Is My Depression a Burden to the Church?

This is core Christianity, where answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez hello and welcome back to corporate entity where we answer your question about the faith. I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez together with Prof. Michael Horton relevant magazine gave five important things to consider as you look for a church number one community number two theology number three service number four structure and number five style so community theology, service, structure and style Michael anything but that list you take anything away here. Add yeah we are reorganize it a little bit now. I would say style is not something that you base your church attendance on were picking a church put theology of the top personalities of the person he says will you guys just don't have any style. That's what you say you that might be to me that might be drafted as a stripper know we all have style that we appreciate more than another, but look there's diversity of styles unity of doctrine and so if you're looking at a church, were you just really like the Bible you know you say that I really fit in here. But the gospel is sort of mixed up with all sorts of other things don't go there.

You know better to find a church that may be a little rough around the edges on the style that preaches Christ I agree will. I am thinking about this because we got a Facebook message from Erica. She says I'm struggling to finish my church. I love the people and enjoy the worship.

I wish I could be of better service to others.

The past few years I have struggled on and off with depression.

My church is been great, but I feel like sometimes I can be a burden and wished that I could be a blessing, giving advice or encouragement, you bet Erica. I've seen a lot of depression close range and this is something that you know most pastors I talked to say if if they could snap their fingers and have one thing taken away right now. It would be depression because of how much havoc it wreaks in people's lives.

Here's what I would say you know you're you're worried your burden.

Wish you could be a blessing first for you. You are a burden. Okay embrace that except that you're a burden to the church. I'm a burden to the church need to, and everyone else in the church is a burden to us now not in the negative sense the apostle Paul says bear one another's burdens. In fact, here's what he says in first Corinthians 12, but I cannot say to the hand.

I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you on the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greatest honor and are on presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which are more more presentable parts do not require what God is so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it when you're suffering with depression. It's like you're a finger on the body of Christ that is bleeding and the rest of the body rushes to the cabinet to pull out a Band-Aid to help heal that wound. That's how it goes in the body of Christ, then we are having better moments and better days. You're part of that hand that grabs the hand of somebody else.

The body looks out for all of its parts.

Each member looks out for the other parts so your burden. Everyone else is a burden. This is the way Christ made it.

If one part suffers, the whole body suffers. There's no part of the body that consists of a perfect member were not healthy or sick, yes, were being sanctified were also mess.

So join the club the whole body needs every part and yet every part is weak and sinful and you know you're not responsible for your depression responsible for how you conduct yourself, but you need to realize this is a disease. This is not something that you know a sin you committed. This is like having heart disease or having lung disease or having cancer you know it might be something that you'll suffer with for the rest of your life but get help get help. Certainly outside the body of Christ. If need be on the medical side of things, but also within the body of Christ, you need the other members to encourage you to lift you up. You know when you get down into that whole and you just can't come up. You just need somebody come over and sit with you. Just hold your hand not talk, just listen to you and so you need to allow yourself to be a burden.

And then when you can allow others to be a burden to you and the bottom line here Erica is that you and I both need the gospel every day depressed or not we need to know that our identity isn't found in our weakness or our sins, but in who God says we are in. His son chosen, redeemed, justified, adopted being sanctified and one day glorified that his objective truth that subjectively you cannot feel when you have depression, it's not your fault that you don't feel sometimes all that is true, but it is all true, even when you don't feel like that's just what the gospel says you need to know that I like to just take a moment and pray for Erica, Lord, what a disease depression is makes us feel like were just worthless. And there's no place for us dear heavenly father, I pray for Erica that you will pull her out of that you'll encourage her in it that she will know that even if you don't take it away this thorn in her side that you would nevertheless be with her in it that she's not alone. Help her to not be alone. Also, with the brothers and sisters help her to realize that she has a place at church. Even when she doesn't feel like it.

Just as she has a place in Christ, your son whether she feels like it or not, Jesus name Amen amen. Thank you for reaching out.

May God bless you. There's a call that we received about whether or not we can lose our salvation with listening brother Mike Ballard. Cuomo broadcast and wash it off a little thought, how do you actually those who .25 Peter 221 or wash water 23 or lack or can appreciate that Dylan is very safe, Allen Christians for the last 2000 years has disagreed on this question, you bring up a lot of the passages that are often appealed to in order to substantiate the claim that believers can lose their salvation. I speak for Mike to what I say that we don't believe a genuine believer in Jesus who has been justified by faith will ever lose his salvation. Jesus himself said, truly, truly, I say to you whoever believes has eternal life. John 647 in the previous chapter he said truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but is passed from death to life. John 524 two according to Jesus, when you believe you are giving eternal life and I just don't think that something that you and I step in and out of you know throughout our lives to have eternal life. I lose eternal life.

