YOU CAN OVERCOME! 1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 1 John 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, Because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, Because you have known the Father. 1 John 2:14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the evil one.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Problems in the home? Problems at your job? Problems at school? Problems in our country? Problems in the church?

Discouraged? because of ungodliness? because of apathy? because of burdens? because of loneliness? because of some other reason?

Why Do We Get Discouraged? Because of Spiritual Failure

Spiritual Failure “I don’t want to give in to temptation, but I keep committing the same sins over and over... God must not love me or care about me because I hate myself and am worthless to the cause of Christ... Who can serve God in times like these?”

Spiritual Failure Concerned with spiritual failure? Look at Peter! The apostle Peter could have remained discouraged because he failed his Lord often and especially when he denied him three times. (Luke 22:54-61)

Spiritual Failure While Judas hung himself, Peter wept bitterly, and 50 days later had the conviction to preach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God to those who were guilty of having Him crucified. (Acts 2)

Are you discouraged because of spiritual failure? Join the club, we have all failed spiritually Sins of omission or commission- James 4:17; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 3:4

James 4:17 “ Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” 1 John 1:8 “ “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 3:4 “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

Are you discouraged because of spiritual failure? Join the club, we have all failed spiritually sins of omission or commission- James 4:17; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 3:4 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Why Do We Get Discouraged? Because of Spiritual Failure Because of Isolation - we think we are the only one serving God

Thinking “I’m the only one”? “I am the only one serving God at school, on my job, at the gym, in my neighborhood, or in my hometown.” You may feel lonely, isolated, frustrated and ready to quit. Join the club. So did one of the mightiest prophets of God.

Thinking “I’m the only one”? Certainly no one could be thinking that. Elijah did. After Jezebel had killed the prophets of the Lord, she threatened Elijah, and he ran away and requested that he might die. (1 Kings 19:1-4)

Thinking “I’m the only one”? When the Lord asked him what he was doing at Horeb, along with other things Elijah said, “I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away”. (1 Kings 19:10b)

Thinking “I’m the only one”? Did God let him die? No, God fed him and gave him encouragement. God told him that there were 7,000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal. (1 Kings 19:18)

Thinking “I’m the only one”? If you are thinking “I’m the only one serving God”, you need to realize that there are thousands of Christians who have not bowed down to the ungodliness of this world and are living righteously today and God knows it. (Titus 2:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:19)

Why Do We Get Discouraged? Because of Spiritual Failure Because of Isolation - we think we are the only one serving God Because of Apathy- it seems like no one wants to study

No One Listening to You? What if you’d live in Noah’s time? They thought about evil all the time and filled the earth with violence. (Genesis 6:5, 11)

No One Listening to You? He preached for at least 100 years and no one (except for 8 souls) wanted to repent of their sins in order to escape from the worldwide flood and be saved. (1 Peter 3:20)

No One Listening to You? Did he ever think after a few years that no one wants to hear the truth and so I’ll just quit? No, he kept preaching. (2 Peter 2:5)

No One Listening to You? Our job is not to get the results that we want because if it is, we might change or compromise the message; or entice them with food, fun, or frolic. Our responsibility is to sow the seed, and God will give the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6ff)

No One Listening to You? Are you inviting people to come to worship services? Are you inviting or encouraging your friends, neighbors, and loved ones to study the Bible? Do you show concern for their souls?

Overcome Discouragement Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin.

Remember Victories! God had sustained Elijah through his trials. Elijah needed to recall how God gave him the victory over the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:36-39)

Remember Victories! God has given us victory over our past sins when we humbly obeyed the gospel of Christ, (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Romans 6:17-18) and we allowed Christ to rule our lives. (Colossians 3:15)

Remember Victories! “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin, each vict’ry will help you some other to win. Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue, look ever to Jesus, he will carry you thru.”

Remember Victories! How many times have you prayed to God and He answered your prayers and helped you to overcome some temptation that if you would have given in to it may have led to your death? (Drunk driving accident, fornication, abortion, AIDS, STD’S, etc.)

Remember Victories! How many times has God’s grace been sufficient for you to overcome your “thorn in the flesh” and you realized that when you were weak you were strong like the apostle Paul? (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Remember Victories! So “when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one! And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

Overcome Discouragement Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin. Focus on Jesus, not your problem

Focus on Jesus When Peter obeyed the Lord’s command, he walked on the water. But when he took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the waves he began to sink. But he remembered to ask the Lord to save him and He did. (Luke 14:28-29)

Focus on Jesus When we focus on our problems, we take our eyes off of Jesus and begin to sink in our spirits to doubt, worry and discouragement. We need to focus on Jesus instead. Why?

Focus on Jesus Because he is the author and finisher of our faith, who because of his joy, endured the cross for you and me. If you focus on Jesus, you will not grow weary and discouraged. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Focus on Jesus Don’t worry... “God will take care of you, thru everyday o’er all the way, He will take care of you.” So cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Focus on Jesus “We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer” Don’t worry, pray, and God has promised you that you will have the peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Overcome Discouragement Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin. Focus on Jesus, not your problem Realize God still has work for you to do

Realize there’s work to do God still had work for Elijah to do when he desired to quit. (1 Kings 19) God has work for us to do also. We have been created in Christ Jesus for good works. (Ephesians 2:10)

Realize there’s work to do We need to press on towards the goal of heaven, rather than focusing on the failures of the past or on the problems that we presently face. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Realize there’s work to do We must be prepared for every work that God has given us to do. (2 Timothy 2:21) That means we must take advantage of the opportunities that we have to do good to all people and especially the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Realize there’s work to do “Each day I’ll do a golden deed by helping those who are in need, my life on earth is but a span, and so I’ll do the best I can”

Overcome Discouragement Remember past victories which God has given you to overcome temptation and sin. Focus on Jesus, not your problem Realize God still has work for you to do Encourage & be encouraged!

Encourage!! We all need to get daily encouragement from each other because we might fall away from God’s will and be hardened in our sins.

Encourage!! “ Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:12-13)

Encourage!! “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

But I am a Failure I have not been who I wanted my children to be. I have compromised because of my desire for worldly relationships, things, and status. I am a slave to my credit card company. I have not been gracious in dealing with pain. I became bitter and angry with God. I am down in the dumps. Does any of this describe you?

But I Will Overcome through Christ Jesus I will obey the gospel or repent of my sins. I will be who I want my children to be. I will do things God’s way and be patient. I won’t be a debtor to my lender but to all people. I will be content- God’s grace is sufficient for me. I will be thankful and not hold a grudge. I will not get stuck down in the dumps because I have been raised to sit with the King in heavenly places & will praise Him in eternity (Eph. 2:6-7)!