Mastering Life Before It’s Too Late
Sermon # 11: The Art of Strengthening Yourself
1 Samuel 30: 6
Text Scripture:
1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning
him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for
his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Intro:
 You will recognize the text scripture as a portion of the story of King David
and his Ziklag experience.
 David and his men had been temporarily aligned with the Philistines
 When they returned home to Ziklag, the Amalekites had raided and
plundered the village and kidnapped all their families
 In the midst of their fatigue, grief, anger, and despair, David’s men spoke
of stoning him to death
 So, when David had no one to turn to - or - no one to encourage him – he
encouraged himself in the Lord!
This is the thesis of tonight’s lesson: Learning How to Encourage (Or
Strengthen) Ourselves in the Lord!
You may remember that, in the first sermon I preached when I took over as your
Interim Pastor, I told you about Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane.
Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane was born when in Pennsylvania just as the Confederates
took Fort Sumter and the War Between the States broke out.
 He became a surgeon.
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 He became convinced that too many of his colleagues were putting people to
sleep to perform surgery - when a localized anesthesia would suffice just
fine.
 He was particularly convinced of this regarding appendectomies.
 He would go on to perform nearly 4,000 appendectomies using only
localized anesthesia.
 However, as he prepared to perform his first appendectomy, using only
localized anesthesia, he gather many of his colleagues in the operating room
with him, both to observe and help, if necessary.
 He applied the localized anesthesia, started slicing through layers of skin and
tissues, found the appendix, removed it, and sewed the man up.
 The surgery went well, and the patient assured the surgical team he had only
experienced minor discomfort.
 The patients name?
 Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane!
 Propping himself up on the gurney and using mirrors, he performed
surgery on himself!
As we go through life, we sometimes become infected and inflamed by
certain unhealthy attitudes, toxic habits, and “infectious” sins –
often requiring that we operate on ourselves!
1: The Art of Strengthening Oneself in the Lord is the Greatest of All
Spiritual Disciplines
 We’re exposed to a lot of Spiritual contamination.
 We easily succumb to:
o Depression
o Anger
o Anxiety (Why do we get anxious? Life is going to play out as God
wills!)
o Discouragement
o Judgmentalism
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o And Bitterness.
 But one of the greatest realizations We Must Come To as a Christian
is: We cannot always depend others to “fix us!”
 People will disappoint you and let you down (David experience this!)
 We’re all human
 We all fail
 THEREFORE – WE HAVE TO LEARN TO OPERATE UPON –
REPAIR – AND STRENGTHEN - OURSELVES!
o I must come to the point in my Christian experience and walk
with God where – my joy is NOT derived from you, your approval,
your validation, or your actions.
o I must come to the point where my joy comes from me “doing
the things for myself” that “keep me in right standing with
God” - and ENCOURAGING MYSELF - IN HIM!
 The same is true of you!
 And sometimes this means we - under the guidance of the Great
Physician - have to operate on ourselves!
We have to:
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Open ourselves up
Take an honest look (I said an honest look!)
Improve ourselves
Talk to ourselves
Encourage ourselves
Make our own changes
 Remove any “infected attitude” or an “inflamed habit”
 And help ourselves become healthier (Wanting somebody else to
do it for us!)
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Psalms 62:5-8 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from
him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be
moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my
refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before
him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Psalms 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy
name.
The writers of these two Psalms were NOT:
 Praying to God
 Talking to their readers
 They were ADDRESSING THEIR OWN SOULS!
 They were “operating on” and “encouraging themselves” in the
Lord!
The Prophet Jeremiah did this:
He wrote, “My soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I
have hope: Because of the Lord’s love we are not consumed, for his compassions
never fail. They are new every morning!” Lamentations 3: 20-23
The preacher preached to himself!
 Yes! It’s good to have friends who encourage us!
 Yes! We need friends to encourage us!
The story of David and Jonathan is the Bible’s “Classic Tale of Friendship!”
 Jonathan, caught between loyalty for his father and love toward David,
tried to reconcile the two
 He failed
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 And in the process, he put his friend’s life in even greater damage (Sound
familiar? Sometimes our best, most well-intentioned efforts –
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backfire!) (My truck!)
