Walking on Water Bible Church

Pastor Mike Holloway: Today we're going to talk about overcoming discouragement. Overcoming discouragement. Anybody been discouraged? You don't have to raise your hand. I already know. Been discouraged, been going through. Been having issues, whether it's at home, whether it's on the job, whether it's personal. How many of you all know sometimes our biggest issues come from within. Sometimes you're wrestling with you. I'm wrestling with my thoughts, my feelings. Can you say feelings? And and that that's not to minimize feelings because feelings are strong. Feelings are important, but we have to taper those feelings to the word of God. You can feel strongly about something and be wrong.

Anybody ever felt strongly about something and was wrong? Hello somebody. But thank God he gives us his word. The word becomes the compass and or the map, the temperature gauge. You know, you don't know how much oil you got in your car until you check it. Right? One of my cars mechanic tell me you need to check this often cuz it burns oil quick. And the car could the car could seem like it's running good, right? But can be running low on oil impacting the engine that's inside the car unseen and you don't even know what's happen you don't realize.

And all of a sudden you you wondering why the car is is kicking or why why the motor is starting to run hard until you check the oil gauge and find out man I've been running low on oil for a while. I believe it's some songs you all we been running low on oil. We been running low. That's why it's good when you go get your oil change, right? Every three months or how many miles depending on what kind of oil you use, 3,000 or 5,000 if you use synthetic. Let the record show the church need a oil change.

When you all leave here today But it's important and when they do that they check the rest of the fluids. Check all of that did you sometimes you got to check them though cuz they won't do it all. Check my tire levels. How many of your car drive better when the tires are inflated where there's where they should be? Right? Your car drive better when it got tread on the wheels. Right? These things become important for maintenance. Right? There is spiritual maintenance that has to take place in our lives or or and Pastor Peacher hit on yesterday.

He says some of us drive around with that engine light on for so long. Oh, that ain't nothing. He said one time he put some tape over the light. Right? But that light is an indicator of something else. So sometimes we might see who Lord have mercy a reaction in somebody and we we focus on the action, but sometimes the action is an indicator of something else that's been going on. And we don't realize that. This is why maintenance is important when you come to church. This is spiritual maintenance. This is checkup time. This is tune up time.

There times I came to church feeling all right and I left the church like Lord I need your help. Why? Because when the word of God was compared to my life I come up short. And I knew Lord I want a better commitment. I want to walk right with you. And so you can easily go through something and be discouraged. Let's read here just a few verses verse 19 through 23 here. John you all remember John is in prison right now. In prison. Locked up. Didn't do anything wrong, but his situation sometimes you don't have to do nothing wrong to have a bad situation.

John didn't do anything wrong. John was standing on the word of God. He was preaching the gospel. He was being faithful. Yet the circumstances of his life started to turn left. Verse 19 if you all don't mind let's read these few verses together. Some of the these we read last week, but let us read. And John calling two of his disciples to him sent them to Jesus saying what? Are you the coming one or do we look for another? When the men had come to him they said John the Baptist has sent us to you saying are you the coming one or do we look for another?

In that very hour he cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits, and to many blind he gave sight. Verse 22. Jesus answered and said to them go and tell John the things you have seen and heard that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised. The poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended in me. John was facing discouragement. We talked about last week. John was a relative of Jesus. He was a cousin. John preached and announced Jesus coming and Jesus had God here and he out here delivering everybody else but me.

You causing the lame to walk. I'm locked up. You causing the deaf to hear, but I'm I'm in prison and you ain't even came to see me. You all know how we get sometime. First now they don't don't nobody say my cousins didn't call, my nephew didn't call, my auntie didn't call. First thing folks will say when they going through nobody in the church even call. Because the enemy is going to launch the attack at the church you all. But I want to help you understand something you all. You can be faithful to God and and be faithful in a moment of discouragement.

Right? You can be faithful to church, a faithful giver, a faithful in ministry, faithful to your office, and you can still have a moment of discouragement. Sis Cynthia let's get Sis Cynthia the mic. I want her to help me read today if you don't mind. She got the New King James. Let's get it at mic. Yeah, we we would this one I want us to get in our spirit man. Man. I'm still on fire from yesterday, but I'm going to try to maintain cuz I want you all to get this. If you could read Psalms 13 for me.

This is David, great king, the man after God's own heart. All right? Walk with me through here. Psalms chapter number 13. Amen. I almost came out Bible study mode and just put the podium right here. Get you all to get some of you all to feel what it's like on Tuesdays. No, we do pretty good here. I'm I'm mess kind of messing around. All right. Read for me sis.

Cynthia: How long will thou forget me, oh Lord?

Pastor Mike Holloway: How long will you what?

Cynthia: Forget me, oh Lord?

Pastor Mike Holloway: Forget How God done forgot me. How long will you forget me, oh Lord? Read.

Cynthia: Forever?

