Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] All right. Well, I wonder if anyone here has ever suffered from depression.
[00:00:14] Sometimes that just means feeling blue or having a low mood or a sense of melancholy. But sometimes feeling depressed is much darker and heavier.
[00:00:26] What Winston Churchill called his black dog.
[00:00:29] And for Christians, sometimes there's a sense of defeat, because Christians think, you don't go through bad times. So if you're going through a bad time, you must have done something to deserve it. But of course, that's karma. And we don't believe in karma, do we?
[00:00:44] No. Well, some of us don't believe in karma. We don't get what we deserve from God, do we? We get grace, which means it's unearned favor.
[00:00:54] Well, Anyway, last Monday, the 19th of January, it was known as Blue Monday. Did you know that? Because there are people that believe that, that Monday every year is the worst day for depression. And that work goes wrong, families go wrong, things go wrong, and people just get depressed on 19th of January every year.
[00:01:17] Charles Spurgeon was one of the most influential Christian ministers, and he suffered with what he called causeless depression. He's known as the prince of preachers, Spurgeon. But he had this depression throughout his life of ministry. And he once said in a sermon, my spirits were sunken so low that I could weep by the hour like a child, and yet I knew not what I wept for.
[00:01:43] Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, I have of late, but wherefore I know not lost all my mirth forgone all custom of exercise. And indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame the earth seems to me to be sterile.
[00:02:01] David in the Bible wrote this, why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me?
[00:02:09] Psalm 42. 5.
[00:02:11] In other words, what's wrong with me?
[00:02:14] Why am I feeling like this?
[00:02:16] I'm depressed, and in my depression I feel like my prayers are hitting the ceiling and not going any further. I feel like God is not looking at me. He doesn't see me anymore. Those are the feelings that go with depression.
[00:02:31] When Esther asked me to preach this morning, she asked to speak from where the Lord led me and I felt led to address the problem of depression.
[00:02:40] So we're going to be looking at Elijah, whose story can be found in 1 Kings. And this morning we're going to look specifically at 1 Kings 19 and verses 1 to 9. A.
[00:02:52] For those of you who don't know when there's a little A after a verse, it means that we're looking at the first part of the verse only.
[00:02:58] All right.
[00:03:00] Just to help you with your Bible reading.
[00:03:03] So the Bible tells us a bit about Elijah. It says he was a great hero of the Bible.
[00:03:07] We know that in all of Israel he was one of the most revered of all the Old Testament figures. And in the New Testament he even appears with Moses to minister to Jesus at that amazing moment of transformation.
[00:03:21] It's what's called the moment of transfiguration. And you can read about that in Matthew 17:1 5 and Mark 9:2 7. And the accounts of Elijah's life and ministry are full of courageous, even heroic and powerful moments. Such as when he confronted the King of Israel in the royal courts, when he was fed by ravens at the brook, or in his miraculous dealings with the widow at Zarephath.
[00:03:48] And again in the awe inspiring demonstration of the power of worship in the battle of the gods at Mount Carmel.
[00:03:57] But we're also told that not only was he a man of God, but he was also a very ordinary man like us. James 5:17.
[00:04:05] And one of the things I love about the Bible, especially compared to other faiths and other spiritual works, is that the weaknesses of the heroes of the Bible are laid bare.
[00:04:18] All of the heroes of the Bible have flaws. And that encourages me because I know you won't believe this, especially Emma who lives with us, and Alice, my wife. I have flaws.
[00:04:31] I do.
[00:04:33] But the Bible is honest because its heroes other than Jesus are people.
[00:04:40] And we as people have flaws.
[00:04:44] I set some alarms on my watch to keep me going because I started late, I could finish late. Is that right? Half past one.
[00:04:52] Anyway, Elijah had a weakness. And it's in his weakness that most of us can identify with him. How many people can identify with the fact that he was fed by ravens at a brook? How many people can identify that he stood in front of the King of Israel and had a pop at him? None of us can identify. Well, I don't know, maybe you can.