I get eternal life back. But what about the passages that you mentioned visiting a lot of times people look at descriptions okay think that there are some verses that make it seem like you can't lose your salvation, but then I come across all these other texts and passages like you meant. Romans 11 Hebrews 6 Hebrews 10 look a person can experience many of the blessings associated with being in the church they can show great signs of promise even have amazing gifts that make them seem like a genuine believer.

Despite that, it still possible for them not to have saving faith.

I think that's what's missing from the people described in the text that you cited saving faith.

Let me make that case by appealing to the book of Hebrews because you referenced Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 1011 just read Hebrews 6 beginning in verse four, for it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened with tasted the heavenly gift, and if shared in the Holy Spirit have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

I think that the picture that's being painted of the people there in Hebrews 6 is they've become intimately acquainted with the truth they've been baptized they've heard the word preached they seen the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the Christian community, and despite all of that, they fall away. They harden their hearts.

In fact that's that's one of the things that the author, the Hebrew says over and over again in the book of Hebrews.

Don't harden your hearts. The main issue here is faith is made clear. Just in two places in the context of Hebrews a little bit later in 612. He calls them to be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises and then earlier in chapter 4 verse two. The author said this about the wilderness generation for good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listened for we who have believed enter that rest, I think this is really important for understanding what's going on in a lot of these passages, but specifically in the book of Hebrews.

He says to people who have been flooded with the gospel. That's great. You've heard the promises she know what the wilderness generation heard them today and right there in front of them.

But the problem was they didn't receive them, and believe in lay hold of them and I think it right here on there's a warning for all of us. You can be raised in the church. You can be on the doorstep of the land of Canaan. If you will all of your life. Hearing the good news benefiting. In some ways from the fellowship. But if the gospel you hear over and over again. Never becomes the gospel you hoping for your salvation you will be lost. There many people in many false teachers who are externally a part of the church, but there never really united to Jesus by faith. If you are united to Jesus by faith. You won't lose your salvation because Jesus is perfect and he's the one that keeps you he holds onto you and so I appreciate you bringing up all those pathogens and we can get in all of them but I would say Mike as an overview, a lot of these texts referring to people in the church with experienced a lot of these blessings I have not received them by faith. Yeah, I think you're right that basically you can answer a lot of these questions simply by acknowledging the difference between being at a wedding and being married and you know a lot of people to show up and participate and even show the signs use that.

But in verse eight there of Hebrews 6, the writer says, but were convinced of better things in your case, beloved things that are part of salvation which indicates that what he's been talking about before those owned enlightened tasted the heavenly gift, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, but fell away that what ever all of that that they received simply by being part of the visible body of Christ is not necessarily salvation. It also reminds us how powerful it the ministry of word and sacrament is so powerful Holy Spirit uses that to bring the powers of the age to come into this present evil age and even those who eventually fall away and never really did trust in Jesus Christ, nevertheless, are in some sense affected by this powerful in breaking of the kingdom of God. Now all we know is, as I mentioned at the beginning of the question are responding to the question. We know this is something the Christians have a lot of questions about that. There's a lot of disagreements if you're listening to us right now in your thinking.

What about this passage that I know about. In the Old Testament or in the New Testament give us a call if we love opening up the Scriptures digging deeper into the word of God to call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core. This is core Christianity were we answer your questions about the faith together with Prof. Michael Horton want to let you know about a special offer that we have for you today got a drill. I'm really excited about our Bible study the gospel of John's available on our website.

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If you want. So head on over the core, Christianity.com/offers to get your copy of our new Bible study on the gospel of John. You can also get hold it by calling us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833. The core let's move on to another question now and I wanted to add their Oracle evidence for Jesus.

The person I know that he actually did it or not, he could answer that question. That would be much appreciated's yeah thank you Ethan, glad you asked.

That's a great question.

Christianity is unique in and basing its entire existence on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in history.

So if there isn't any historical evidence. Then, as the apostle Paul said, we are of all people.

The most to be pitied. Christianity is not a religion of moral principles of eternal principles improves the personal uplift. It may be shocking to some people today. It's not a social or political transformation program and strategy.

It's a very specific claim that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate and raised three days later for our salvation. That claim makes all the difference in the world literally and so first we have to appreciate the fact that the best historical records that we have are actually the New Testament. Those documents are the best attested first century document even ancient documents that we have.

There is no ancient famous text that we still read in high school to college that has this kind of authenticity behind it take first Corinthians 15 verses three through nine were Paul defends the resurrection directly and explicitly. There for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter than to the 12 and then 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some of fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then all the other apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me, for I am the least of the apostles unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. So here's what he saying there still witnesses alive.