Pastor Mike Holloway: Forever You all we be going through something for 30 minutes and feel like it's forever. I just can't take it no more. I mean I tried. How long you tried? 30 minutes. No. Our situations have an tendency to having us view it greater than what it is sometimes. And again this is not to minimize what you going through. But how long without forget me forever? Read.

Cynthia: How long without hide thy face from me?

Pastor Mike Holloway: God done hide his face for me. Anybody ever prayed and it seem like God is not listening? My God you must not understand. Like I I know I prayed about this yesterday. You don't understand how I'm feeling. I I I I often times I counseling people and they say but Pastor you don't understand. You don't understand. I understand. I I promise you. I understand because the answers don't change. Right? Read.

Cynthia: How long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily?

Pastor Mike Holloway: Daily sorrow in your heart. This Psalms chapter 13. Daily sorrow in your heart. So this this is King David you all. Read.

Cynthia: How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Pastor Mike Holloway: Not see here's what happens when you going through. You start looking at other people. Let me tell you something. Your deliverance is not predicated on anybody else but God. Right? How long is my enemy exalted over me? Right? How many of you got enemies? Oh bless the Lord. You all don't know. Read.

Cynthia: Consider and hear me, oh Lord my God. Lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death.

Pastor Mike Holloway: I'm going to die. I'm I'm I'm going to die. I'm going through this is so heavy for me. I I can't take it lest I go this is killing me. Read.

Cynthia: Lest my enemy say I have prevailed against him.

Pastor Mike Holloway: Now we worried about what everybody else say. My enemy's going to say they won. And that stuff gets to us. Like it bother us when people talk. Can you all can we be honest for a minute? We don't want folk talking. Right? Keep my name out your mouth. Don't mention my name. Can you could say what you want. Don't say my name. Oh, some honest folk in here. I love it. Read.

Cynthia: And those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

Pastor Mike Holloway: Trouble me rejoice when I move. One of the biggest parts to every test is dealing with the pressure of having to view the people that you going through with. Because we want to take matters in our own hands. Ooh, have you ever wanted to take matters in your own hands? Right? In your mind you believe you can handle this. Now Lord if you could just let me handle this one just this just one time I can do this one. Read. But I have trusted in thy mercy.

Guest (Male): But what?

Cynthia: I have trusted in thy mercy.

Pastor Mike Holloway: I ain't going to do that. I'm going to trust in your mercy. Read.

Cynthia: My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

Pastor Mike Holloway: My heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

Cynthia: I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Pastor Mike Holloway: And I'm going to sing unto the Lord. So in discouragement, in discouragement you remember that you have to trust in his mercy and rejoice in the Lord. Right? These praise team did an amazing job today, but they going through stuff too. Right? So what you got to learn how to sing through it. Sometimes when we going through everybody know. Everybody else around you shout. Now you got to get up. Yes, it hurts, but my hands still go up to the one who can comfort me. I don't go through. He said he was going through. This man thought he was going to die.

His enemies was triumphing over him in his mind. He said I'm going to rejoice. I'm going to rejoice. Was that the end of that song?

Cynthia: Yes.

Pastor Mike Holloway: Go to 1 Kings 19. Yeah, we slowing it down today. 1 Kings 19 we going to talk about the prophet of God named Elijah. All right. Read.

Cynthia: And Ahab told Jezebel

Pastor Mike Holloway: Ahab told Jezebel. Now let me give you some background here. Ahab was the king of Israel, the northern tribe, not the southern. Now if you are part of Christian education you got some idea what I'm saying here. Right? He was the seventh king of Israel. And Jezebel was his wife. Ahab was a weak man. And Ahab and Jezebel was a over controlling woman. That's a bad combination. A weak man with an overly dominant woman. Oh Lord have mercy. A shiver just went down my spine. That's dangerous. Read.

Cynthia: All that Elijah had done and with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

Pastor Mike Holloway: So King prophet Elijah had just slain all the false teachers. And they were servants of Ahab. So Ahab go tell his wife they they came in kill all all my prophets. Jelly back. Man. Instead of standing up and being a man first and foremost recognizing that as the king and as your husband I have a responsibility to lead you the right way. First off Jezebel she was she was from another nation anyway. He wasn't even supposed to be married to her. What is going on when you sleeping with the enemy? He wasn't supposed to be married with her anyway because she wasn't a believer in God.

She believed in Baal and all these other gods. And Ahab got caught up in that. Ahab got influenced by that. How many of you all know evil communication does what?

Cynthia: Corrupt

Pastor Mike Holloway: Corrupt good manner. Watch who you hang around. Watch what you listen to. Watch what you taking in because it's impacting you. Why do you think uh pornography is such a dangerous and deadly sin? Because you're taking in filth and it's impacting you. But we refrain from that. What you take in will have an effect on you. Watch what you listen to. Read.

