WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.299 Well, today you and I are going to have some 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:07.559 of that old -fashioned Missouri cornbread. A 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:12.240 good heart -to -heart talk. And we're going to 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:15.320 talk about one of the greatest problems of the 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:22.100 human spirit. A very practical problem. What 00:00:22.100 --> 00:00:29.210 to do about discouragement. And don't you sit 00:00:29.210 --> 00:00:34.189 there and tell me that you're never discouraged. 00:00:34.630 --> 00:00:40.890 I don't care how spiritual you may be this hour. 00:00:41.009 --> 00:00:44.369 I don't care what glorious mountaintop experiences 00:00:44.369 --> 00:00:51.409 you may have had. I don't care what confidence 00:00:51.409 --> 00:00:55.630 and faith, how great your trust is in the Lord. 00:00:56.270 --> 00:01:00.710 Sooner or later there will be moments of discouragement. 00:01:01.929 --> 00:01:05.870 Discouragement is a hard fact of human existence. 00:01:06.390 --> 00:01:10.390 Something that comes to each of us at one time 00:01:10.390 --> 00:01:17.170 or another. You can't wish it away. You have 00:01:17.170 --> 00:01:22.390 to face it. And the person who faces it and masters 00:01:22.390 --> 00:01:28.620 it... goes a long way toward mastering life itself. 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:34.780 Let me just ask you, very pointedly, very candidly, 00:01:34.780 --> 00:01:40.579 are you a master of discouragement? Have you 00:01:40.579 --> 00:01:44.319 learned the secret of mastering discouragement? 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:54.010 Or are you mastered by discouragement? Now just 00:01:54.010 --> 00:02:00.930 face it. Just let's face facts. The fact is that 00:02:00.930 --> 00:02:04.730 sooner or later there will be moments of discouragement 00:02:04.730 --> 00:02:10.330 in your life. But the question that we want to 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:16.409 answer today, are you being mastered by discouragement 00:02:16.409 --> 00:02:22.729 or are you mastering your discouragement? You 00:02:22.729 --> 00:02:25.830 know, there's something about the Word of God 00:02:25.830 --> 00:02:33.949 that portions of it I cry over. I never read 00:02:33.949 --> 00:02:37.750 without weeping. And then there are certain portions 00:02:37.750 --> 00:02:42.250 of the Word of God that as I read, I find myself 00:02:42.250 --> 00:02:46.990 just filled with laughter. And I don't know whether 00:02:46.990 --> 00:02:49.469 you feel the same way about the 19th chapter 00:02:49.469 --> 00:02:54.409 of... First kings or not. But it's also human. 00:02:54.949 --> 00:02:58.789 And I just love it when I see how human some 00:02:58.789 --> 00:03:02.270 of these wonderful saints of God were. I mean 00:03:02.270 --> 00:03:06.310 that. Oh, it encourages me like everything. If 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:11.590 they were without their weaknesses, then that 00:03:11.590 --> 00:03:17.150 would discourage me sometimes. I'm encouraged 00:03:17.150 --> 00:03:22.840 many a time. by the weaknesses that I see in 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.680 some of these wonderful saints of God, you know? 00:03:26.060 --> 00:03:30.099 And it's just like that. I appreciate Peter probably 00:03:30.099 --> 00:03:37.180 more than anyone living today because I get great 00:03:37.180 --> 00:03:41.580 encouragement when I see that he had his weak 00:03:41.580 --> 00:03:45.539 moments too. And when it comes to Elijah, I just 00:03:45.539 --> 00:03:52.919 love this 19th day. chapter of 1 Kings. Now, 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:56.400 pause just a moment before I read a few verses 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:00.740 from the 19th chapter of Kings. Remember, go 00:04:00.740 --> 00:04:03.379 back, if you will, please, to the 17th chapter. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:09.599 There you find Elijah, this wonderful spiritual 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:15.310 giant. as the power of God takes hold of and 00:04:15.310 --> 00:04:19.949 works through this vessel of humanity. And we 00:04:19.949 --> 00:04:25.829 see Elijah as he raises a widow's son, literally 00:04:25.829 --> 00:04:30.569 raises him from the dead. I'll read a couple 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:33.889 of verses. And he stretched himself upon the 00:04:33.889 --> 00:04:38.189 child three times and cried unto the Lord and 00:04:38.189 --> 00:04:42.879 said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, this child's 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:49.139 soul come into him again. In other words, the 00:04:49.139 --> 00:04:56.579 child was dead. Let this child's