DELIEVERENCE FROM THE DUNGEON OF DEPRESSION
How to Deal with How you Feel • Sermon • Submitted
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SERMON: DELIVERENCE FROM THE DUNGEON OF DEPRESSION
TEXT: 1 KINGS 19:1-18
1 Kings 19:1-18 (ESV)
1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”
3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.”
8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
15 And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.
17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.
18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
INTRODUCTION
The dark dungeon of depression has had more than a few of us on lockdown. All kinds of folks Know what it is to spend time in that dungeon.
· The big shots, the little shots and those who seem to have no shot
· The down and out, the out and out and even the up and out
· The famous, the infamous and the forgotten
I think I ought to tell somebody money can’t protect you from the dungeon of depression. You can be popular and still end up in the dungeon. You can be educated, sophisticated, and assimilated and the dungeon of depression will still make room for you.
Some of history’s greatest and brightest spent time in the dungeon of depression. Winston Churchill, a virtual unanimous pick for the Greatest Leader of the early 20th century, spent time in this dungeon. Abraham Lincoln, considered by many this country’s greatest President, was not a stranger to the dungeon of depression.
Even great men of faith in the biblical record spent time in this dungeon. Moses, the law giver knew this dungeon. Job whose bright day of hope, health and prosperity quickly became a dark night of despair, pain and misery, was real familiar with this dungeon.
In the text before us we discover that Prince of the Prophets who spoke and a draught covered the land, prayed and fire came down from heaven, stood and false prophets fell, even Elijah went to the dungeon of depression.
Psychiatrists suggest that depression is the result of biological and social forces that in a complex setting act detrimentally on the person’s nervous system functions. This we are told changes a person’s behavior, feelings, tones and thoughts.
To be clear, some depression is caused by biochemical changes in the body. The majority of cases of depression is not physiological. Most cases of depression is emotional. There are over 8 million American’s whose depression is so deep that they are forced to seek a doctor’s help.
By examining this incident in the life of the Prophet Elijah we will discover how to find deliverance from the dungeon of depression. As we unpack the passage to uncover the principles there are three truths threaded into the tapestry of the text. They form the substance of the sermon and offers the homiletical hinges on which this message swings. Notice Analyzing the Sources, Assessing the Symptoms and Applying the Solutions.
I. ANALYZING THE SOURCES OF DEPRESSION
When dealing with depression there is no deliverance from this dungeon without a clear understanding of what the source of the depression is.
1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”
3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
A. FORGETFULNESS- Let me set this text in its contextual setting. Elijah had just come from Mt. Carmel where he experienced a great victory, a tremendous conquest against the false prophets of Baal. He had just witnessed the mighty moving of God, but now at the threats of Jezebel whose lips were dripping with the venom of brutality, Elijah runs for his life.
This same Prophet who stood as a lion before 450 false prophets now runs like what we used to call a scardy cat because he is threatened by Jezebel. In the heat and hostility of this threat Elijah simply forgot about God. He forgot about the:
· Presence
· Power
· Promise
· Protection of God
Elijah was concentrating on the promise of pain from Jezebel instead of the promise of protection from Jehovah. I declare that is often our story. We often forget about God in a moment of crisis. We see our:
· Burdens but not our benefactor
· Problems not God’s power
· Struggles not the strength of our Savior
I think I ought to tell somebody you will spend time in the dungeon of depression if when crises happens you forget about God. When you forget about God your burdens appear bigger than they are. When you forget about God you mountains seem more unmovable than they are. Your problems seem more unsolvable than they are, and your issues seem more impossible than they are.
If you have been a Christian for any length of time you have already experienced the powerful presence of God in your life. I’m talking to people who know God has:
· Lifted you up out of your hospital bed
· Comforted you at the graveside of a loved one
· Sent you mortgage money from somewhere when you didn’t know how you were going to pay it.
The Hymnologist spoke for me “Once I was sick, thought I couldn’t get well, God healed my body, now I have a story to tell, there is no failure in God….” Yes, oh yes, hallelujah yes, there is not failure in God.
Don’t let some threatening Jezebel cause you to forget about God. Don’t allow any challenging crisis, difficult demands or stressful situation to cause you to have amnesia and forget about God.
B. FEAR- Fear can take you to the dungeon of depression. The text says Elijah “went for his life…” Why did Elijah run? He ran because he was afraid. I think I ought to tell you fear like faith is a reaction. Faith is a reaction to God’s promises and results in courage. Fear is a reaction to life’s problems and results in cowardice. Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
As a child growing up I used to like the cartoon Underdog. Underdog had a catch phrase, “have no fear, Underdog is here.” I can’t speak for Underdog but I can declare about God, “have no fear God is here.” Yes, oh yes, hallelujah yes, God is here.
C. FATIGUE- Just being flat out, bone weary, tired can take you to the dungeon of depression. The bible says Elijah ran from Jezreel to Beersheba, a distance of some 200 miles. He must have been totally exhausted, there was no Gatorade, no 5 hour energy, and no Red Bull. The Prophet was just worn out.
