How to Handle Discouragement | Spiritual Attacks

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners for more ways to deepen and challenge your spiritual walk and roll and pastor breaks free online courses sign up@harvest.org there is a living when you're misunderstood and misrepresented and appreciated.

People may impugn your motives say things around you that are not true.

If people mistreated the Lord his followers the same kind of hostility. Greg Laurie offers some of you thinking about you. What I want to see if you don't give up keep your focus on Jesus Christ and is often because of what we stand for some people can't stand people of faith tolerate just about everything else.

We have to remember that the attack is nothing personal it's something spiritual today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie helps to see what's behind you look at a time in the Old Testament. Great work of God see how we can compose and conduct ourselves as our forefathers looking at me on my your some of the things we learned in our last messages.

A couple recap points number one when you build. You also will when you build. You also will have to battle so were reading about the Jewish people returning from Babylon where they were held in captivity for 70 years coming to Jerusalem and rebuilding the walls that surrounded the city that now lie in charred rubble and ruin the moment they started building the attacks came in various forms. So when you build. You will also have to battle another thing we learned together when you're doing God's work will be roundly criticized when you're doing God's work. You'll be criticized Nehemiah and his people were and we will be to opposition and criticism. Just go to the Turk back Jesus said in Luke 626. Beware when all men speak well of you so so with criticizing you right now that might be a good sign. You're on the right track.

So the devil has two basic ways. He attacks the church number one get tax outwardly.

That's what he often does. Historically that's what was happening to Nehemiah in the post. That's what happened in the early church that Jesus started the day of Pentecost happened. The Holy Spirit was poured out they were just thrilled at what God was doing and now the persecution, and what it did to it drove the church out of Jerusalem. And they found around the world and here's the problem with the persecution of the outcome. They may have never left Jerusalem because I was were all the action was, but now they went out and they began to share the gospel as Christ told them to. Otherwise, it probably would've stayed there forever in a little holy huddle, but now the gospel is getting out so what the devil meant for evil God used for good in the gospel without so instead of making the church weaker. This persecution made the church stronger than the same happens to us, the devil will attack us outwardly and this is what will happen as we seek to do the word of God. So Nehemiah now has got everyone on the wall and everyone is a part to play in the rebuilding process, but it was an overwhelming task, and then to make matters worse. Now they are threatened by sunblock and told by God's sunlight and survive if you'd translated their names from the original Hebrew word translated outdoor English words, Beavis and Butthead. I made that up or dumb and dumber Tweedledee and Tweedledum if you like about these crazy guys were joined by others that oppose Israel rebuilding the wall the guestroom and the Arabs in the ammonites and the odds that I and they tried to stop them.

So look at Nehemiah for over seven and one sunlight and so by having Arabs, ammonites, and expedite the work was going to get in the gaps on the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired. They were furious and they made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion what they did but we pray to our God and guarded the city daylight to protect ourselves. So I told her. There are two ways.

The devil attacks what is outwardly that's what was happening at this point. Now the double changes his tactics and that's point number one of this message. The next attack. He will use a BJ get this from the outside, but try to get us from the inside. Again, if the devil can't get it from the outside will try to get us through the inside its inside infiltration and set up conquer and destroy its divide and conquer. So the devil stirs division there getting discouraged or halfway through and they just got overwhelmed look at Nehemiah for 10 the people of Judah began to complain saying the workers are getting tired and there's just so much rubble to be moved will never be able to build the wall by ourselves. You feel that way right now you're trying to fix something you're trying to repair something. Maybe it's your marriage. Maybe it's your family.

Maybe it's your ministry. Maybe it's a girl lying you're just trying to get closer to the Lord and it seems like you take one step forward and take three steps backward you don't understand why that's happening there just a bit overwhelmed will just know this.

Even the best, the most godly people get discouraged at times some pure discouraged. Just know you're in pretty good company. Moses was very discouraged on multiple occasions and it's recorded in the Bible David all man. He got discouraged.

You read about it in many of us saw Russ Hart was overwhelmed. Elijah was so discouraged he wanted to die Paul the apostle was discouraged and the list goes on.

You get discouraged I get discourage it often happens when a project plan. Her relationship is not going the way we wanted to go because it's easy to start something is not as easy to finish right like going on a diet.

How many of you have ever gone on a diet raising if you were we should be raising your hand conduct NSA who you know who you are. Just kidding. Actually not. But anyway, I've gone on many diets over the years, I and my favorite of all diets is the Adkins diet you know that is a high-protein diet.

There is not a better diet on the face of the earth and the Adkins diet for one day, maybe two, but one for sure because it's a high-protein diet. It's a great guide for guys because we like to eat a lot of stuff, you know, and so you get a protein you can never meet you connect this you can have chicken. You can have cheese lots of cheese you can eat bacon, you have a big giant with a big sided baking business making you hungry right now to make amino but don't eat toast donate starts don't need cars so avoid potatoes and things like that. Well, here's the problem of the Adkins diet.

If you go off a bit and she little it is a weight loss diet, it becomes a weight gain diet, and I know this from experience so it's great for a day or two and then you start dreaming of Brad and Pete's potatoes or anything else you can have it's easy to start. Not easy to stay on.