soul come into 00:04:56.579 --> 00:05:04.399 him again. Now, I prayed some prayers. I prayed 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:10.079 a thousand times, a thousand times. May the great 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:14.800 resurrection power flow through this body. But 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:22.639 I have never had the faith to pray, Oh God, let 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:28.500 this child's soul come into him again. But Elijah 00:05:28.500 --> 00:05:32.959 had that faith, had that confidence, and he prayed 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:36.550 that prayer. And the Lord heard the voice of 00:05:36.550 --> 00:05:40.250 Elijah and the soul of the child came into him 00:05:40.250 --> 00:05:44.790 again and he revived. And Elijah took the child, 00:05:45.009 --> 00:05:48.410 brought him down out of the chamber into the 00:05:48.410 --> 00:05:54.129 house and delivered him unto his mother. And 00:05:54.129 --> 00:06:00.689 Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman 00:06:00.689 --> 00:06:07.250 said to Elijah, now by this i know that thou 00:06:07.250 --> 00:06:12.430 art a man of god and that the word of the lord 00:06:12.430 --> 00:06:19.050 in thy mouth is truth now one would have thought 00:06:19.050 --> 00:06:25.329 that after elijah had seen the wonders of the 00:06:25.329 --> 00:06:28.750 lord take place had seen this wonderful miracle 00:06:28.750 --> 00:06:33.500 take place before his very eyes This man of God 00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:36.779 who had the faith, the confidence in Jehovah 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:43.120 God to pray the prayer. Dear God, even though 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:49.839 death has come to this child, please restore 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:55.740 life to this one. And he stood there and saw 00:06:55.740 --> 00:07:03.259 one given life. One would have... thought after 00:07:03.259 --> 00:07:07.560 that wonderful miracle he would never again be 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:14.579 discouraged never oh methinks that elijah walked 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:18.839 out of that house somehow even talking about 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:22.019 it i know just a little bit of what his feelings 00:07:22.019 --> 00:07:27.310 must have been god was so near to him and so 00:07:27.310 --> 00:07:30.389 real to him because when you see miracles take 00:07:30.389 --> 00:07:33.089 place before your very eyes it does something 00:07:33.089 --> 00:07:38.810 to you personally you can't help it you just 00:07:38.810 --> 00:07:43.490 can't help it and then on top of it all the mother 00:07:43.490 --> 00:07:47.649 turned to elijah and said now by this i know 00:07:47.649 --> 00:07:52.790 that thou art a man of god and that the word 00:07:52.790 --> 00:07:57.610 of the lord in thy mouth is truth but that's 00:07:57.610 --> 00:08:01.250 not all that's happening go a little further 00:08:01.250 --> 00:08:04.730 if you will please in the eighteenth chapter 00:08:04.730 --> 00:08:10.649 of first kings oh you know it well when elijah 00:08:10.649 --> 00:08:14.410 stood there and literally challenged the prophets 00:08:14.410 --> 00:08:22.610 of baal oh i'm sorry i missed it I wish I could 00:08:22.610 --> 00:08:29.029 have been there. I would have stood on the sidelines 00:08:29.029 --> 00:08:32.009 and I would have been his greatest cheerleader. 00:08:32.429 --> 00:08:35.470 And I would have said, sick him, Elijah, sick 00:08:35.470 --> 00:08:40.210 him, go do it. You and I both know that God is 00:08:40.210 --> 00:08:45.470 still God Almighty. Challenge the prophets of 00:08:45.470 --> 00:08:52.350 Baal. God will come forth. He'll honor your confidence. 00:08:53.750 --> 00:08:57.169 He'll prove himself. He always has, and he'll 00:08:57.169 --> 00:09:02.169 do it again. Watch. And it came to pass at the 00:09:02.169 --> 00:09:03.909 time of the offering of the evening sacrifice 00:09:03.909 --> 00:09:09.149 that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord 00:09:09.149 --> 00:09:15.830 God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it 00:09:15.830 --> 00:09:20.250 be known this day that thou... art God in Israel, 00:09:20.450 --> 00:09:25.529 and that I am thy servant, and that I have done 00:09:25.529 --> 00:09:30.210 all these things out of thy word. Hear me, O 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:34.049 Lord, hear me, that this people may know that 00:09:34.049 --> 00:09:37.909 thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned 00:09:37.909 --> 00:09:44.009 their heart back again. Then the fire of the 00:09:44.009 --> 00:09:49.340 Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and 00:09:49.340 --> 00:09:55.480 the wood and the stones and