I Can’t Do It Anymore; Despair vs Hope - Sermon by Metropolitan Demetrius

[@jpage99999]

Lord I can’t do this anymore, please help me dear Jesus. Deliver me from this demonic darkness and despair. Please please Jesus if I don’t have you to help save me there’s no way I can attain peace and victory over these evil passions

[@toastme]

You will get through this. There is no resurrection without a crucifixion.

[@vessietaylor]

Know you are never alone when darkness come, there is light in that darkness that is struggling to be seen. Thank the Lord for all the good that darkness showed so that you know and fully understand what it is that you must rebuke to be free. Ask and it will be given. Have patience with the Lord for He is patient and gentle and waits on us all to ask rightly. May the Lord send rain to wash your sorrows away and turn them I to joy. You are headed in the right direction when you feel the struggle. Always consider thankfulness in all things...good or evil. For evil is a tool to guide us right. 🕊.💞 May peace, love, and understanding guide you home.

[@jpage99999]

@@vessietaylor thank you 🙏🏻

[@vessietaylor]

@jpage99999 It took me 33yrs of asking why or what did I do, only to find out I was holding on and fighting against the thing I could let go, thinking it was good. The Lord was stirring me in a direction that I couldn't see could save me and fill me with joy. Each of us are special. I use to feel was like I was burning in a furnace. What was revealed, was I was being refined. Like gold or silver. Burning off impruities so that we can enter His kingdom. Believe and keep faith. God gave a command to not fear and be courageous in the Lord. I ask for more of what the Lord desires me to be... that alone brings me great joy. I hope you find the thing that floods you with great joy when you find what you seek. This life is full of sorrows. I choose to see it as an adventure to travel before I enter this Kingdom of heaven that was so gloriously described. ☦️

[@jpage99999]

@@vessietaylor how do I get rid of that demonic rage and anger and hatred of life? Demons sending logismoi to end my life. I want to live and declare the works of the Lord. I , like you, keep asking, what did I do to deserve this oppression, what did I do to bring on this evil assault? I look at my other Orthodox brethren with so much longing and despair to be like them and get so much resentment and envy burning in my body, and then the self pity life is not fair dialogue plays out.

[@LukiaSierra]

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” 2 Cor. 7:10

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Yes.

[@RunningOverRocks]

You may never see this but this teaching literally saved my life! Thank you, Rev, Father

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Glory to God!

[@ElenaPetrovsky-je8hk]

Thank you for your beautiful sermons I listen to them on daily basis to help me with my struggles. Pay more attention for my praying and repentance

[@naturesorder7106]

I have had both kinds of repentance. By the grace of God i still am here hoping in His mercy. Pray the Lord i have humility to bring all myself before Him seeking His righteousness.

[@marittafouche6277]

Lord have mercy on me a sinner

[@ceedub_1983]

I have been battling drug/alcohol/cigarette addiction for 27 years. I will be 40 in December. I am married with 3 children ages 9,3, and 2. I was lost in the occult and I came very close to joining the Freemasons. I was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church in 2015 and have wandered away countless times since then. I feel horrible on a regular basis. Can’t handle stress, hate my life and beg God to help me. St.Nicholas please pray for me. You are my patron Saint and I hope one day I’ll be the man you are ☦️

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Never give up and seek help from those who can help you. You should absolutely persist in prayer, asking for help and forgiveness. Your prayers will not be lost.

[@ceedub_1983]

@@OrthodoxTradition Thank you for your encouraging words! May God bless you.

[@10.6.12.]

Married with 3 children 9,3,2 dude you are a hero you are only 40 and realize we are all sinners ... you are a rich man , the adventure of life is upon you, be grateful, thank you for sharing your struggle, it will aid folks like me in becoming more humble.

[@AlterFunKtion]

Very relatable. Im 34 and battling a treacherous alcohol addiction that is ruining my life but I've been inquiring at the rocor church and it is helping.

