest on bank deposits.
b) Even if we could avoid all the economic downturn, we would know of someone who has been affected.
c) Economic activity is always going through five stages.
2) Stage one is growth (expansion). Most like this stage because things are usually going very well.
3) Stage 2 is “peak” (it looks like things are going so well, nothing can stop the good times).
4) It may almost seem like a runaway train.
5) We have actually witnessed this second stage.
6)
People were
buying houses they could not afford, and selling them before they made
their first loan payment.
a) Stage three is recession (there is an economic contraction).
b) Stage four is a “trough” (a turning point) and finally “recovery.
7) Since World War 2 the author suggests the cycle just described is completed every 3-5 years.
a) On average, expansions have lasted for 44.8 months. Recessions have lasted for 11 months.
b) An exception was during the Great Depression (1929-1933) with bad times lasting 43 months.
8) Politicians like to stand before people and promise they will “get us out of a recession/bad times”
9) Many times that is just talk; there are actually cycles. Wait long enough and a new cycle kicks in.
10) At the present time there are certainly people who are feeling desperate.
a) From the economy to health and oil, many are burdened with various concerns.
b) Tonight I want to look at five examples of people who were in the throes of despair.
c) The first example comes from Gen. 21, the story about Hagar.
11) In Gen. 21 we come to the time when Isaac was weaned.
a) Gen. 21:8 says this phase in Isaac’s life was the basis for a party.
b) What was designed to be a festive occasion (a fun gathering) did not stay that way.
c) Ishmael was teasing or mocking Isaac and this angered Sarah (the mom) angry..
d) Sarah said that Hagar and her son were to be “cast out” – they had to go.
e) Abraham did indeed cast out Hagar and Ishmael.
12) Verse 14 says Abraham “rose up early in the morning” and gave Hagar a little food.
13) Here was a mother with little food, no resources, and apparently in a fairly remote place.
a) Her mind was quickly focused on death – verse 16 of Gen. 21 – READ
b) At this point everything in this mother’s life seemed absolutely hopeless.
c) Who was going to rescue her? Who would provide for her son?
d) Where could she turn for help? Every possible door seemed closed.
e) As the story continues we find that Hagar and her son were helped.
f) What looked like certain death did not happen.
14) Paul once said we “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).
a) Hagar, at least for a time, was trying to walk by sight.
b) Where would the next supply of food come from? Where would she get water?
c) Where would she and her son live? What if they got sick?
d) What if they were attacked by animals?
15) When times are difficult, and that is the situation now, many are tempted to start walking by sight.
a) Jesus dealt with this matter in Mt. 6 when He spoke of being “anxious.”
b) Hard times test a person’s faith. People who thought they had faith may begin to waver.
c) All know that adults have responsibilities; there are matters that should concern us.
d) There is a definite line between concern, responsibility, and perpetual worry.
e) Jesus had in mind undue concern, the very thing that many are now doing as times become more difficult.
f) Let’s go back and see what He said in Mt. 6:27-34 – READ
16)
Hagar should
have made the best plans she could, done what she could, and believed
things would be okay.
a) She was more inclined to walk by sight and sight told her she was going to die.
b) We may think feelings of despair are just for the “little guy” (the average person).
c) God says this is not true. Despair can hit the rich and powerful.
d) In 2 Sam. 1 we read about the death of King Saul.
e) The writer of that book tells us there was a military battle.
f) Many of the Israelites had been killed. Saul was king and he asked an Amalekite to kill him.
g) Saul said he was in “anguish” (verse 9 of 2 Sam. 1).
h) For Saul, the way to solve his problem was death. He asked a stranger to end his life.
17) Here is another example of someone walking by sight; Saul certainly did not get this solution from God.
18) Whether it is the president or an ordinary citizen, all are tempted to at times walk by sight.
a) This battle intensifies as times get hard.
b) In Hebrews 11 we find example after example of people who walked by faith.
c) If Noah had walked by sight, he would not have built an ark.
d) If the Hebrews had walked by sight, they would not have conquered Jericho.
e) Bible story after Bible story in the Old Testament shows the need to walk by faith.
f) Yet, as human beings, we struggle to obey this simple command.
g) As was said moments ago, walking by faith becomes even more difficult during hard times.
h) The more difficult times become, the faster and harder people try to walk “by sight.”
19) We need to go back and re-think and re-study walking by faith instead of by sight.