Have you ever been there where the demands of your schedule and the dimension of your strength were not on the same page? I declare fatigue can mess with you emotionally, physically, mentally and even spiritually.
II. ASSESSING THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
There is a difference between the source of depression and its symptoms. You must always start with treating the source but recognizing the symptoms can help you understand what you are experiencing.
A. DETACHMENT- The bible says Elijah journeyed into the wilderness by himself, leaving his servant behind. His isolation only served to increase his frustration, if he is anything like the rest of us.
Elijah made the mistake that many people make, he left those who could be a source of encouragement and isolated himself. How often have you been so depressed that you didn’t feel like fooling with anyone, you went down into the basement, turned out all the lights and started listening to BB King?
B. DESPONDENCY- The text says Elijah was so despondent that he started wishing he were dead. Listen to me if you get down, if you get despondent, if you get depressed enough, you won’t think straight. He didn’t really want to die, that’s why he ran. If he wanted to die all he had to do was stand still, Jezebel had already promised to take care of that.
Elijah was dealing with a pervasive and invasive pessimism. He had a sense of hopelessness. He had lost his desire to go on. He just felt like giving in and giving up. Sometimes it is what people say to you or do to you that puts you in that pitiful place.
I know I must be talking to someone this morning who knows what that feels like. I heard of a guy who was so despondent that he said, “ I would shoot myself but I would hate to waste the bullet.”
C. DEFEAT- Elijah got so down that he started feeling inferior and that there was no one else on his side. I think I can hear how depression talks, “ I tried so hard, I tried to be faithful but I have failed.” Hear me when I tell you, the devil is a liar. We are not depressed because we are defeated. We are often defeated because we feel depressed.
Elijah was having eye trouble, all he could see was himself. He was wrapped up in his own problems, tied up in his own feelings and caught up in his own thoughts.
Oh my brothers and sisters there are a whole lot of Christians who walk around with some kind of persecution complex they declare:
· Nothing is going right
· Everything is a mess
· No one else is trying but me
· No one else is working but me
· No one else even cares but me
III. APPLYING THE SOLUTIONS TO DEPRESSION
I declare applying God’s word to our problems or our pain is the solution to depression.
A. PHYSICAL- Elijah got on the road to recovery by taking care of himself physically. 1 Kings 19:5-6 (ESV)
5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again.
Elijah need some rest and he need some nourishment. I declare this is an important lesson to learn. When you are feeling depressed make sure you are getting the proper rest you need. Make sure you are eating right. When we are tired and fatigued we can become vulnerable to the devil’s devices. You don’t make the best decisions when you are fatigued.
B. PRACTICAL- God comes to Elijah and in a practical way challenges him to redirect his focus. 1 Kings 19:9-11 (ESV)
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
It would be interesting and instructive if we knew where God placed His emphasis when talking to Elijah. Did God say, “what are you doing here?” I mean of all the people in the world what are you, Elijah doing here? You showed such commitment, courage and confidence on Mt. Carmel, now look at you.
Or Perhaps God said “what are you doing here?” Of all the places you could be doing the work of your ministry you are hiding in a cave. What are you doing here Elijah? This is not the place of God’s purpose for you, what are you doing here.
I wonder have you ever found yourself someplace you knew was not the will of God for you. Maybe I’m talking to someone right now and you know where you are is not where God wants you to be.
In a very practical way God caused Elijah to stop focusing on himself and gave him an assignment. When Elijah stopped focusing on himself and started focusing on his mission, he was on his way out of the dungeon of depression.
If you listen even in your dungeon of depression God will show up and speak to you and challenge you to serve Him. He always steps in:
· When all hope has fled
· When all doors are shut
· When the burden is heaviest
· When the night is darkest
· When the storm is severest
Don’t just listen for God in the exciting and the dramatic. Sometimes God speaks in a still small voice. Some people are more interested in the thrilling of the Spirit than the filling of the Spirit.
If you listen to the voice of God you will discover He has power conditions can’t cancel and situations can’t subdue. You don’t have to stay depressed because God’s:
· Light still shines
· Love still lives
· Hope still stands
· Joy still radiates
· Word still supports
· Grace still saves
· Hands still blesses
· Power still delivers
Conclusion
I still believe in God’s delivering power. I believe that SOMEWHERE AND SOMEHOW AT GOD’S ON TIME:
· HE WILL FIX WHAT IS BROKEN
· HE WILL HEAL WHAT IS HURTING
· HE WILL LIFT WHAT IS FALLEN
· HE WILL STRENGTHEN WHAT IS WEAK
· HE WILL BRIGHTEN WHAT IS BLEAK
· DARKNESS WILL GIVE WAY TO DAY
· THE CROCKED PATHWAY WILL BE MADE STRAIGHT
· THE DEVIL WILL BE FOREVER DEEATED
· THE WICKED WILL CEASE FROM TROUBLING
THE WEARY WILL BE AT REST