[@Di-Pi]

Was the same- now 35 yrs. clean and sober thru Alcoholics Anonymous. 👏 I highly recommend it.

[@intensity33]

O God, be merciful to me, the sinner. O God, be merciful to me, the sinner. O God, be merciful to me, the sinner.

[@knasfrashavre]

Couple of seconds before I saw this clip All he talked about I was thinking about Glory to Jesus Christ ☦️

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Glory to God!

[@Bobby.truthsayer.1956]

I have weathered ferocious spiritual battles wherein I have utterly failed time after time. I have been beaten to a pulp by the enemy because I was double minded. The key to success against the passions is very simply (FAITH). You ask the Lord for a heart of repentance and believe! Believe you have already received it and go on. In time you will receive victory by sheer attrition because you believe in the Victor, The Lord Who fights for you.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Lord have mercy!

[@paulhudson4254]

Without Him we can do nothing! 🌺☦️🌺

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Amen!

[@Seven-up7bh]

Lord have mercy. On me forgive me of my sins

[@catherinecarter8987]

Dear Fr. Demetrius. Thank you so much for sharing this. I really needed to hear this right now and I really appreciate your teaching. With Love in Christ, Catherine ☦️

[@michaelgrekoRhodos]

Know that your first thanks must be on to our all-merciful Lord Jesus Christ, for it is The Holy Spirit that speaks through our Gracious Metropolitan Demetrius to convey the message and the sacred laws of God so we all can be enlightened to find our way to salvation and to gain entrance into the Lord's kingdom, where there will no longer be pain no sickness no sadness nor sighing but life everlasting, a magnificent kingdom fit not for kings and queens and the vain high and mighty of this world but most befitting for the all-merciful and all mighty God himself. May our good Lord have mercy on us all !! Amen to that !!!

[@MeMe-rw7kk]

So grateful for the worlds. I was just reading the ten virgins yesterday and couldn’t sleep. God have mercy on me

[@virginialopezrey6860]

Tears. Thanks be to God.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Glory to God.

[@OrthodoxChristianTreasures]

Most Holy Theotokos please help me to move closer to Church to be able to attend Divine Liturgy and other Services more often.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Amen.

[@Christ_theking333]

From the dust we are ! To the dust we will return. 🙏🏼 Forgive my sins ! Ohh king of righteousness✝️🛐

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Lord have mercy!

[@SauerkrautX]

I’m afraid I won’t be on this earth much longer. I am a younger man and I’ve been visited with ill health as of late. I am having a hard time walking along with bad neck pain and it’s making me spiral into a very dark and deep depression. I cry everyday now and can barely keep myself from crying even in public. Every day feels like sheer hell and torture, and I just want to die now. I don’t really have any reason to live except for I don’t want to go to hell and let God down. I don’t want to die, but I think about taking my life every single day. It’s getting too much to carry on. I am afraid that the cross will eventually become too heavy for me to carry. I am a catechumen in the church and I have a hard time denying myself entirely for God. I have a very hard time with unbelief. None of it makes any sense to me sometimes. I just want to be better and go for a walk. This life is not for me anymore. I wish God would just end all this pain and misery. I have never been in such a dark place like this before. It feels like I’m burning. I just want peace with God. I want to be able to let go, to shut off my brain and fully allow Christ into my heart, but I still have doubts. I never considered myself an atheist, but I guess that’s what I am. How do I endure all this and turn to Christ to help me through all this? I feel like my time is running out and I don’t know what else to do. I am so unbelievably sad. The doctors don’t help me. They only care about money. I’m so lost and full of sadness and despair. I can’t go on much longer.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

We are sorry to read about your difficulties. May God give you strength. We all have our share in difficult times in this life. Give glory and thanks to God every day; He cares for you and loves you. Seek guidance from your priest and doctors regularly and be very open with your thoughts to them.