20) If we make this choice, we may find that it is unusual way to live.
a) By the time of Ex. 14, our next text, the Hebrew people had left Egypt.
b) In Ex. 14:1-3 we find God giving a strange instruction to Moses.
c) God told Moses to position the nation so it would appear that the Hebrews were trapped.
d) Pharaoh would think that the Hebrew nations was “entangled in the land” (Ex. 14:3).
e) Pharaoh would conclude that the “wilderness had shut then in” (same verse).
21) Egypt began to pursue God’s people and they became confident that Israel had no place to go.
22) Ex. 14:9 says “all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh” and “his horsemen and army” were used.
23) This same text says Pharaoh “overtook them” (he caught up with them).
a) Israel saw the military force and was “sore afraid” (verse 10).
b) God’s people had a choice: walk by faith or walk by sight.
c) Israel chose to walk by sight and this was the wrong choice.
24) Listen to Ex. 14:9 – READ
a) It is one thing to walk by sight and not say it.
b) In our minds concentrate on how bad things are.
c) Israel did not walk by sight in their minds; they verbalized that they were walking by sight.
d) The Hebrews actually condemned Moses for leading them out of Egypt.
e) They said Moses had brought them to a place of death; they would perish in the wilderness.
f) Verse 12 –READ
25) What was Moses’ response in verses 13-14? - READ
26) Moses said, “walk by faith” not by sight.
27) “Yes,” Moses said, “times do not look all that good on the face of things, but believe.”
28) We are to learn from this type of Old Testament example (Rom. 15:4).
29) Too many Christians do not know or believe what Paul said in Eph. 3:20 –
30)
Now unto him
that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us
31) We like to “walk by sight” because that means we are in control.
32) We like to “walk by sight” because we can see each step of life; faith is not really required.
33) We like to “walk by sight” because that makes faith something we can have but not really need.
a) God knows all the tricks. He knows about the temptation to walk by sight instead of faith.
b) Sometimes we learn the hard way when it comes to walking by faith instead of sight.
c) In some cases we need to learn that God is the one who really knows what is best.
34) Consider another Old Testament story; the Old Testament text is 2 Kgs. 5.
a) Here we read about a man named Namaan, a captain in the Syrian army.
b) The Syrians had made some successful military ventures.
c) In these battles people were captured; one person ended up in Namaan’s household.
d) This young lady knew that Namaan was sick and knew there was a cure in her native land of Israel.
35) The king of Syria prepared a letter to be taken to the Hebrew king.
36) He also sent a good bit of money; a sum that has been approximated at $100,000.
a) The king of Israel got the letter – verse 7 – READ
b) The politician did not know what to do, but God’s preacher did – verse 8 –READ
37) Namaan goes to see Elisha – versed 9-10 – READ
a) What if we had a terrible disease and someone told us “Go dip 7 times in the St. Joe River?”
b) We would go to a different doctor – how could that be a medical cure?
c) If there were prophets today and one said this to us, we might think twice about it.
d) There is another demonstration of walking by faith and sight.
e) Sight says, “Why use a river? Why dunk myself? Why do it 7 times?”
f) We might be angry if someone said this type of thing to us.
g) Namaan was certainly upset – verse 11 – READ
38) When it came to walking by faith, this man refused.
39) He would have likely gone back to his land and said Israel was a land of idiots.
40) Namaan was trying to see the cure through his eyes – sight versus faith.
41) He thought there would be some grand ceremony.
a) Someone would come out and wave their arms around. Someone would say special words.
b) This is how many want to live their lives today – faith and not sight.
c) Verse 12 says Naaman was in a rage; he thought the rivers back home were better.
42) Sometimes a friend or associate can offer some profound advice.
43) Such was true for the servant who had come with Namaan, verse 13.
44) The wise counsel of this servant caused Namaan to do as the prophet said.
45) We should know how the rest of the story goes; Namaan was cleansed of his leprosy.
a) He was helped after he learned to walk by faith and was obedient.
b) Today men still need to learn to walk by faith.
c) This does not mean we simply sit back and wait for God to bring things to us.
d) We work, we pray, we wait, and we have faith.
e) Of these four acts, faith can sometimes be the hardest of all.
46) We do not know how long more difficult times will last or the extent of the affect on us.
47) As Christians we can view this time as a period of spiritual growth.
48) We can decide to let this period of time be a time where we learn more about walking by faith.
49) Some may have never done much living by faith; times have always been relatively easy.
50) We had faith, but have never had to really rely on it.
51) When the economic cycle changes, we can look back and see that we learned some things.
52) Going through a difficult period can and will make us stronger Christians.
53) Tonight, as we sit here, are we people who are trying to walk by faith or sight?