the dust and licked 00:09:55.480 --> 00:10:00.080 up the water that was in the trench. When God 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:04.379 does it, he doesn't do it halfway. He does it 00:10:04.379 --> 00:10:09.899 right the whole thing. The fire of the Lord not 00:10:09.899 --> 00:10:14.370 only consumed the burnt sacrifice, not only consumed 00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:19.809 the wood and the stones, but the dust and even 00:10:19.809 --> 00:10:24.710 licked up the water that was in the trench. And 00:10:24.710 --> 00:10:28.330 when all the people saw it, they fell on their 00:10:28.330 --> 00:10:34.850 faces and they said, The Lord, He is the God. 00:10:36.330 --> 00:10:47.370 The Lord, He is the God. Can you just imagine 00:10:47.370 --> 00:10:54.250 what Elijah's feelings must have been? Methinks 00:10:54.250 --> 00:11:01.690 he stood there awed. It was almost more than 00:11:01.690 --> 00:11:10.129 he could take. Because Elijah knew that it wasn't 00:11:10.129 --> 00:11:14.740 any power of his own. that could perform this 00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:21.259 miracle it was the supernatural power of a supernatural 00:11:21.259 --> 00:11:26.940 god and methinks if i had been there that day 00:11:26.940 --> 00:11:31.299 i would have put my arm through the arm of elijah 00:11:31.299 --> 00:11:34.980 and as we walked away i would have said to him 00:11:34.980 --> 00:11:40.360 well elijah you and i can believe god for just 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:45.799 anything after this Oh, wasn't that glorious? 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:55.460 Elijah, we'll never know a discouraging moment 00:11:55.460 --> 00:12:02.259 again. Never. You and I'll never doubt the power 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:07.980 and the presence of God again. Elijah, he's still 00:12:07.980 --> 00:12:16.419 God Almighty. we'll never know a moment of discouragement 00:12:16.419 --> 00:12:26.379 again. That's human nature. Go just a little 00:12:26.379 --> 00:12:30.600 further, if you will, please. The 19th chapter 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:38.200 of 1 Kings. Remember I told you when I began 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:43.120 this heart -to -heart talk that We're going to 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:45.100 talk about one of the greatest problems of the 00:12:45.100 --> 00:12:52.700 human spirit. Discouragement. Discouragement. 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:56.059 And perhaps you almost caught your breath when 00:12:56.059 --> 00:13:00.360 I said, I don't care how spiritual you may be, 00:13:00.940 --> 00:13:06.179 there'll be moments of discouragement. After 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:15.120 all that Elijah saw. following the greatest miracles 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:22.639 that perhaps any human being ever stood and beheld. 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:35.340 Here we see him, so human. That which was mortal 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:39.299 had not yet put on immortality. You know, he 00:13:39.299 --> 00:13:45.240 was still in the flesh. And Ahab told Jezebel 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:50.279 all that Elijah had done and how he had slain 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:54.480 all the prophets with the sword. And Jezebel, 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:02.159 wouldn't you know it would take a woman? He could 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:10.419 face enemies. He could face armies. He could... 00:14:10.590 --> 00:14:14.970 faced the prophets of baal he took it all but 00:14:14.970 --> 00:14:20.870 he got scared and ran at the threat of a woman 00:14:20.870 --> 00:14:28.169 then jezebel sent a messenger unto elijah saying 00:14:28.169 --> 00:14:34.889 so let the gods do to me and more so if i make 00:14:34.889 --> 00:14:39.679 not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:45.000 about this time. He got scared stiff. A woman 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:49.220 made a threat, and he started running for Tall 00:14:49.220 --> 00:14:54.559 Timber. One moment he stands there, the great 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:04.600 spiritual giant, afraid of nothing. And then... 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:10.080 At the threat of a woman, he turns and runs. 