Facing Depression With a Living Faith (Part 2)

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Facing Depression With a Living Faith (Part 2)
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We will experience overwhelming emotions as we
live life

• We must win the battle for our thoughts by
  knowing God and pouring out our hearts to Him.
  (Ps 612-3)

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We will experience overwhelming emotions as we
live life

• Psalm 612-3 - From the end of the earth I will
  cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed Lead me
  to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You
  have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from
  the enemy.

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We will experience overwhelming emotions as we
live life

• God has blessed us by giving us the ability to
  experience emotions.
• God understands and sent His Son to experience
  the pain and temptation that we do.
• We need to see Jesus and how He helps us stay in
  His light.

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We will experience overwhelming emotions as we
live life

• While we will be examining depression, this
  material can be used for other emotions that may
  overwhelm us and make it hard to walk by faith.
• In addition to the anger family, the works of the
  flesh list many things that can shut your mind
  down! (Gal 519-21)

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We will experience overwhelming emotions as we
live life

• Galatians 519-21 - Now the works of the flesh
  are evident, which are adultery, fornication,
  uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery,
  hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of
  wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
  21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the
  like of which I tell you beforehand, just as I
  also told you in time past, that those who
  practice such things will not inherit the kingdom
  of God.

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We will experience overwhelming emotions as we
live life

• Sexual sins, false religion, addictions and such
  like can take a person to a self created world
  where reality is not welcomed.
• The patterns we will look at in this study are
  the ones I have seen destroy many Christians that
  I was once close to. Please listen carefully!

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• Having strong emotions does not mean that one is
  sinning.
• Strong emotions can tempt us to accept a false
  reality. (Ps 7311-14)

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• Psalm 7311-14 - And they say, "How does God
  know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?"
  12 Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always
  at ease They increase in riches. 13 Surely I
  have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my
  hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have
  been plagued, And chastened every morning.

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• Having doubts, questions or even feeling that
  things are true does not make us guilty of sin.
• It is like dealing with temptation, the thoughts
  and desires enter the mind but we can find
  the way of escape. Many times the battle is
  entirely fought within the mind! (1 Cor 1013
  James 113-16)

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• 1 Corinthians 1013 - No temptation has
  overtaken you except such as is common to man
  but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
  tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
  temptation will also make the way of escape, that
  you may be able to bear it.

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• James 113-16 - Let no one say when he is
  tempted, "I am tempted by God" for God cannot be
  tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt
  anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is
  drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15
  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth
  to sin and sin, when it is full-grown, brings
  forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved
  brethren.

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• Our knowledge of the character of God and
  renewing our mind through worship can keep us in
  reality. (Ps 7315-17)

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• Psalm 7315-17 - If I had said, "I will speak
  thus," Behold, I would have been untrue to the
  generation of Your children. 16 When I thought
  how to understand this, It was too painful for me
  -- 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God
  Then I understood their end.

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• So many strong emotions are a product of
  unrealistic expectations and of us trying to take
  on things that we should wholly give to God.
• Naaman almost let his false expectations and rash
  anger keep him from a dearly needed blessing. (2
  Kings 511-13)

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• 2 Kings 511-13 - But Naaman became furious,
  and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to
  myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand
  and call on the name of the LORD his God, and
  wave his hand over the place, and heal the
  leprosy.'

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• 12 "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the
  rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of
  Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?"
  So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his
  servants came near and spoke to him, and said,
  "My father, if the prophet had told you to do
  something great, would you not have done it? How
  much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and
  be clean'?"

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We need Gods wisdom to help us in emotional times

