Trusting God When Discouraged
Pastor Tan Thai · Aug 1, 2021
This sermon explores the discouragement believers commonly experience when working together in the church, showing that even heroes of faith like Elijah, David, and Paul went through seasons of despair. The message calls the congregation to trust God by believing in His sovereign will, His justice, and His promise to strengthen them through every difficulty.
The sermon opens with the reality that working together in the church — especially side by side as in Nehemiah 3 — will inevitably produce conflict. When unity breaks down and discord arises among believers, disappointment and suspicion follow, eventually leading to discouragement and a desire to withdraw from involvement altogether. The pastor carefully analyzes the Vietnamese vocabulary of the heart — nao lòng, phật lòng, đau lòng, nản lòng, ngã lòng — to help the congregation identify the hidden emotional states they often mask outwardly for fear of appearing to lack faith or forgiveness.
The section 'A Few Things to Consider' presents three important observations. First, discouragement is sometimes simply the result of physical exhaustion, and the practical remedy is rest — illustrated by the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19, who was told by an angel to eat and sleep, not to listen to a sermon. Second, believers must honestly examine whether they themselves have caused disappointment in others without realizing it. Third, even the greatest heroes of faith — David in multiple Psalms and Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:8 — experienced seasons of despair so intense that Paul confessed he had despaired even of life itself.
The section 'Trusting in God' offers three practical foundations. The first is a firm belief that all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28), even when that conviction requires time and the support of trusted family and friends. The second is confidence in God's absolute justice — He knows every injustice, will expose what is hidden in darkness, and will reward faithfully, so believers do not need to defend or avenge themselves but simply continue to abound in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). The third is the assurance that God will strengthen His people and that every hardship is temporary, as expressed in Christ's invitation in Matthew 11:28-29 and Paul's declaration in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.
The sermon concludes with an unquenchable hope amid suffering. Although the Psalms give full voice to deep anguish, hope in the Lord is always present — as Psalm 30:5 promises, weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. The congregation is reminded of Christ's promise to be with them always to the end of the age, and that present light and momentary troubles are producing an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.