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:15.940 And when he saw that, he arose, went for his 00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:20.220 life. He was scared to death. I just got through 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:26.679 telling you that. He went for his life. Scared 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:32.759 to death? He did. He himself went a day's journey 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:38.840 into the wilderness. i told you he ran into the 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:44.139 wilderness and he came and he sat down under 00:15:44.139 --> 00:15:49.480 a juniper tree the man who just a short time 00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:55.059 before looked up and said oh god please restore 00:15:55.059 --> 00:16:00.860 life to this child this one who is dead restore 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:06.570 life Restore the soul to this body, and God performed 00:16:06.570 --> 00:16:11.909 that miracle. Restored life to a child that was 00:16:11.909 --> 00:16:20.429 dead. Here you see this bit of humanity as he 00:16:20.429 --> 00:16:22.809 runs into the wilderness for his life, scared 00:16:22.809 --> 00:16:27.529 to death, and came and sat down under a juniper 00:16:27.529 --> 00:16:31.850 tree, and he requested for himself that he might... 00:16:35.420 --> 00:16:38.419 I don't know whether you appreciate this portion 00:16:38.419 --> 00:16:40.759 of the Word of God as much as I do or not. I 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:46.299 don't know whether you appreciate this chapter 00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:51.480 in Elijah's life as much as I appreciate it. 00:16:53.000 --> 00:17:00.960 I'm so glad he was human. is great encouragement 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:08.279 to me. Dear God, he said, please let me die. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:13.359 It's enough now, O Lord. Take away my life, for 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:18.380 I am not better than my father's. And as he lay 00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:23.880 and slept under a juniper tree, behold, an angel 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:29.599 touched him and said unto him, arise and eat 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:32.960 you know something we've got a wonderful heavenly 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:37.819 father he's interested in our weaknesses as much 00:17:37.819 --> 00:17:43.160 as in our strength we're his children we're children 00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:47.359 of his care i'm so glad my heavenly father never 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:53.119 takes me you know at my word i think i would 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:57.809 have died several times if he had taken me at 00:17:57.809 --> 00:18:02.430 my word, you know? I'm glad that when I say things, 00:18:02.569 --> 00:18:05.569 he knows that inside of me, I really don't mean 00:18:05.569 --> 00:18:08.670 it. He knows his children. If you're a parent, 00:18:08.809 --> 00:18:12.309 you know your children. They say things that 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:16.329 really inside of them, they don't mean. And you 00:18:16.329 --> 00:18:20.849 as a parent, you know they don't mean it. You 00:18:20.849 --> 00:18:25.099 know they don't. and methinks the heavenly father 00:18:25.099 --> 00:18:28.420 just turned to one of the angels and said poor 00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:32.980 child he's worn out he hasn't had sleep for such 00:18:32.980 --> 00:18:41.200 a long time poor child let him sleep a while 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:46.980 and then when he's awakened i want you to do 00:18:46.980 --> 00:18:51.529 something He'll be hungry. I want you to go down 00:18:51.529 --> 00:18:55.250 there and bake a cake. Now that's the first real 00:18:55.250 --> 00:18:57.829 honest -to -goodness angel food cake that was 00:18:57.829 --> 00:19:02.609 ever made. When Elijah awakened, he looked, and 00:19:02.609 --> 00:19:05.869 behold, there was a cake, baconed on the coals, 00:19:05.930 --> 00:19:10.289 and a cruise of water at his head. The Heavenly 00:19:10.289 --> 00:19:12.970 Father even remembered the water. And he did 00:19:12.970 --> 00:19:16.309 eat and drink, laid him down again. He was so 00:19:16.309 --> 00:19:20.099 dead tired, he went back to sleep again. And 00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:22.660 the angel of the Lord came again the second time, 00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:26.539 touched him and said, Arise and eat, because 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:31.059 the journey is too great for thee. There are 00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:38.960 more things to do. Your heavenly Father has more 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:43.440 work for you. You're rested. You're well fed 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:50.519 now. Get up and go to work. That's... Our Heavenly 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:51.079 Father.