Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Humor

Oscar was an unlucky sap. Having just spent megabucks on a skydiving class, he dove out of the airplane and pulled the ripcord. The chute emerged, tangled, and he cut it free. He then pulled the cord on the reserve chute, and it also was tangled. He prayed to his God and looked down to the ground below.

To his amazement, a woman was coming up with equal velocity.

“Hey, you know anything about parachutes?” he shouted to her, as they passed by. The reply: “No… you know anything about Coleman stoves?”

Introduction:

This is my Bible. I am what it says I am.

I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do.

Today I will be taught the Word of God.

My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same.

Struggle with discouragement

The unexplainable feelings of discouragement come without cause.

A sense of dread. An inner waiting for another shoe to drop.

Credit: Future Grace, John Piper

Causes:

1. Family conditioning: rewarding a child for whining and give in so that a child grows to think that a good pout will get pity.

2. A linage of depression

Certain people are prone to depression in a natural sense than others. Though we are converted and given new life our personality is not changed.

David Brainerd was a young missionary to the Indians of New England. As a sensitive children his parents died early. One brother died at 23, another at 32 and a sister at 34. He died at 29. A descendant, Thomas Brainerd said, “In the whole Brainerd family for two hundred years there has been a tendency to a morbid depression akin to hypochondria.” He himself said, “I was, I think, from my youth something sober and inclined rather to melancholy than the other extreme.”

But he did observe a difference between before being a Christian and after. He described this a rock of love under him that would catch him, so that in his darkest times he could still affirm the truth and goodness of God, even though he couldn’t sense it for a season.

3. Circumstances like physical stress, fatigue and illness…

2 Corinthians 7:5-6 “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. “But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; ” NASB95

At times there are legitimate reasons to be discouraged.

Paul says he was Depressed = low in spirit

He lived from 1834 – 1892. A Baptist preacher.

Both his father and grandfather had been pastors. He came to Christ when he was 16. After he was baptized he become the pastor of Waterbeach Baptist Chapel in 1851.

In 1854 he was called to the New Park Street Baptist Chapel in London. It was soon filled to overflowing and so the Metropolitan Tabernacle was built in 1859 – he was just 25. During his 38 year ministry in London he started the “Pastor’s College”, an orphanage and old folks home, and other charitable organizations and built up the church to 14,692 members.

He suffered from the painful physical problem of gout.

He suffered from the load of financing the various ministries to the poor and orphans.

He was an evangelical who fought various theological battles

He got involved in a dispute with DL Moody over smoking.

He loved the Scriptures. He loved Christ. He had a lively sense of humor and was one of the greatest preachers in history.

And he suffered with recurring despondency. In 1858, at the age of 24 it happened for the first time. He said, “My spirits were sunken so low that I could weep by the hour like a child, and yet I knew not what I wept for.” As the years passed time of melancholy came over and again. At times he was ready to give up. “Causeless depression cannot be reasoned with, nor can David’s harp charm it away by sweet discoursings. As well fight with the mist as with this shapeless, undefinible, yet all-beclouding hopelessness…The iron bolt which so mysteriously fastens the door of hope and holds our spirits gloomy prison, needs a heavenly hand to push it back.”

Spurgeon put up a fight. He said “Despondency is not a virtue; I believe it is a vice. I am heartily ashamed of myself for falling into it, but I am sure there is no remedy for it like a holy faith in God.”

There is no simple cause or cure for discouragement, despondency or depression. Lloyd-Jones, “The ultimate cause of all spiritual depression is unbelief.”

The causes and cures are complex, not simple. But whatever the cause we have a choice to make: either give in a let discouragement and unbelief control us. Or, learn to put up a mental, emotional, spiritual fight to trust God and His promises. We must learn to fight off discouragement with confidence in the promises of God.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” NIV

I. All the Promises of God are “Yes” in Christ

2 Corinthians 1:17-22 “…no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” NIV

This is extraordinary!

Isaiah “no”. Can’t you say “yes”. “No!”

Have you noticed how easy it is for us to say “no” to the requests of our children? Story Howard Hendricks told about his son’s request to pound some nails into the garage wall. Sure…but he had no idea…

God loves to say “yes”.!

John 14:13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” NIV

John 16:23-24 “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” NIV

Why do we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by our circum?

Why do we ask for so little?

Why do we expect so little from God?

Are you and I living in the fullness enjoyment of God’s yes to his promises to us ‘in Christ’?

Context: 2 Cor 1:15-16

In 1 Cor 16:5 Paul has told the Corinthians that he is coming to visit them. He gets delayed. Something happens. And the Corinthians begin to think that Paul is double-minded. So Paul is responding to their doubts about the sincerity of his commitment to come visit them.