[@donnielemmons8136]

God bless you friend🙏❤️

[@jeanneelisabeth]

You said you are a catechumen. Have you talked to the priest who is in charge of your class? Perhaps, he can help you. Love and prayers to you!

[@lindaphillips4646]

☦️📿💜📿☦️. Yes, many of us understand.. maybe everyone. Just a small comment: i think we all struggle to give ourselves fully to God.. but we turn to His Mercy and try again.. Yes, talk to your priest..☦️☦️

[@marjhanamortel]

May God's blessings be upon you dear Metropolitan Demetrius! Your messages are just in the right time for me !Please remember me in your prayers 🙏🏻❤️

[@OrthodoxChristianTreasures]

Saint Xenia of Saint Petersburg please pray for our particular situation and all who are involved in the decisions that have to be made.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Christ is Risen!

[@dennisbreedon9722]

Lord have mercy on me, the sinner

[@OrthodoxChristianTreasures]

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios the Great of Bithynia My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my protection the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

[@FrostFang86]

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Amen.

[@oddlysatisfying127]

Amen 🙏

[@mrypso4092]

Is there any hope for me? I began being drawn to God a few years ago and was starting to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit but was instantly attacked by the enemy and fell back into sin and was never fully born again. In October last year I read about the unforgivable sin and the devil convinced me that I had committed it. I was praying at the time for forgiveness would have been forgiven but I let the devil trick me into despair and to make things worse I actually vocalized that despair to my son. Now I don’t know what I would need to do. It feels like the Holy Spirit has left and God has given up on me. Hope can I repent from the sin of despair? How can I get the Holy Spirit back ?

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Be careful. The Lord always accepts back those who repent. The devil always tries to fool us with false humility (despair) and it stems from pride, as the Holy Fathers teach us. There is no need for you to despair even if you fall daily. Get back up right away by asking for forgiveness; God will reward you for your persistence. Despair is a lie of the devil. Go to Church and confess to a rightly-believing Orthodox priest and you will find forgiveness. Don't give up.

[@abdulemalik8848]

God bless.

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Christ is Risen!

[@Christ_theking333]

Lamp- fire of repentance Oil- deeds of repentance need to keep this fire burning. For when the bridegroom comes, we shouldn’t fall short of deeds(oil) but persevere till the end. ✝️🛐

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Lord have mercy!

[@marianenos-politis7793]

Πολύ ωραία λόγια δέσποτα. ...❤

[@milivojepurovic3140]

God help me, I suffer from social anxiety. What do you recommend that I do to get better?

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Christ is Risen. See a doctor about your condition.

[@milivojepurovic3140]

It's been a long time since I was scolded

[@Judges.]

@@milivojepurovic3140Try writing down what thoughts prevent you from talking to people, challenge those thoughts and test them out. Pray before you talk to people, write down what happens when you had the interaction and compare it to what you think would have happened. Applaud yourself for interacting and praise God, you can get through this, I still have some social anxiety but thankfully it’s gotten much better. I hope you get the help you need.

[@vessietaylor]

🕊.💞.☦️

[@alexandrasymeon5893]

I am killing myself slowly but am still alive. I don't have much time left. How can I repent?

[@OrthodoxTradition]

Make sure you see a doctor to report your health issues, and pray for God's mercy. Go to Church, receive Holy Communion, ask God to save you.

[@alexandrasymeon5893]

@@OrthodoxTradition Thank you. I am house bound but have been confessing to priests online.

[@quentandil]

Mauricio...

[@Spookyjordan]

Forgive my ignorance, but is this not a schismatic monastery? Are you in communion with ROCOR? OCA? GOARCH? There are Old Calendarists in both OCA and ROCOR. Are efforts being made towards communion with them? I heard your sermon, and it seemed sound. But why a ROCOR Saint? One who said that the Calendar should not be a reason for brothers in Christ to break communion? Maybe it’s a sign.