[00:05:12] But I can identify him in his sadness, in his shadow, in his problems, because that's where I see myself. A man who is flawed.
[00:05:23] So when Elijah confronted the prophets of BAAL at Mount Carmel, it was a contest between the prophets that represented BAAL Now, BAAL was the God of rain, the rider in the clouds he was called.
[00:05:36] And Yahweh, the one whom Jesus called Abba Father, to quote some writings about BAAL that were written at the time. BAAL makes his voice heard in the clouds, he shoots forth lightning and sends the beneficent rain.
[00:05:50] Yahweh, of course, is the God who the Bible tells us, sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. So this was a contest between two gods that controlled the rain, and the proof would be in the rain.
[00:06:07] So Elijah had said, my God says there will be no rain until I say so. And there was no rain.
[00:06:13] Then when God told Elijah to tell him that it would rain, the clouds came and drenched the land. This was a demonstration that said, there is no baal, only Yahweh, the one true God. Surely this must have been an encouraging, exciting moment.
[00:06:31] But our episode today deals with what happened to Elijah immediately after that.
[00:06:38] So the reading 1 Kings 19:1 9a from the NIV. Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, maybe may the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.
[00:07:01] Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.
[00:07:05] He's just seen off the baal. He's just seen off their God.
[00:07:10] But he's frightened from what this woman said.
[00:07:13] So anyway, when he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there while he himself went a day's journey into the desert.
[00:07:21] He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die.
[00:07:26] I've had enough, Lord, he said, take my life.
[00:07:30] I am no better than my ancestors.
[00:07:33] Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, get up and eat. He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
[00:07:48] The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. So he got up and ate and drank.
[00:07:58] Strengthened by that food, he traveled for 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave.
[00:08:09] Let's pray. Father. When we read the Bible, we can be interested in the stories that, interested in the characters, interested in the events. But Father, when you add your Holy Spirit to our hearts and our minds, we can discover truth and help and facts and God and the thumbprint of the Holy Spirit. So we pray this morning, Lord, that you would add your spirit to this sermon and that you would help us to open our ears and our hearts and receive everything that you have for us in Jesus name. Amen.
[00:08:45] So right now Elijah is lonely and Depressed.
[00:08:49] It always seems strange when you read this story in the context of the great and powerful and public victory that Elijah had won for God, where he had been obedient at every step. When he had seen God raise the dead in his ministry, he'd seen God control even the weather.
[00:09:07] Yet Elijah was afraid of this woman, Jezebel.
[00:09:10] This led to despair, and in his depression, he crumbled.
[00:09:15] Now, some see this as a reaction to ministerial exhaustion.
[00:09:19] All ministries are exhausting. Anyone who ministers out of passion becomes exhausted spiritually, emotionally, and physically, because you give out an awful lot.
[00:09:32] Although you can be refreshed by ministry, there is another effect, and that can be their backlash that provides a deep tiredness that can SAP your strength. If you want to find a Bible story that deals with both of those things, look no further than Jesus with the woman at the well, where you can see the tiredness of ministry in Jesus, where he sits down by the well and then his disciples go off and get him a sandwich. And when they come back, he's ministered to this woman and he's so transformed that they say to him, did you have some secret food? I think that's a fantastic scripture. Did you have some secret food that we didn't know about? As if Jesus would have a sandwich in his back pocket and not share it with the disciples. He could do wonders with a few crumbs, couldn't he? Yes, Dave.
[00:10:18] Okay, so ask anyone who preaches here if they feel tired after they preached, and most will tell you that they do.
[00:10:27] Ask anyone who ministers as a mentor or a counsellor or a small group leader or a youth leader or a musician or a worship leader, because those are all ministries, aren't they? Yes, Dave. Ask any of them if they feel tired, and most will tell you honestly that they do.
[00:10:46] Most people get tired from their work. But in ministry, there's a spiritual dimension, and that produces sometimes such a deep sense of exhaustion.
[00:10:56] Not necessarily depression, but it creates a vulnerability.
[00:11:02] Some say Elijah had a nervous breakdown. Well, maybe he did. If he was exhausted and then there were threats on his life, maybe something simply snapped.
