Conquering Depression: Deny Self and Follow Jesus! Kelly Durant 10-18-08
Matt 16:24-28
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For
whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world,
yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For
the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then
he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the
truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son
of Man coming in his kingdom."
I was
contemplating…all of us want to live with good conditions, right? Life has many
chapters, some good, some not so good. But in life hard times always come our
way and there are several ways to confront these hard times.
How many of you were here last week when I
preached on how to win in difficult situations? Daniel faced death more than
once, he was in difficult situations and as we learned, he prayed and it was
the solution! Daniel prayed!
God protected, and God gave wisdom for the situation! And he
also praised God!
Today in the
meantime, while you pray during hard times I want to propose something else
that can be done. I propose we stop being who we are and deny ourselves as
Jesus describes in these verses above and that we get busy for Him in God’s
work!
Did you know
Hispanics and Afro-Americans are up to 3 times more disposed to go into despair
and depression due to their hard situations than the other population?
What is feeling bad
in the first place? It is a continual worry and fear that you will arrive in a
totally helpless situation. Do you know who thinks like that? The pessimistic
people who do not know God! The faithless! But those who truly trust God have
peace in the midst of the storm.
Isa 26:3
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Ps 16:10
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou
suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
God will not abandon us!
But isn’t it true
that Christians also sometimes suffer depression? Why is that?
Some Christians
would propose people suffer depression because they are being disobedient, and
faithless. That might be true in some cases and each person has to examine
their own heart. If you are not right with God, you will feel sadness!
1 John 3:21
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we
confidence toward God.
So many times, maybe twice
a month there will be some sister that will call up say, Hi Captain, I’m Maria,
the one you helped before, and I have been out of work 3 months and I have been
at home and I am depressed and in a terrible situation. I wonder, with all of
that free time, why doesn’t she come over and help us and do something for God?
I invite people all the time to help us serve the Lord, but few ever do
it!
However, there is a
reality and there are people with serious brain chemical imbalances, and that
makes them be classified as with a mental illness, not just negative thinking.
You need discernment to know the difference. There are demon-possessed people
too! That is whole another study!
Jesus offers us the
cure to everything in life. Isn’t that true? His Word tells us
Let’s return to the verse in 24. (read) What does Jesus say,
deny yourself!
Tell what does that mean? People reply…hear their answers…
do not do what you want, etc., leave behind your way of being…
It means...Not being who you naturally are and we studied
that in the Weds night Bible class. Look up Eph 2:3
3 All of us also lived among them at one time (we all were
living like sinners), gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and
following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath. God was displeased with us before and allowed us go through misfortunes.
Naturally without changing all our nature, we are just our own ugly sinful
selves. We must deny that!
Denying yourself also means not allowing your mind to be
controlled by your own thoughts, cravings, and passions Rom 12:2
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.
God wants us to not be who we are but who He wants us to be!
(repeat) He wants to see us think different, live different, to have a
different thankful attitude; and all of that in spite of how hard life is.
Phil 4:11-12
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound:
every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need.
Life is hard, why? In part we inherited it. It is from the
fallen state of the world, from Adam’s mistake of sinning. You are born into a
world full of corrupt leaders who make their selves rich and their people poor.
Our bad economy is admittedly the product of corrupt men in the business world.
Matt 4:8-10
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high
mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if
thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it
is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
So Satan does temporarily control corrupt leaders.
In part life is hard for many because people are reaping the
consequences of their past sins. For example, people who marry the wrong person
and end up having to live with violence and conflict almost daily.
Despite all of this, The Lord can free us! He frees us from
ourselves, first by us denying our selves. However, then we must be take up His
cross. This means living for and preaching the Christian faith and way of life
in truth! In other words do something to be busy at God’s work.
The answer to depression, especially for those who do not
see doctors about it, is not to sit around until it goes away. Weeds in the
gardens never go away by themselves! Neither does depression!
The way to conquer this is with the rejuvenating Word of God
combined with active service for him! Follow Him!
James 2:20
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from
works is barren?
Come here during the week and help us serve God when you
have time! Take up your cross and follow Jesus! If you busy for God you will
not have time to even think!
You will never stay depressed by putting Jesus first,
denying yourself, and then staying busy for Him.
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