Paul contends that, though his plans changed, yet his principles did not; he was always loyal to the Gospel and to his converts. He loves them and wants to visit. But, well maybe he doesn’t care as much as he says.

Trust is the foundation of good relationships! Erode that and you erode the relationship!

So Paul, in 2 Cor 1:15-19 is saying “I was not vacillating when I told you this. As God is faithful to His promises so our word to you is not both yes and no. I love you. I live for your welfare. We can’t always do what we want. Things get in the way. But God’s decisive yes has happened in Christ. All God the promises of God are Yes in Christ.”

“When God speaks His positive does not carry a hidden negative.”

God always keeps His promises. He is completely trustworthy.

He is consistent. He is not double-minded. He does not vacillate.

1 John 1:9

Phil 4:19 “My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:28; 1 Cor 10:13; Rev 3:20; Romans 10:13

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Ps 147:3

God’s promises to us in Christ are “yes”.

Are you enjoying God’s “yes” to you in Christ?

Are you saying “yes” to God’s “yes” in Christ?

Be a believer and not doubters.

Look into the future with hope. People will let us down. But God won’t. god is for us. God is the only One who will not let us down.

God hasn’t forgotten about us.

No perfect jobs. No perfect marriages. No perfect families.

Our only response ought to be “Amen” = “let it be so”

Corporate reponses!

3 fold unity:

1. They had experienced anointing

This took place when they trusted Christ as their Savior. God

poured out the Holy Spirit on them enabling them to serve to the glory of God (1 Cor. 12:13; 1 John 2:20, 27).

2. They had all experienced sealing.

A seal in the Roman world signified ownership, authentication, and security. God stamps His own invisible mark on every believer (i.e., the Holy Spirit) and guarantees his or her preservation as God’s child and servant (Eph.1:13; 4:30; cf. John 6:27). The seal and promise of God.

3. They had received the Holy Spirit as a down payment of the inheritance God has promised. The “pledge” was earnest money put down as a deposit that guaranteed the consummation of the contract

Flying into the Sun

I was sitting next to a little old lady on a flight to Europe. She was very nervous. I said, “Is this your first flight?” She said, “No, I’m always nervous when I fly. But it won’t be bad this trip.” I said, “Why?”

She said, “We’re flying toward the morning. We’re flying toward the dawn.” That’s the thing to hold onto. As the disciples of Jesus Christ, we’re flying into the sun, always and forever into the sun.

Golfer Chelsee Richard, of Bloomingdale High School in Brandon, Florida, lost her chance to win the 2004 state championship—by being honest. In the qualifier for the state finals, Chelsee hit her tee shot on the second hole into the rough. Without knowing it, she played another golfer’s ball out of the rough and finished the hole. On the third hole, she realized what she had done. The rule is that a golfer must declare the wrong ball penalty before putting on the hole where the infraction occurred, or be disqualified.

Drawing strength from her favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” Chelsee reported her error, a painful ending to her senior season and her dream of going to state. She later said: “With my faith and with God, being honest was the most important thing to me, and that’s what is going to advance on throughout my life, being honest and making the right choices.”

Not like: “Yes” to Everyone

Bruce Almighty (Content: PG-13 ) is the story of Bruce Noland, who lives as though the world revolves around him. He is a reporter whose dream is to be promoted to the news anchor position at a Buffalo television station.

One night, while Bruce is complaining loudly about the way God runs the world, God meets with Bruce and gives him the opportunity to try and run the universe for one week.

First come the prayer requests. As millions of prayers start flooding in, Bruce is overwhelmed. Thinking out loud, he comes up with a plan. “I know, let all prayers be organized into files.” Immediately, thousands of files fill up his apartment.

Bruce tries another idea. “I know. Prayer Post-its.” Everything in sight is instantly covered in yellow Post-it notes. Bruce looks like a yellow mummy.

Bruce’s next idea is prayer e-mail. His computer says, “You’ve got prayers,” and begins downloading the requests. Thousands pour in. Bruce realizes this is going to take a while. The next morning the computer tells him he has 1,527,503 prayer messages. He uses his power to reply to the requests at superhuman speed.

“I had to have made a dent,” he says. He checks his progress and finds that over 3 million have come in since he began.

His final solution to the mountain of prayers is to say yes to everyone.

“There you go. Now everybody’s happy.”

for language and sexual situations.

God’s loyal love for His childen

Romans 8:31-32 “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” NIV

Matthew 7:8-12 “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ““Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” NIV

Prayer:

“O Lord, I commit myself to let go of my propensity to say “no” or “maybe” or the “not now” of my unbelief. Help me say “yes” to your “yes” to me. I pledge myself to be dissatisfied with living in the shadows of “maybe” or “no” and to reach out to live in the freedom and joy of living by faith in your promises