You can visit them and that's for the resurrection. But here's what everybody agreed on everybody in the first century context, even down to the present day Jewish Talmud. Roman sources and the New Testament. Here's what they all agree on. Jesus was crucified in 33 A.D. Paul visited Peter and James in Jerusalem in 35 A.D., according to Galatians off you put Galatians together in the. The dating here with Jesus death. What it comes down to two years later Paul is visiting Peter and James in Jerusalem and he says here in first 20 and 15 that he's passing on what he received.

In this formula of Jesus died, was buried, and rose again on the third day and was seen by many, so scholars including non-Christian historians generally agree that this formula that Paul's quoting goes back to within a year of the crucifixion, if not earlier. I have some quotes are that are really amazing. This is just shows that were not talking here about something that a few fundamentalists throw out Gary Lindemann New Testament professor at the University of Göttingen and atheist in Germany says the elements in the tradition are to be dated to the first two years after the crucifixion of Jesus not later than three years the formation of the appearance traditions mentioned in verse 20 and 15 verses three through eight falls into this time. Between 30 and 33. That just doesn't give you enough time to make up a big fish story and so we have the evidence of the Gospels, the apostles, represent themselves, warts and all his cowards, scattering and in Peter's case, even denying Jesus to a little girl suddenly there transformed into bold proclaimers of the resurrection, even to the point of martyrdom so you got a look at the best possible explanation of the facts.

Here's again what the Gospels the Jewish Talmud and Roman sources agree on Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate on the charge of blasphemy, making himself equal with God, he led Israel astray by performing wonders by the power of Satan. All that all three sources agree on and then an elite force was placed at the tomb to guard it. Then after three days. His followers said he had risen from the dead. Even the Jewish Talmud says all this Caesar even issued the so-called Nazareth inscription we know that from archaeology. It was a decree that was discovered decades ago a decree against anyone who disturbs a tomb in Jerusalem. It dates back to within 5 to 8 years of the resurrection.

All three groups, Christians, Jews, Romans agreed that the Jews said his body was stolen by his disciples, and now the question comes how was his body stolen by people who fled the scene and fear, even denying knowing Jesus.

We really do suppose that a ragtag group of men and women broke through the Roman and Jewish military guard broke the Roman seal and stole the body and then what they do.

Did they set them up in a chair and try to make it seem as if he was still teaching fooling hundreds of people because they had this corpse here projected by a voice behind him and all these people became witnesses around the world. They were totally convinced. Think about this, people are willing to die for all sorts of stupid causes and superstitions that they believe are true, but no one's willing to die for what they know is a hoax, then you have all the prophecies of the Old Testament.

We can go window to all this, but the bottom line here is this is a religion founded on fact. Everything turns on whether Jesus rose from the dead. That means that Christianity stands or falls with history and I think like what you're saying is, when it comes to the historical evidence. We just have an embarrassment of riches. The real question is in and I think this gets at the heart is what we do with all the evidence. How do we make sense of the fact that the disciples were willing to go and die for this Jesus of Nazareth which which, again, historians agree whether believers or nonbelievers. And that's that's really where the discussion happens because as you are saying even atheist scholars mean belief in the existence of the historical Jesus is widely accepted, not just among Christians but historians in general. Oh yeah, even the liberal scholar John A.D. Robinson said the crucifixion of Jesus is about the most obvious historical fact that we can possibly know.

Is Christianity with seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and we are answering the questions that you have about the Christian faith gives a call at 183384326731833 the core or email us at questions at core, Christianity.com you can also send us a message via Facebook at her Facebook page core Christianity in here's a message we got from Sue. I have a question about a Bible passage Psalm 3723 through 24, says the steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in his way, though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong for the Lord upholds his hand, is this promise only for the righteous. If so, how righteous do I have to be for God to help me succeed in life.

A big question, how righteous do I have to be in you know, Sue.

The important thing for you to know is that God does uphold the righteous.

If this righteousness is something that we have to work for though, you're never gonna feel like you have enough. I think that the key to your question is found actually earlier in the Psalm.

If you open up back to some 37 verses four and five.

Listen to what the psalmist says. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act and then in verse six he will bring forth your righteousness is the light, and your justice as the noon day I get with the psalmist is saying here righteousness is something that God brings about on the basis of what will he tells us here trust in him. The reality is, none of us are righteous enough to stand in God's presence and I think that the longer you walk with the Lord.

Sue, the more you gonna realize this were always falling short. We trust in Jesus. This righteousness becomes ours and in Jesus we are Secure.

I think Mike of what Jesus says in John's Gospel, no one is can a snatch us from the father's hand. Why is this because Jesus the only perfectly righteous one was cast headlong as it were.

He was the one that went to the cross. He was the one that suffered in the place of the righteousness assumes you think about this. How righteous do you have to be all you have to be in Christ. And when you are in Christ and you trust in him.

His righteousness becomes yours. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together