[00:11:12] Some say that he was bipolar. I don't know all the answers, but I do know that he's shown signs of extreme stress and depression.
[00:11:21] I. And there are lots of people right now included within our fellowship who are dealing with depression.
[00:11:28] Sometimes they think I bear the name of Christ. I can't admit it. I can't admit it to myself or to my friends or to my church, and they find themselves going to a cave where they're lonely and isolated and they're trying to deal with it on their own.
[00:11:45] Sometimes it's simply the effects of the uncertainties of the world situation, some from illness or disease, maybe the changes in tax or the uncertainty of politics. It could be the loss of a loved one, or it could be uncertain employment prospects.
[00:12:02] But for whatever reason, some people are feeling extreme stress and depression today.
[00:12:09] Recently, we've begun to hear people say that they had mental health. I would say they got poor grammar, because it should be surely poor mental health or good mental health. But we've all got mental health of one sort or another, haven't we?
[00:12:23] All right, yes, Dave, good stuff.
[00:12:26] But we do need to maintain good mental health, and that's produced another term, mindfulness.
[00:12:33] Mindfulness is big business, but at least it's in the public arena. And celebrities are talking about their battles with mental health or poor mental health, and that will encourage people to seek help.
[00:12:46] However, if you suffer with high stress and low mood in the real world, many of us suppress these feelings and carry on regardless.
[00:12:55] Which makes it all the more interesting to find out that the Bible addresses mental health issues head on.
[00:13:03] Sue Atkinson writes about depression under these headings, the symptoms of depression. At first, it may be no more than an insidious creeping sadness and lethargy. In mild depression, that may be all that we experience. But there are many levels of depression, from this vague feeling of malaise to extreme symptoms such as hearing voices, hallucinations and suicidal feelings, which sometimes accompany the deepest depressions.
[00:13:29] What does it feel like?
[00:13:30] She says, at its worst, depression is like a thick cloud that comes down on us totally unexpectedly. It's the fear of the deepest darkness. It's like walking alone on the Yorkshire moors at night. It's like living on an alien planet. It's like suddenly and unexpectedly becoming blind, deaf, dumb, paralyzed and penniless. But because you are none of these things, the world expects you to cope, but you can't. And no one can hear you cry. You can speak words, but the world has no way to hear you. You are utterly terrified. You want to evaporate. You want out of life.
[00:14:06] Elijah came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. I've had enough, Lord, he said, take my life. I'm no better than my ancestors.
[00:14:19] So Elijah, the great prophet, seems to have succumbed to depression that stole his peace with God, which robbed him of his motivation, which removed his sense of purpose and destiny, which destroyed his courage and confidence. In Elijah is described by James as just like you and I.
[00:14:35] And just like you and I, he faced disappointment and depression. And just as depression affected Elijah, we too find that depression steals our peace with God. Depression robs us of motivation. Depression removes our sense of purpose and destiny. Depression destroys our courage and confidence.
[00:14:57] So dealing with depression the Cave of Despair There are of course, several pathways or causes that lead to depression. Could be physical, could be mental, medical rather an imbalance in the chemicals of the body, or a disease that threatens to take your life.
[00:15:13] A history of poor decision making, drugs, alcohol, abusive relationships, poor marriage choices, poor financial choices, or all of those things can lead you into depression, circumstantial illness, job 10:1 loneliness. And Elijah certainly felt lonely when only poor financial options are available to you, such as in our present day, cost of living crisis and real terms pay cuts.
[00:15:40] But it can also be spiritual. From the mountaintops of blessing and clear vision to valleys where the shadow of death looms and darkens our vision, and the floor is littered with dry bones of disappointed faith.
[00:15:55] Respected Christian counselor Lawrence Crabbe says that what we need is security, significance and self worth.
