Do You Want to Get Well? John 5:6

Do You Want to Get Well?John 5:6

The Biblical Roadmap to Spiritual and Mental

Wholeness

Calvary Gospel ChurchAdult Sunday School

February 16, 2014

Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after giving one of his famous fireside chats

“I feel sure that your

hopes and your help are

with me.”

- Words from Roosevelt’s April 14, 1938 Fireside

Chat

“Loss is an inevitable part of

life. Nothing that’s visible is

lasting…”

“The larger the loss, the deeper

the pain.”

“You know that this world contains

no permanent dwellings.”

“When we allow the tangible but

transient to block our perception of the invisible but

imperishable, we’ve lost our perspective on

true value” Words from David Jeremiah, What Are You Afraid Of? chapter 3, pages 60-61

When our very concept of financial security has been swept away, where do we turn? Does God have anything

to say that will give us comfort?

Psalm 37:25I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,Nor his descendants begging bread.

Psalm 37:25I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,Nor his descendants begging bread.

David thought, considered all the evidence, and drew this conclusion:

David addresses the abuse of the wicked as they oppress good, God-fearing people.

Psalm 37:14The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

Psalm 37:14The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

The 7 “D” principles in Psalm 37 that will increase our reliance on God and anchor us in days of instability.

How should we respond when the righteous lose their possessions to those who prosper through evil means?

1. Decide to Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord.Psalm 37:3

Commit your ways to the Lord,Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.Psalm 37:5The Lord shall help them and deliver

them;He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them, Because they trust in Him.

Psalm 37:40

Psalm 23Matthew 6:25-33Philippians 4:192 Corinthians 9:8

Psalm 61:2

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

The deed to our heavenly home is signed and sealed with the blood of Christ; the contract is ratified by the Resurrection. And no one will ever foreclose on that.

2. Do Things that Honor the Lord

Trust in the Lord, and do good.Psalm 37:3

Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and

clothing, with these we shall be content.1 Timothy 6:6-8

And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say

to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.Matthew 10:42 37:40

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy

and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves

treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:19-20

When we do things that honor the Lord, we invest in eternity.

3. Dwell on the Faithfulness of the Lord

Delight yourself also in the Lord,And He shall give you the

desires of your heart..Psalm 37:4

He said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our

Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy;At Your right hand are pleasures

forevermore.Psalm 16:11

In Psalm 119, “delight” is used six times and shows us the first step in finding it (verses 16, 35,

69-70, 77, 92, and 174).

The first step in delighting in God is to

delight in His Word.

Delighting in God’s Word leads us to delight in God, and delight in God drives

away fear.

4. Dedicate Your Life to the Lord

Commit your way to the Lord,Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.Psalm 37:5

Cast your burden on the Lord,And He will sustain you;

He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

The helpless commits himself to You;You are a Helper of the fatherless.

Psalm 10:14

[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

When we’ve lost our jobs, our houses, or our savings, and debt or bankruptcy stares us in the face, it’s as if we’re crushed under the weight of a burden too heavy

to bear. We can’t lift it, but God can.

5. Download Your Worry to the Lord

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Psalm 37:7

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

“Do not fret” appears three times in Psalm 37 and once in

Proverbs:Psalm 37:1, 7, and 8

Proverbs 24:19

5 times in Psalm 37 David gives us reason not to envy the prosperous

wicked: Justice will be done; God is not yet finished with them.

Psalm 37:2, 10, 20, 34, and 35-36

There are 2 strategies for facing the future: with fear or with faith.

6. Discipline Yourself to Wait on the Lord

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 37:7

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.Job 13:15

Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11-12

There are 2 kinds of faith: one based on “it” and the other based on “though.”

The first wants results; the second has learned the wisdom of waiting.

Evildoers shall be cut off;But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.Psalm 37:9

Wait on the Lord,And keep His way,

And He shall exalt you to inherit the land.Psalm 37:7

DEPRESSION

FEAR

I.Fears Left Unattended Lead to DepressionII.Common Fears

A. Fear of DeathB. Fear of the Way You Will Die

C. Fear of the Past RecurringD. Fear From Trusting in Things That Don’t Last

1. Physical beauty2. Financial security3. One or more people III.Trusting in The ShepherdA. Psalm 23B. Matthew 5 – 7 (Sermon on the Mount)C. Luke 12:22-34

1. What is the kingdom?2. Is the kingdom important to you?

IV.Learning From MannaV.God’s Answer to Fear

FEAR

Do you recall any fears you had as a new

mother (or father) with a precious - but very tiny and

fragile - baby to care for?

When depression is at its most unrelenting harshness,

paranoia is one of its prime features.

It is frenzied fear; you feel you and your world are falling apart and you’re certain there’s nothing you can do about it.

paranoia -

a tendency on the part of an individual

or group toward excessive or

irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of

others

What do fearful people do when they feel powerless?

I. Fears Left Unattended Lead to Depression

The only way to really quiet your fears is to ___________ them.

And like wolves, since fears run in packs, expect to find more than one.

Packs of fears may include being terrified of:

making a wrong decisionfailing

sufferingbeing exposed

losing a loved onelosing money, a job, or other forms of

securitybeing abandoned, rejected, or alone

not having control

confront

According to Welch, four common fears are:

1.Fear of death2.Fear of the way you will die3.Fear of the past recurring4.Fear from trusting in things that don’t last

II. Common Fears

1 John 3:2 (ESV) Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

John 13-17 Philippians 1:21-232 Corinthians 5:6-8Hebrews 2:14-151 Corinthians 15:22-26

Our response to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ determines our response

to death, especially our own.


II. Common Fears

1 John 4:8:2There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Romans 8:36-39 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


II. Common Fears

Luke 9:62But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 46Psalm 56:3

Psalm 57:4-5


II. Common Fears

Psalm 146:3-5 ESV Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Jeremiah 17:5-12 ESV Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Proverbs 31:30Charm is deceitful and

beauty is passing,But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be

praised.

III. Trusting in The Shepherd

Luke 12:22-24 (ESV)22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. He patiently reasons with those who are

afraid, persuading them to trust Him.

III. Trusting in The Shepherd

Luke 12:7 (NKJV)But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear

therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

He is an intimate friend, who has immense care for you. Our loving

Shepherd will not leave us.

Psalm 121:4 (NKJV)Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Philippians 4:19And my God shall supply all your need

according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

All other loves must be subordinate to our love for Christ.

IV. Learning From Manna

Exodus 16 teaches us to get into a “manna rhythm”: Seek His grace today, be faithful to the tasks in front of us, and trust Him for tomorrow.

V. God’s Answer to Fear

Genesis 26:24Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

Deut. 31:6Do not be afraid or terrified

because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Isaiah 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not dismayed, for I am your God.

Isaiah 49:14-16But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken

me,And my Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,And not have compassion on the son of

her womb?Surely they may forget,Yet I will not forget you.

16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me.

John 14:16-1816 And I will pray the Father, and He

will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever

— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells

with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come

to you.

Matthew 28:20And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.

The resurrection is God’s answer to fear. JESUS IS ALIVE.

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Do You Want to Get Well? John 5:6