David fled the Armies of Israel
In one low moment he lost his nerve
His faith nearly collapsed
But 1 Samuel 23:16-18 says, “And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to
David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto
him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou
shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my
father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David
abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.”
Listen to me:
 Sometimes I’m Jonathan: An Encourager
 More often I’m David: The one who needs encouragement!
 Sometimes you’re Jonathan: An Encourager
 Sometimes you’re David: The one who needs encouragement!
However, the truth is that all of us need to learn to: Encourage Ourselves in
the Lord!
1: The Art of Strengthening Oneself in the Lord is the Greatest of All Spiritual
Disciplines
2: The Art of Strengthening Oneself in the Lord Means Learning to Look at
Thing as God Sees Them
2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
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18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal.
Strengthening ourselves in the Lord means:
 Refocusing from the temporary – to the eternal
 Refocusing from “The Situation at hand” to “The God Who has all
things in His hand!”
 It’s a matter of changing our PERSPECTIVE to His
 This is what it means to “Encourage Yourself in the Lord!”
When we start looking at things like God does; (Which is the
essence of wisdom!)
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Hope returns
Patience is renewed
Fellowship is restored
Behavior is corrected! (Never change what you tolerate)
Instead of rehearsing our problems to anybody we can get to listen, we learn
to diagnose, treat, and heal ourselves! (Nobody else will do it for us!)
This is the key to emotional self-sufficiency and Spiritual stamina!
How do we do this?
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If it’s sin we’re battling – by reminding ourselves - of God’s commands
If it’s self-pity – by reminding ourselves - of His cross
If it’s embittering anger – by ourselves - of His grace
If it’s despair – by reminding ourselves - of His hope and His heaven
If it’s ingratitude – by reminding ourselves - of His blessings
If it’s anxiety – by reminding ourselves - of His Providential power
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Often, with Bible in hand, we need to turn to God in prayer and say, “Lord, I’m
facing something I cannot handle. And I need “a right verse” “right now!”
If you go to the surgical suite of the local hospital – you’ll find scalpels, scissors,
calipers, forceps, retractors, hooks, sponges, sutures, and a tray full of other
sanitized, specialized tools.
But when we perform Spiritual surgery upon ourselves, all we really need is His
Word:
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of
the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
His Word helps us regain the proper perspective!
1: The Art of Strengthening Oneself in the Lord is the Greatest of All Spiritual
Disciplines
2: The Art of Strengthening Oneself in the Lord Means Learning to Look at Thing
as God Sees Them
3: The Art of Strengthening Oneself in the Lord Means Learning to Separate
Our Emotions and Attitudes From God’s Will, Way, and Word
 My brother-in-law says, “Emotions have an IQ of zero.”
 He’s right.
 But we all have them and experience them!
What are some negative “emotions and attitudes” we experience?
Aggression, Ambivalence, Anger, Apathy, Anxiety, Confusion, Contempt,
Depression, Doubt, Envy, Embarrassment, Frustration, Grief, Guilt, Hatred,
Horror, Hostility, Hysteria, Loneliness, Paranoia, Pity, Pride, Rage, Regret,
Remorse, Shame, Suffering, and Sympathy. (Just to name a few!)
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As a Christian - how can we deal with these?
Exercise:
 Take a sheet of paper
 Draw a horizontal line down the middle of the paper
 List the negative emotions and attitudes you’re dealing with - on the left side
of the paper
 List Bible verses that address those emotions and attitudes - on the right side
 Pray, “Lord, I’m on the left side of the page. You’re on the right. Help me
step over the line and be where You are!
*The only way of growing a stronger faith is by CONSISTENTLY focusing our
attention on GOD’S PROMISES – as we deal with our PROBLEMS AND
PERILS!
Close:
God gave the Children of Israel a promise:
Deuteronomy 33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall
thy strength be.
This promise is quite simply: Whatever a day may bring into our lives – God will
provide the strength we need to cope with it and be successful for Him.
This is how we encourage ourselves in the Lord – by keeping our minds on His
promises and His provisions – instead of our problems!
Preached: 7-22-15 @ Teaver Raod Baptist Church LaGrange, Georgia