[00:16:03] Now, Jesus received this from his Father at two of the most critical times of his life. At his baptism, just before he began his life's work, and at the Mount of Transfiguration just before he began the most difficult part of his life work. He heard the Father say, this is my son security, whom I love and with whom I am well pleased. Self worth. In fact, Luke and Mark record it much more personally. You are my son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased. In both cases, Jesus had tasks to do, but he established peace with God through this statement of security, significance and worth. He had clear motivation for God so loved the world. John 3:16 Therefore, the motivation for Jesus is always love.
[00:16:56] He knew his purpose. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15 he knew his destiny. I am coming to you now. John 17:13 and he displayed courage and confidence to fulfill his life. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the skull and here they crucified him. John 19:17 18 so how do we deal with our depression?
[00:17:24] Well, we have to change our thinking.
[00:17:27] Rick Warren writes, to change your life you have to change the way you think. Be careful how you think you your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 Imagine a speedboat with an automatic pilot that is set to go to a specific place in a specific direction, but you decide that you want to go somewhere else. How can you get to somewhere else. Well, you can wrestle with the steering wheel, you can put all of your effort into it, and you can force it to go in the opposite direction. But from where the autopilot is programmed to go. By sheer willpower and strength, you might be able to overcome the autopilot, but you would feel constant resistance. Your arms would eventually tire of the stress, you'd let go and the boat would instantly head back the way it was internally programmed.
[00:18:20] This is what happens to us when we try to change our life by just concentrating and trying and wrestling with it.
[00:18:30] Forcing our willpower to say, I'll force myself to eat less, exercise more, quit being disorganized, quit being late for everything.
[00:18:40] Yes, willpower can produce short term change, but it creates constant internal battles. Because you haven't dealt with the root cause, the change doesn't feel natural. So eventually you give up, go off your diet, quit exercising, and you quickly revert to your old ways and life patterns.
[00:19:01] But there is an easier and better way.
[00:19:05] Change the way you think, for that's your autopilot. The Bible says, let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12, 2b in the NLT, the way you think influences the way you feel, and the way you feel influences the way you act. There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. So learn to think like Jesus, and when you find yourself in a spiritual cave, seek him.
[00:19:36] When we spend time with God in a quiet place, we can change our thinking. We can steer a new course, we can renew our peace with God, restore our motivation for life and love. We can rediscover our purpose and destiny, and then we can step into them and with courage and confidence, as our relationship with Jesus defines who we are.
[00:20:00] When Elijah was hidden with the cave, I think this is really fascinating.
[00:20:06] God gave him space and nourishment.
[00:20:09] He was reminding him that he was a person with identity and dignity, something that Elijah had forgotten.
[00:20:17] God told Elijah then, and he tells us now, that we are not hopeless failures.
[00:20:22] Rather, we are servants of the most High God. And there's acceptance, hope and dignity in that identity.
[00:20:31] So what about dealing with loneliness?
[00:20:34] Being lonely is not the same as being alone. People can be lonely in company, even in marriage. People can get into a lonely state of mind. And this is where Elijah was.
[00:20:45] But this was his opinion, it wasn't fact.
[00:20:48] In his opinion, he was isolated. In his opinion, he was alone. But actually that wasn't true.
[00:20:56] He had a conversational relationship with God, which is pretty remarkable. But like all of us. He needed other people too.
[00:21:03] God reminded him that there were other prophets just like him. But in the cave, in his immediate situation, he was alone with his thoughts and with God. You know, depression steals your joy while loneliness holds its coat.
[00:21:20] Loneliness is often opinion, not fact. If you're a Christian, then you're never alone. Jesus has promised that he will never leave you and he will never desert you. If you're part of a church family, then there are people who will love you and support you if you let them.
[00:21:37] And that is the key.
[00:21:39] You must connect with both God and with people.
[00:21:42] And that is partly in your power. You know, if we as a church individually have the Holy Spirit within us, then collectively that's a powerful force.
[00:21:53] And if you're struggling with depression and loneliness, look around you today, because the people in this room have the Holy Spirit and they're your family.
[00:22:03] You don't need to be alone. I know when you go to bed and you're alone, there's nothing anybody can do about that.
[00:22:11] But in your life, in your thoughts, in your waking moments, look around you. There are people here that are committed to you.
