Audio Sermon: Desperation

Some spiritual disciplines are for training and others are for treating an injury or sickness. Psalm 42 is about
treating a sickness. The sickness the Psalmist is experiencing is that he is feeling spiritually stale, flat or out of touch with God. He is experiencing spiritual dryness & deadness. He is desperate for God!

In this message, Pastor, Ray Davis looks at diagnosis, the risk factors and how to treat spiritual dryness.

Diagnosis

1. It is a spiritual condition of dryness.
2. It is not unbelief, but a loss of the reality of God in your life.
3. It can happen to me even when I am doing all the right things.
4. It is a test of whether I will be a person of commitment.

Risk Factors

1. Physical issues. [1 Tim. 4:8; 5:23; 1 Cor. 6:19-20]
   
2. Psychological issues. [Pro. 3:5-6; 4:23; 2 Tim. 1:7]
   
3. Spiritual issues. [Heb. 10:24-25; Ps. 1:1-3; Luke 5:16]

Treatment

1. Pour your heart out to God. [Ps. 3; 55:22; 1 Pet. 5:7)]
2. Remind yourself of the love of God. [Lam. 3:21-24;Rom. 8:37-39]
   
3. Identify your misplaced hope. [Ps. 3:3-4; 16:4, 8]
4. Preach the Gospel to yourself. [Ps. 103; 2 Cor.10:3-5]

In summary, during times of spiritual dryness you will FEEL abandoned by God, but the FACT is you’re not. Jesus was abandoned literally on the cross, so that you will never be abandoned eternally if you’ll put your faith in Him. And if you’ll learn to live by faith and not by sight your dry times will grow you deeper and stronger and you’ll become more seasoned as a believer with an unshakable faith and a committed love.

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