Was there ever a point in your life you just wanted to give up?
Maybe finances got too much or it was just too tough to keep your marriage together.
Maybe keeping your children in line got too difficult or every time you turned around something was going wrong, the car keeps breaking down or one appliance after another goes on the fritz.
We have all been in situations when we felt we couldn’t stay ahead and just wanted to give up.
Now we are told to never give up but this morning I am going to suggest that for things to get better in our lives it’s time for us to just “Give Up.”
After all what better time to give up than the start of a brand New Year?
We might as well because according to the so called experts this is the year the world comes to an end.
And then what the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 6.
Hebrews 6:4-12 (Read verses 4-6)
Now I don’t know about you but if I read this and stop there I would be very worried about my salvation wouldn’t you?
At first glance it would appear that if you accept Jesus Christ and fall away then it is impossible to come back.
But that is not what the writer is saying and though the title of my message is to give up I am not referring to our faith in God.
Before I go into detail let me explain what the writer is saying.
It is impossible for us to lose the grace of God. God gave His grace to us because of His love for us and no matter what we do He won’t take that away from us.
God’s Grace is not like loosing our car keys, one minute they’re there and the next they’re gone.
But because He gives us free will we can reject that grace, in other words we can give up on Him.
So this scripture is stating that it is impossible for us to loose our salvation because of something God does but because of something we do.
We reject the grace of God when we go against His Will so there may be things in your life you need to give up.
This morning I want to discuss three things we need to just give up to begin 2011.
First of all let’s give up the animosity we may have with a friend or family member.
If there is someone in your life that you have difficulty with because of something that has happened in the past, give it up.
Jesus said if we won’t forgive each other God won’t forgive us, it’s as simple as that.
Does that mean God is giving up on us? No, He is merely sticking to His Word, we gave up on Him.
If you are having a problem getting along with someone in this life what makes you think that God will allow you to spend eternity in heaven together,
Heaven is a place of Agape love, in other words an unconditional love, and if we can’t show that kind of love here on earth we certainly won’t be able to in Heaven.
Matthew 18:18 I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Who knows, maybe the person you are having difficulty with will become your best friend if the chance is given.
Secondly, and this goes along with the first, is to give up the judgmental attitude toward others.
Matthew 7:1-5
Now this is a confusing subject to some because what Jesus says here is usually taken out of content.
Jesus is saying that if you see a problem in someone’s life make sure your life is in order before you confront them about it.
That doesn’t mean that just because what they are doing you have done also so you haven’t the right to confront them.
Christ says that first of all make sure you are no longer doing it before you say anything.
As a Christian we have all made mistakes and committed sin so since we have are we supposed to refrain from preaching and teaching God’s Word?
No, it is our obligation to teach right from wrong.
A big problem with this is it usually is gossip. We love to tell others the goods we have on someone.
So and so did this or so and so is doing this and usually when the gossip begins the gossiper doesn’t even have all the facts.
Christ says take the chunk of wood out of your own eye before you start criticizing the speck of dust in your brothers.
It’s really tough to convince someone they need to quit drinking and smoking with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Third let’s give up the “ME” attitude. What I want, what I can do to make my life better for me.
We have responsibilities and we must work and there are things we sometimes have to do but I’m referring to the times when we make the wrong choice.
When we think of ourselves instead of others, when we have the opportunity to help someone but we don’t because our time or money is more important to us.
When our selfishness allows us to do the things we want to do instead of the things we should.
It may be spending quality time with your spouse or your children; maybe it is taking the time to go visit someone in the hospital or nursing home.
But where we really get in trouble with the “Me” attitude is toward God. When we put our own selfishness for what we want before God.
When we don’t take time out of our day to talk to God we have the “Me” attitude.
When we indulge in our own desires instead of what God wants we have the “Me” attitude.
When, for now reason whatsoever we stay away from God’s House we have the “Me” attitude.
Matthew 7:21-23
Jesus says only those who do what God commands will enter heaven. He can’t make it any planer than that.
Folks we need to give up the things that keep us away from God.
Now let’s go back to our original scripture and look at the remainder of it.
Hebrews 6:7-12
The writer says there are better things for the Christian, SALVATION!
God is not unjust and He is not going to take the grace He gives us away unless we reject it.
If we don’t give up the things I have talked about we will never receive the things our Father has promised us.
Invitation:
If these things are a problem in your life are you ready to give them up so you can have a better relationship with God?
