1. Dealing with
Discouragement

2. Most of us become discouraged at times
People let us down
Rejection of the gospel
Frustration and anxiety
Lack of progress
Criticism
Failures

3. Did Jesus Become Discouraged?
A debated question
Isaiah 53:3, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Isaiah 42:4, “…He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”” Discouraged in this text means “crushed, broken”

4. Did Jesus Become Discouraged?
Jesus faced many occasions where He COULD HAVE been discouraged
John 6:67, “Do you also want to go away?”
Luke 9:41, , “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?”
Mark 14:34, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death…”

5. Did Jesus Become Discouraged?
Jesus faced many occasions where He COULD HAVE been discouraged
The arguing and weak faith of His apostles
Everything He endured around the cross
Matthew 23:37-39, , “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets…”

6. Did Jesus Become Discouraged?
Discouragement happens
But HOW you deal with it determines right or wrong. How we let it affect us is important.
Hebrews 12:3
Whether or not Jesus become discouraged, we can learn from Him how to deal with discouragement and/or how to avoid it! (The answer to both is the same)

7. Jesus and Discouragement
He never gave up
He endured. 1 Pet. 2:21-23, Luke 2:49, John 9:4
John 17:4, “I have finished the work…” John 19:30, “It is finished”

8. Jesus and Discouragement
We must never give up
Galatians 6:9
Hebrews 10:36
Matthew 10:22
Romans 2:7, “patient continuance in doing good…”
James 5:7-8

9. Jesus and Discouragement
He taught us to take a wider view
John 4:35
John 14:1-3
We need to remember the “bigger picture”
Genesis 50:20
1 Kings 19:18, Elijah was not alone
2 Timothy 4:17
God is in control – 1 John 4:4, 5:4

10. Jesus and Discouragement
He kept busy
Acts 10:38 Luke 4:43, Matt. 10:11-15 John 9:4
Keeping busy can keep us from dwelling on failures, etc. We have plenty to do.
Don’t stay in the pig pen – cf. Luke 15:15-19

11. Jesus and Discouragement
He associated with the godly
Prov. 27:17
John 6:67, note Peter’s answer. Cf. Luke 22:43
We need each other
2 Corinthians 7:6 – Paul comforted
Hebrews 12:12-13, 1 Thess. 5:14
Hebrews 10:24-25

12. Jesus and Discouragement
He prayed
Often – Mark 1:35, Matt. 14:23, Luke 5:16, 6:12
Luke 18:1, “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”
We need prayer
1 Thess. 5:17, Heb. 4:16, Philippians 4:6-7

13. rule over our emotions rather than letting them rule us
Let us determine to
rule over our emotions rather than letting them rule us