[00:22:20] But if you don't let them help you, how will they ever help you? We've just put two positions, people in the position of pastoral care leaders.
[00:22:29] How can they help you if they don't know you need help?
[00:22:34] Sometimes in loneliness and depression, we find ourselves rehearsing the past, having intrusive thoughts that go over past hurts, past traumas and past events.
[00:22:44] But even positive events are rarely as you remember them. With the passing of time, whatever you remember about the past, you can never recapture it.
[00:22:54] So there is a pathway of disappointment. Looking back, it won't help just thinking, if I've got time. Some people try to deal with their depression and loneliness by maintaining a daily to do list and set priorities. I think it's quite helpful because even if you do the small things, you can celebrate the small things. And that can build up, but it isn't enough on its own.
[00:23:21] Other people try to escape through a new experience.
[00:23:24] Going shopping, I mean, yeah, I know some people find shopping a happy time. Some people like looking at stuff they can't afford. You know, window shopping. That doesn't do me any good at all. But I know people that enjoy it and spend a whole day doing it while I find the Costa and read a book.
[00:23:46] There just isn't enough money to buy off depression. Like the Beatles sang, money can't buy me love.
[00:23:52] Still others try to escape by getting high with drugs or Alcohol. Some use food to punish or reward themselves. But this never solves problems. And in the end, it becomes a problem in itself.
[00:24:05] And some others just give up. They become convinced that there's no possible cure.
[00:24:11] And in many respects, that's the saddest story of all.
[00:24:14] Yet the Bible repeatedly makes it clear that that our joy is to be complete, that joy is a gift from God, but to live in it. There are several things that we can be aware of.
[00:24:28] Joy is a grace gift. It's undeserved, but we do have to consciously connect with it, with God and with other people.
[00:24:39] Sometimes we all need God with skin on. Do you know what I mean? We. We need a bit more than a biblical theory.
[00:24:46] We need a bit more than just being around people when they don't know where we're at. They can't connect with us. We need God with skin on. We need to know people, real people. We have to have real people in our lives that can express the values and the ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit.
[00:25:06] There are no shortcuts. If you're going to climb out of the valley of loneliness, there are no shortcuts. It takes work, but it's worth it. In fact, I found in my life that anything worth having is worth working for.
[00:25:21] Reprogram your mind by reading and investing scripture in your soul.
[00:25:27] Proverbs 23:7. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Isaiah 43:18. Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. See, See, I'm doing a new thing now. It springs up. Do you not perceive it?
[00:25:42] Do you know that God is doing a new thing right now?
[00:25:45] Right now? And there's evidence of it.
[00:25:48] Young people are coming to church.
[00:25:52] Young people are interested in God in a way that hasn't happened for I don't know how long, not in my lifetime.
[00:25:59] God is doing a new thing, and we can either observe it or be part of it. God always gives us the opportunity to be part of it.
[00:26:08] Romans 12:2. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You know, conforming to the pattern of this world means that you keep a foot in the world.
[00:26:21] You're worried about what the people of the world think about you. And there was a church in Essex, used to call them worldlings. I thought it was a brilliant, brilliant name. What the worldlings think of you, it doesn't matter.
[00:26:33] As it was said earlier on, we do things for an audience of one. We do things for God.
[00:26:41] So be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.
[00:26:50] Philippians 4:8 finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. I think that's the most helpful advice in all of this area.
[00:27:09] John 10:10 the thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. You know, when I was an immature Christian, I thought that was that thief comes to steal and kill and destroy was talking about life, you know, the whole life, the person.
[00:27:26] But it's not. He's talking about destroying your joy, destroying your identity, stealing your peace and your joy.
[00:27:35] But Jesus says, I've come that they may have life and have it to the full.
[00:27:39] Psalm 91:12 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. What a contrast.
[00:27:52] You know, in Psalm 23, it says about the valley of the shadow of death.
[00:27:59] And I know that shadows have no substance. You know that, don't you? You know, there's shadows all over the place here. You can walk through them. There's nothing there. It's an illusion. A shadow is not a solid thing. It's just nothing.