Cynthia: Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying

Pastor Mike Holloway: Jezebel says I got you boo. Don't you worry about that. Who who was it?

Cynthia: Elijah.

Pastor Mike Holloway: It was Elijah. And Jezebel said oh oh boo you go go on to sleep. Okay honey. So she put the pantyhose. You all look quiet on that part. What did I say something wrong? You all listen listen. You want a man of God. I ain't talking about nobody that's going to boss you around. Nobody talking about that. We talking about somebody that's going to stand on God's word and going to build his family in the scriptures. That's what you want. Come on brothers. All right. I I just make sure some brothers was in here. All right read read.

Cynthia: Jezebel said so let the gods do to me.

Pastor Mike Holloway: So she sent a message to Elijah and she said this is what I'm telling you. Let the gods do to me. Uh-huh.

Cynthia: And more also

Pastor Mike Holloway: And more also

Cynthia: if I make not your life

Pastor Mike Holloway: Uh-huh.

Cynthia: as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

Pastor Mike Holloway: She so she put a hit out on him. She said you let him know that just like all them prophets you killed you going to be dead just like them. Now this man just get you all remember how many prophets he killed? Right? There was about 400 prophets of Baal and 450 prophets of Ashtaroth. So we got about 850 people Elijah killed for the kingdom of God. Uh-huh. And and so now she puts a hit out on them. She says by tomorrow this time you going to be dead just like them. Read.

Cynthia: And when Elijah saw that

Pastor Mike Holloway: Elijah saw what she said

Cynthia: he rose

Pastor Mike Holloway: he got up

Cynthia: went for his life.

Pastor Mike Holloway: And ran for his life. Ain't that some? This man had just had one of the most powerful victories in his life. God had just moved in a powerful way. This is what I'm trying to tell you something. See don't get deceived by your victories where you forget to do the small things that cause you to have the victory in the first place. Because right after his greatest victory this man hears what this woman said. He gets up and runs for his life scared. Read.

Cynthia: He went to Beersheba and left his servant there.

Pastor Mike Holloway: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

Cynthia: But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness

Pastor Mike Holloway: Uh-huh.

Cynthia: and came and sat down under a juniper tree.

Pastor Mike Holloway: Read.

Cynthia: And he requested for himself that he might die.

Pastor Mike Holloway: He asked God to take his life. Now this is something real serious and we going to be working with our dear sister Amelia uh because she works in suicide crisis situations trained. How many of you all know suicide is a real thing that you can be tempted with. I want you to catch Elijah. Elijah prayed just ended all. You know he wanted a Jack Kevorkian blessing. You all remember him that doctor just give I'm going through and it's and I just want to end it all. Let me tell you something. If you ever get that thought in your mind it is of the devil.

It is not of God. Because if you still got breath in your body God is not through with you. He still wants to use you for his glory. He still wants to use you for his power. He still wants to glorify you. This great man of God this this goes to show you that this isn't this applies to all of us. Elijah one of the greatest prophets of Israel was saying I just just take my life. I can't do it no more. I can't do it no more. I'm sick of this. Sick. I'm over I'm I'm overstressed.

Thank you. I think that's good for now Sis Cynthia. I'm overstressed. I'm I'm overwhelmed. Anybody felt overwhelmed before? I'm overwhelmed. I just can't I can't I can't I can't I can't. And notice what Elijah did. He got up and ran. He ran. He got away. See because he his fear which is uh uh an overwhelming emotion caused him to run away. Let me tell you something. Never make decisions. Never make long lasting decisions when you know your emotions are out of whack. Don't do it. You sick of that boss. You going to I I can't take it no more.

I quit. You walking out to your car and it hits you. How I'm going to pay the rent? Oh, my job is gone. No, sometimes you got going in. You got to endure. Oh, if you all checked you all account right now and you all saw four five million dollars in there you all going in the the job tomorrow. Can I get a witness here? Well, some people enjoy their job. We just know I wouldn't do that cuz I work here. I'm I'm the past. I probably preach a little better though. I promise you that.

But but you got to learn how to go through some stuff without allowing your emotion to cause you to make a decision that will damage not only you, but your family and those around you. Because I'm going to tell you something. When you make an emotional decision you hurt the people that love you. You hurt the people around you. You got to do the right thing. Paul was troubled on every side. And not John the Baptist is in prison and John after saying Jesus was the lamb that takes away the sins of the world he asked the question are you the one?

You can know Jesus and still struggle with what Jesus is doing. You got to understand that. I know him, but I don't know what he doing. I'm struggling right now. This is the tension of the gospel of Luke. Circumstances often times will collide with your expectations. Expectations. Right? When I got saved I started listening to some false fake what they so-called faith preachers. Uh and I you all know I believe in calling names right. I was listening to Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, and uh what's the other comedian guy? Jesse Duplantis. Man them brothers had me hyped up.

Oh, you never have to have troubles. All you got to do is wave your trouble wave.