It's easy to join the gym. A lot of people do that at the beginning of the year, to join the chair of the problem is, most of them never go back. You know that gyms actually build their business models around people signing up and never returning. Why not Jim chain I read about in a business magazine called planet fitness is one of the biggest in America. One of their gyms have the capacity to only accommodate 300 people, but they signed up six cells they were asked how are you able to do it. They said no problem. Most of the people never come back so we sign up seizing the sign-up is an easy to stay with it. It's easy to say I do on the day of your wedding pledge your love and state your bowels to your husband or wife to be.

It's another thing to hang in there, month after month, year after year, decade after decade. It's exciting the volunteer for a new ministry. You know your heart was tied for the little kids and in there you are with a four-year-olds and you just taught them the story of Joseph and and how he was betrayed by his brothers and the little kids of tied you up in their looking for slave traders to sell you to decide going well. That's what's happening here in Nehemiah, Beavis and Butthead. Excuse me son Bilotta and Tobiah they start mocking chapter 4 verse four.

And I pray Gerald God were being mock me there sculpting fall back on their own heads and me.

They themselves become captives in a foreign land. Do not ignore their Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment to everybody.

What are you doing this weekend. I like to hang out with you that harvest in home service that owned it is a time of worship and Bible study exclusively designed for people that are viewing in from all over the place so you can be a part of our extended congregation that harvested home. Join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for harvest home that harvest.org today.

Pastor Greg is bringing us a message called how to handle discouragement from Nehemiah chapter 4, and you can get a permanent copy of this insight@harvest.org that brings me to my next point when you're being discouraged. This is a big one out on this when you're discouraged. Put your eyes on the Lord put your eyes on the Lord see when we take our eyes off of the Lord. We will get discouraged because there's going to be times when you're misunderstood, misrepresented, unappreciated people may impugn your motives and even say things about you that are not true. So what you do give up will if you want to do with the devil wanted to do. By all means give up the devil's two favorite words are give up some of you been thinking about giving up today. Some of you are thinking about giving up on that marriage. Giving up on that ministry.

Some of you even thought about giving up on your Christian faith because you been disappointed by things that have come your way. What I want to say to you is don't give up, get up and keep your focus on Jesus Christ and you'll get through this. What is BMI tell them in Nehemiah 414 don't be afraid of the enemy. Remember the Lord who is great and glorious. Remember the Lord you guys were doing this for the Lord to generalize off your circumstances. Get your eyes off the half wall, get your eyes off of your enemies who mock you and out so you put them back on the Lord in Hebrews 12 talks about running a race we dealt with this text.

Not too long ago in our series that we called world changers and the writer of Hebrews dogs that lay aside the way, than the sin that so easily beset you and run with endurance the race that is set before you looking under Jesus the author and finisher of your faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and now I sit down on the right hand of God. So basically Paul say make me get your eyes on Jesus and run this race for him and then in verse three he says think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people and then you won't become weary in give after all you've got. Giving your lives up for your struggle against sin.

But Gregor saying it's hard for me you don't know what I'm going to know I don't know what you're going to but I know the Lord is with you take your eyes off of yourself and put them on Christ. Corrie 10 boom. How many of your further Corrie 10 boom need to know she is wonderful lady been in heaven for a while now, but she survived the Holocaust and she was not a Jewish lady. She was actually a Dutch Christian lady, but her crime" was hiding Jewish people in her home along with the rest of her family.

During World War II, from the Nazis so the Nazis worn the 10 boom family stop hiding these two and they said we will keep doing it because they are the apple of God's eye and so the Nazis came one day and arrested Cory's father who was named Casper her sister who was named Betsy. They were all thrown in the concentration camps. Father died quickly. He was an elderly man. Betsy and Corey were put in a place called Robbins Brook horrible awful place where they were literally sending Jewish people to the crematorium's but Cory survived that and spend the rest of her life, bringing encouragement to people.

I had the privilege of hearing her in person. A couple of times but I love this quote from Corrie 10 boom, she said, quote if you look at the world, you'll be distressed if you look within. You'll be depressed and if you look at Jesus.

You'll be at rest. So true.

See we have to do it for the Lord. We can do it for the applause of people because if you do it for the applause of people you'll fall.

Would you have to face the criticism of people, so it's not about applause. It's not about criticism that's about doing it for the Lord Billy Graham in the early 90s I had the privilege of spending quite a bit of time with him and in helping him. And so I remember one time we were in Portland, Oregon.

He did a crusade. That's a well-placed duet evangelistic event Portland Oregon are not the most church city in America will put it that way and it was a wonderful event in many people came to Christ and I remember when Billy was walking out of the stadium.

There were crowds lined up on both sides if they wanted to reach out and touch Billy Graham and I was walking right next to me just getting at is that Downey was just sort of looking heady with acknowledge people but he wasn't leaving and you know he would just ease of moving along the week got in the car were driving out and you know preachers like to be encouraged and so I got to see some encouraging to Billy about his message and so I was in the front of the car riding shotgun is longtime ATW Wilson was driving next to Billy was sitting his son Franklin so I turned around, look back over the seat and there was city.