[00:28:12] So when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you can be confident, because death is not going to be able to do anything to you because it's just a shadow. It's not substantial. There's nothing to it. But here you're resting in the shadow of the Almighty, in the valley of death. Death must be near and blocking the sun to cast a shadow. But here God is near enough that you walk. And it means in the shelter of the Almighty.
[00:28:41] It's extremely important to take time out for your relationship with God.
[00:28:46] You know, lots of people struggle to read the Bible.
[00:28:48] Lots of people struggle to be able to make it make sense.
[00:28:52] But on Thursdays, there's an opportunity for you to interact with the Bible.
[00:28:58] I encourage you to set your Thursday night aside, schedule it in your Bible, in your diary, and be there. Listen, converse, if you get the opportunity, talk about it.
[00:29:11] You know, Jesus sat down when he was in the temple because he was going to talk about the Scripture. He didn't preach sermons like this. Well, he did sometimes, but mostly he sat down and he talked to people.
[00:29:24] That's where you really learn. I think.
[00:29:27] So. Don't wait until you repeat Elijah's experience from fear and poor mental health. If you're going to grow in your faith, you need to spend time with the Lord.
[00:29:36] This will not happen unless you actually do even schedule your devotional time.
[00:29:45] A good devotional life will impact the success or failure of your development of faith.
[00:29:51] Elijah retreated from the world that was hurting him into a cave of despair.
[00:29:56] But he did not go there alone and unequipped, as he thought he had. He went there with his relationship with God, bruised but intact.
[00:30:05] Notice that God was with him in the cave, but did not speak at first.
[00:30:11] Sometimes when we're depressed, it's not conversation we need. We don't need people telling us to sort ourselves out.
[00:30:19] Sometimes we need what God gave Elijah simple companionship.
[00:30:25] Companionship erases loneliness.
[00:30:29] Wouldn't it be wonderful if all our problems could be subjected to one powerful roar of deliverance? The wind went past the mouth of the cave, but God's voice was not in the wind.
[00:30:41] Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could smash our issues with the strength of the wind, of the Spirit, of God, if we would breathe this ruach breath of God and pulverize those issues that seem to keep us in the cave?
[00:30:55] But that's not what happened to Elijah.
[00:30:58] Some therapists say, empty your mind.
[00:31:01] The Bible says, take every thought captive. We would love the power of God to wipe out our issues, but instead God says, come to me, all who are weary, burdened, depressed, devastated, crushed, broken, and I will give you rest.
[00:31:17] Take up my burden, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Notice he doesn't say, lay on the hammock and wait for everything to feel better. But he says, take up my burden. Retain your purpose. Retain your understanding that faith isn't just a negative thing, it's an active thing.
[00:31:39] So there will be no major solution to the suffering of humanity until we reach some understanding of who we are, what the purpose of creation was, and what happens after death until those questions are resolved, says Woody Allen, we're caught.
[00:31:55] Elijah had witnessed the amazing power of God in miraculous provision, miraculous events in raising a young man from the dead in the battle with the prophets of BAAL at Mount Carmel. Yet he had felt the crushing sickness of depression when Jezebel declared a venom when he ran. God began with companionship rather than conversation, and then gave him dignity, rest, food and space.
[00:32:23] Are you depressed?
[00:32:25] Are you in a cave? You really, truly can know the companionship of God. He's with you.
[00:32:31] When David wrote that verse that I described earlier, he finished it by saying this.
[00:32:36] Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me, therefore I will remember you. Psalm 42, 5, 6.
[00:32:48] You can only live in the therefore if you take every thought captive and change your way of thinking.
[00:32:57] Let me finish with some practical steps you can take.
[00:33:00] They're easy. Feed the ducks, go fishing, watch a sunrise, find something to do in nature and allow the restorative power of God's creation to touch your soul.
[00:33:14] In other words, remember God.
[00:33:18] Look for someone who needs help and then help them, minister to them. In other words, remember God.
