AGAINST THE OPPRESSION (3 OF 4)
Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18
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Against The Oppression (3 of 4)
Series: The Great Issues of Faith From Elijah Life
Dennis Marquardt
1 Kings 19:1-21
INTRO: Nothing distorts reality and Christian joy more than depression. Depression can paralyze a Christian with fear, isolation, criticism, tiredness, and fruitlessness. When it strikes reason disappears, in its place comes distorted perception.
ILLUS: Like the mental patient who was convinced that he was dead, he was committed to the care of a psychiatrist who tried to reason with him to no avail. Finally, the doctor read an anatomy book and had the patient watch films to show that dead men do not bleed - then he took the patient to a room full of cadavers. The doctor poked several of the cadavers with a pin and showed his patient that none of the dead men bled. Finally, the patient caved in and admitted, ''Ok, I'm convinced, dead men don't bleed.'' suddenly, the doctor poked him and a tiny drop of blood oozed out of his patients' hand; the patient responded when he saw the blood, ''Well, what do you know, dead men do bleed after all!'' the problem wasn't the facts - it was his perception!
Or ... here's another Illustration:
ILLUS: A hunter had a very unusual dog and decided he wanted to show it off to one of his not so up-beat friends. As they waited, a flock of ducks finally flew overhead and the man shot one. It fell into the water and the man told his friend, ''now watch this remarkable dog of mine fetch that duck, he snapped his fingers and the dog took off - running on top of the water all the way out to get the duck - and all the way back! Certain that his negative friend would be amazed he asked him, ''what do you think of my dog now?'' His negative friend replied, ''dumb dog - can't even swim!''
Nothing grips the heart more than misery - and depression is a crippling disease for Christians! Satan's most effective tool against Christians is not outright sin - it is discouragement - which will lead to many sins; or at best ...
Series: The Great Issues of Faith From Elijah Life
Dennis Marquardt
1 Kings 19:1-21
INTRO: Nothing distorts reality and Christian joy more than depression. Depression can paralyze a Christian with fear, isolation, criticism, tiredness, and fruitlessness. When it strikes reason disappears, in its place comes distorted perception.
ILLUS: Like the mental patient who was convinced that he was dead, he was committed to the care of a psychiatrist who tried to reason with him to no avail. Finally, the doctor read an anatomy book and had the patient watch films to show that dead men do not bleed - then he took the patient to a room full of cadavers. The doctor poked several of the cadavers with a pin and showed his patient that none of the dead men bled. Finally, the patient caved in and admitted, ''Ok, I'm convinced, dead men don't bleed.'' suddenly, the doctor poked him and a tiny drop of blood oozed out of his patients' hand; the patient responded when he saw the blood, ''Well, what do you know, dead men do bleed after all!'' the problem wasn't the facts - it was his perception!
Or ... here's another Illustration:
ILLUS: A hunter had a very unusual dog and decided he wanted to show it off to one of his not so up-beat friends. As they waited, a flock of ducks finally flew overhead and the man shot one. It fell into the water and the man told his friend, ''now watch this remarkable dog of mine fetch that duck, he snapped his fingers and the dog took off - running on top of the water all the way out to get the duck - and all the way back! Certain that his negative friend would be amazed he asked him, ''what do you think of my dog now?'' His negative friend replied, ''dumb dog - can't even swim!''
Nothing grips the heart more than misery - and depression is a crippling disease for Christians! Satan's most effective tool against Christians is not outright sin - it is discouragement - which will lead to many sins; or at best ...
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