Billy had said Billy. Great message tonight. Billy looked at me with those steely blue eyes and he said it's just gospel. I turned back around and thinking you know just trying to complement them. Then I thought of sentinels to say appointing me this message.

I turned back around. I said Billy I love the point you made when you said Christ can re-sensitize your conscience. He looked at me and he said well he can find all but you know what, I learned that day really didn't want to be complemented even doing for the applause that people are the compliments of someone else. He did it for the Lord.

But this little sign hanging on the wall in his home says what is that to the follow thou me and that's based on a conversation that Jesus had with Simon Peter after the Lord rose again. Remember Peter denied Christ three times so they talked about it. Jesus said you love me feed my sheep.

And then Jesus went on to say to Peter and so many words you're going to die the death of a martyr appeared in like that. He looked over at John the apostle and he said what about this. And then Jesus said to Peter pay if I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you.

Follow me, follow thou me. Another words, Peter said well that's not fair to my grandkids if I do one thing for a grandchild that is perceived as being a little more than what I do for the others. They all started with it. It's not fair pop-up and here's peters it's not fair. Jesus is a name wanted to you. You follow me, and that's what he saying the bullets up there Lord they got more than I got up there are things going better than my dictate. What's it to you during your lane of the race of life. Run your race unit competing with fellow Christians. Your competition is not other believers were not in competition here at harvest with other churches are enemies are the world the flesh and the devil.

We need to run this race for Christ.

We need to do that as individuals as well.

So here's another point.

If you're taking notes.

We need to make our stand in our own homes. First, make our stand in our own homes first look at Nehemiah 414.

He says don't be afraid of the enemy. Remember, the Lord is great and glorious and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your homes see each person, for the most part was the bill the part of the wall that was nearest to their home. So think about it here. You are your up the wall. Here's her house right here that you think you can do a good job securing the wall.

Of course, because that your house and in that house or your family so you do a good job. Everyone worked around their own house and really that's where this begins a spiritual life that starts with us as individuals, then it's our family. I want you to notice something very significant here. These words are addressed to the men he says.

Remember, your brothers, your sisters, your daughters, your wives and your homes and fight for their why wasn't it addressed to the women because the men were told fight for your family someone breaks in your house guys are using to defend your wife and children first. You are going to stop the intruder doing needs to be done. I know you would do that. But what about spiritual attack against your wife. What about spiritual attack against your children or your grandchildren will you be there as well. The idea here is that men need to be the spiritual leaders in their home we need more men of God leading their families and setting an example. Stop being a slacker get up and leave. I know you will be than other areas. Leave in this area and lead your family and Bible study. Lead your family, the church, lead your family in prayer be that man of God you be so blessed you will do this need encouragement. Pastor Greg Laurie from her studies in the book of Nehemiah and there's more to come from.

This message called how to handle discouragement and then Pastor Greg were excited to announce your new book with the fascinating title Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus.

It's a deep dive into the lives of some famous names in music and where they stand or where they stood with the Lord. The subtitle is the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll and it's it's interesting that a pastor is writing a book about rock 'n' roll rock musicians seems like an unlikely pairing. Let me just say that I've always loved music. I've always loved rock 'n' roll. To quote the great theologian Joan Jett.

I love rock 'n' roll.

And so I've always been aware of rock of always listen the wrong guy. I kinda became aware of it more as a young man watching the Beatles, but in this book. This is not glorifying rock music or rock musicians. This is a book that is exploring the lives of people that have basically experienced everything this world has to offer and it found it empty. It's sort of a modern version of the story of Solomon, who had everything this world offers and then he concluded it was all emptiness. It was like she seen the wind.

It was like a bubble that bursts and so you know when you climb to the top of the mountain and you been all that and a bag of chips went when you been on a lunchbox or on a T-shirt or people you don't have your poster hung in their room.

You realize how empty all of that is so. I explored these stories. One fascinating section of the book is about the so-called 27 club ever heard about that.

These are artists who are very well known who all tragically died at the age of 27 Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 27 so did Janis Joplin. You have to put Jim Morrison in there as well. Fast-forward a number of years and you put Amy Winehouse in there along with Kurt Cobain. People that had it all and yet died. At the very young age of 27 so I sort of showed the birth of rock the growth of rock. The pinnacle of rock in the 60s and 70s and then the just complete collapse of so many of these iconic people. But then, I explore the lives of those rock stars who have come to Jesus Christ and are following him people I've got to know personally like Dion do Mucci of DM and the Beaumont Ritchie purée of the Buffalo Springfield and Poco and Alice Cooper who I've interviewed multiple times.

This is a guy that is experienced all that this world has to offer and is found it empty, and now is following Jesus Christ. So it's a book that shows what happens when you make the right and the wrong choices, but ultimately it's a book that I think will offer hope and say to you, there is no one that you know that is beyond the reach of God's fuller great reassurance and powerful insights on where fulfillment is really found. So can we send a copy your way again is called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus. The subtitle is the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll and it's our gift to thank you for partnering with us right now.

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