[00:33:25] When we're depressed, we become very self focused. It's natural to focus on where we hurt, so don't beat yourself up about that. But helping someone else helps us to see our own situation much more clearly.
[00:33:40] Practice self care. Take advantage of all that mindfulness material that's out there. Rest when you're tired, eat when you're hungry. Hydrate and get fresh air and exercise. But everything that you do, remember God.
[00:33:55] Find some promises in God's word and start applying them to your situation.
[00:33:59] Remember God. Put on the garment of praise. If you know some worship songs you like, put play them, listen to them and worship to them.
[00:34:08] Praise him.
[00:34:10] There's a song written by Brandon Lake called Heartfelt Hallelujah. I have found it so helpful, so, so helpful, especially when you're singing with Jelly Roll. Now Jelly Roll is a new Christian and a lot of the stuff he does swears a lot, he's a bit sweary, but he's got some worshiping stuff and it's phenomenal.
[00:34:30] But in whatever pathway you choose, take David's advice. Remember God. Put your hope in him, praise him, and now allow his Holy Spirit to be your companion and then lead you out of your cave. Now I'm going to pray and close, but I want to point out, you know, when the Spirit is involved with stuff, then often when you're a preacher, you find that there is something else happens in the service which confirms your sermon.
[00:34:58] Now, preaching on depression is not a popular sermon. There's not many people that preach on depression.
[00:35:05] But this morning when we came in, we sang a worship song that talks about depression. In fact, it confirms my sermon. Do you know what it was?
[00:35:18] As long as I'm breathing, I've got a reason to praise the Lord. It starts with Praise in the valley. That's the opening line.
[00:35:26] You know what a valley is?
[00:35:29] It speaks to doubt, praise when I'm doubting, praise when I'm not feeling like praising, declaring that God is in control.
[00:35:38] That exactly refers to what I'm saying to you today.
[00:35:43] No matter whether you feel great on the mountaintop, by the way, you can't live on a mountaintop. You know that, don't you?
[00:35:50] Do you know that? I don't know if you know that. You can't live on Mount Everest. At the top of Mount Everest, there's a place called the death zone where people die.
[00:35:59] But when you're on top of a mountain, you could see for miles. But you're going to have to come down into the valley.
[00:36:05] You know, a valley is usually carved by water. You know that.
[00:36:10] And at the bottom of a valley there's a stream.
[00:36:13] If you ever get lost on Dartmoor or, or anywhere, get down off the mountaintop. Because in the valley there's shelter, and in the valley there's likely to be water. And if you follow a stream downstream, you're going to come to a settlement. Because villages are always built near a river because they need the water.
[00:36:34] What does the Bible describe as water?
[00:36:37] It talks about living water, doesn't it? But it also talks about the Holy Spirit as water.
[00:36:43] You cannot live on the mountain. Now, our young leaders have all gone to a mountaintop experience. They're going to go to that conference and they're going to be blessed up and they're going to be excited and fired up. But you know, they can't live there.
[00:36:57] They've got to come back to where real life is and they've got to carry that blessing with them. You can't live on the mountaintop. There's not enough oxygen and there might be a death zone.
[00:37:08] So come down to the valleys. That's where we all live, in the shelter and the refreshment of the river. Now I've definitely overrun, but it was the Holy Spirit made me do it. So let me pray, and then I'm going to hand over. Matt, are you going to finish with a.
[00:37:24] Oh, he's going to re. Preach my sermon, but okay.
[00:37:27] Father, I pray for people here today that are feeling low, melancholy, depressed, isolated, lonely, in despair, in a cave.
[00:37:37] Father, I pray for the promise of your sermon through me this morning that they can find the companionship of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and that there are people around them that love them and that are totally for them.
[00:37:54] So release your blessing, lord, in Jesus name, amen. If anybody is struggling and you just like some prayer or you'd like some conversation. Then come forward and we could challenge our new pastoral care team to look after us. Can't we?
[00:38:12] Or somebody? Amen.
[00:38:15] Amen. Don't. Just leave it. Don't try to dwell in the cave, Phil.