• Not all emotions are a product of immediate
  circumstances. Often depression can result from
  learning to bury anger for years.
• There are different levels of depression - Short
  term, Periodic and Chronic.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can become undependable. (Mk 416-17)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Mark 416-17 - "These likewise are the ones sown
  on stony ground who, when they hear the word,
  immediately receive it with gladness 17 "and
  they have no root in themselves, and so endure
  only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or
  persecution arises for the word's sake,
  immediately they stumble.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can have problems in maintaining
  relationships. Withdrawal becomes a
  pattern.
• You can be easily upset and influenced by others
  (Used by others).
• You can become a chronic complainer. Others may
  withdraw from you.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Reality changes easily.
• A small event can cause a sudden 180 degree turn
  in how you view another.
• You can be easily swayed by both flattery and
  gossip. (Rom 1618)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Romans 1618 - For those who are such do not
  serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly,
  and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive
  the hearts of the simple.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can become uncertain in things you can know
  but certain in things you cannot know (Col
  218-19)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Colossians 218-19 - Let no one cheat you of
  your reward, taking delight in false humility and
  worship of angels, intruding into those things
  which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his
  fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the
  Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit
  together by joints and ligaments, grows with the
  increase that is from God.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can become ego-centered.
• It can become all about you. You then cannot
  relate to or understand others.
• You can use the faults of others (real or
  imagined) to build yourself up. (Lk 189, 11)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Luke 189-11 - Also He spoke this parable to
  some who trusted in themselves that they were
  righteous, and despised others 10 "Two men went
  up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the
  other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood
  and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You
  that I am not like other men -- extortioners,
  unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can be driven by the wrong relationships. (2
  Pt 218-19)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• 2 Peter 218-19 - For when they speak great
  swelling words of emptiness, they allure through
  the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the
  ones who have actually escaped from those who
  live in error. 19 While they promise them
  liberty, they themselves are slaves of
  corruption for by whom a person is overcome, by
  him also he is brought into bondage.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Pride can become a way of escape. You think you
  are smarter than others.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can reject having a doctrinal core. (Eph
  413-15)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Ephesians 413-15 - till we all come to the
  unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
  Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of
  the stature of the fullness of Christ 14 that
  we should no longer be children, tossed to and
  fro and carried about with every wind of
  doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
  craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but,
  speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all
  things into Him who is the head -- Christ

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• Because you are already burdened you can be
  tempted to flee from doctrinal controversy.
  Without a foundation you are in great danger.
• You can become a spiritual marshmallow by
  refusing to stand and pay a price. This can
  greatly affect your children in how you protect
  them.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can become fearful of solid truth and of
  those that stand in it. (2 Tim 18)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• 2 Timothy 18 - Therefore do not be ashamed of
  the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His
  prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for
  the gospel according to the power of God,

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• You can be led to believe anything when your
  emotions are stirred. You then become
  unteachable. (2 Tim 36-9)

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• 2 Timothy 36-9 - For of this sort are those who
  creep into households and make captives of
  gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by
  various lusts, 7 always learning and never able
  to come to the knowledge of the truth.

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Dangers that may come with chronic depression

• 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do
  these also resist the truth men of corrupt
  minds, disapproved concerning the faith 9 but
  they will progress no further, for their folly
  will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• Many in the church have let these issues be
  something that we do not speak about.
• God has given us numerous examples of men who had
  these struggles and we able to find comfort from
  God.
• One can be faithful and have a lifetime of
  struggling with depression. In the scope of those
  I have know closely, many have.

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• These chronic issues I like to a physical
  handicap, no one looks down on a brother who has
  lost a limb and therefore has to make
  adjustments.
• The real tragedy occurs when the problem is
  ignored.
• Here is where you need to surround yourself with
  honest and understanding people who can
  help and protect you.

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• Consider how David helped one of his mighty men
  avoid sin. (1 Sam 268-9)

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• 1 Samuel 268-9 - Then Abishai said to David,
  "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this
  day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at
  once with the spear, right to the earth and I
  will not have to strike him a second time!" 9
  And David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him
  for who can stretch out his hand against the
  LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?"

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• Regularly worship God and assemble with
  Christians. Asaph was helped!
• Please be honest and open with your family and
  children. Hiding and denying these issues can
  destroy your children.
• Remember the examples of Jesus. (Heb 121-4)

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• Hebrews 121-4 - Therefore we also, since we are
  surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let
  us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
  easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance
  the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto
  Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who
  for the joy that was set before Him endured the
  cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at
  the right hand of the throne of God.

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility
  from sinners against Himself, lest you become
  weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have
  not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against
  sin.

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• Jesus poured out vehement cries and tears to
  God (Heb 57-8)

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• Hebrews 57-8 - who, in the days of His flesh,
  when He had offered up prayers and supplications,
  with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able
  to save Him from death, and was heard because of
  His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He
  learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

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The challenge of staying faithful while
experiencing chronic depression

• He knows and understands us. Read Psalms 22 and
  see how He endured the cross!
• Where would you be without your hurts?