“Stay in the Game, don’t Quit!”
Chapter 12
1 Wherefore, since we are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which does so easily embarrass us, and let us pursue with constancy the course that is proposed to us:
2 having Jesus in our view, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God.
Stay in the Game!
These are difficult times in which we live! Times that make us want to give up on the game of life! These are times that make us want to give up on dreams of going to school,
Give up on looking for a job!
Give up on finding the right mate!
Give up on trying to live healthy!
Give up on writing a book!
Give up on buying a home!
Give up on improving our lives!
Give up on our dreams!
I want to encourage you today, do not give up!
Stay in the Game!
Tell your neighbor, “Stay in the Game!”
The game is not over, until God says it is over!
A good coach encourages his team to never quit trying, never quit playing!
You do not know what will happen to your opponent!
A lot of Games have been won in the last minute!
Your victory could be around the next corner!
Your deliverance might come with the sunrise!
Your answer might come with the next prayer!
Your healing might be in your next praise!
Winners never quit!
Quitters never win!
Stay in the Game and do not give UP!
God is calling you to be a champion!
God has picked you to be a winner!
God has named you for his winning team!
God has already proclaimed you Victorious through Jesus Christ
Who is the author and finisher of our Faith!
If God says you are a winner, who can convince you that you are defeated?
If God says you are the chosen one, who can make you a loser?
Tell your neighbor “I am Victorious” because
1 Corinthians 15:57 - says
But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
If God has already given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, then why in the world would you ever even consider giving up? Stay in the Game! Run to the finish line!
Sometimes the game looks as if you are so far behind, you can not possibly win! Fear not!
You are part of a comeback team!
You are part of a comeback people!
You are part of a comeback church!
You are in a comeback country!
You are from a comeback planet!
When it looks like things are hopeless!
Watch out, it time for a comeback!
When the enemy seems to be getting ahead of you!
Watch out God is getting you ready for a comeback!
The writer of book of Hebrews, lists a whole group of comeback saints, in what we have come to know as the hall of faith!
He seems to be saying, you belong to a long line of people who have comeback from being under dogs!
Come back from being behind in the game of life!
Come back from some unbelievable odds,
some helpless and in the midst of hopeless situations, but because of faith,
because they did not give up,
because they stayed in the game, they came back and were victorious!
Tell you neighbor, with God on your side anything is possible! With faith in God, you can win! Your dreams can come true! You can overcome impossible odds!
Stay in the Game!
1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
If you are a Born again believer, your faith in God has given you victory over the world! And empowers you to become a comeback Christian!
Able had faith and was commended by God because he offered a more excellent sacrifice Cain!
Enoch did not see death because he had faith to stay in the game! Keep your faith in God!
Noah had faith believed God and stayed in the Ark building game, even when folk thought he was crazy!
People with tell you it is crazy to dream big in hard times, but stay in the game!
Abraham had faith in God, and came back from old age to become the father of many nations! When he thought about giving up on himself, when he thought the game we over, while he was yet on the bench of life, God remembered him, and he became the comeback father of faith! It might feel like you are too old to compete, but stay in the game!
Isaac was Abraham’s only son, and was about to be offered up as a sacrifice, but God stepped in and showed him a ram in the bush! He came back from being tied up on an altar with a knife at his throat, to being one of the blessed fathers of faith! It might look like you are about to get your throat cut, but stay in the game! Don’t give up!
Remember Jacob and his brother Esau, Jacob swindled his brother out of his birthright! You might be a swindler, but stay in the game! The God we serve is able to take swindler and change them into a saint! The God we serve is able to take hustler and change them into a worshipper!
Remember Rahab the prostitute on the wall of Jericho? Stay in the Game! God was able to use a prostitute to save her whole family! She came back from being a street walker, to be a faith talker! Stay in the Game!
Gideon, Barak, David, Samson, Jeremiah, Isaiah, time will not allow us to talk about all the comeback saints who have gone on the win this race! The race is not given to the swift, but to the one who endures! Great men and women of God have made such huge sacrifices in the face of death to run this race!
Some have faced cruel beatings,
Some have faced being tortured!
Some have faced being chained together and drowned,
Some have endured having their heads chopped off on Nero’s chopping Block!
Some have been burned alive along the highway!
Some have been hanged from trees,
Some have been raped and murdered for the caused,
Some have gone without food and clothing,
Some have lived in caves,
Some have given up family and fortune
Some have lost friends and fame,
Some have lived lives of suffering and sacrifice!
Some have served as servants and slaves!
Some have been brutally beaten!
Some have been denied and falsely tried!
Through it all they stayed in the Game and kept the faith!
They did not let sin stop them!
They did not let the past hinder them!
They did not let the enemy deny them!
They kept on running!
They saw Jesus, and endured the race, knowing the crown that awaits them!
They were able to look to Jesus, He is the author and the finisher of our faith!
When you keep your eyes on Jesus, you can keep on running,
You can endure some hardships!
You can make it thru some storms and rains!
Keep your eyes on the prize!
Look to him who will not fail you!
Look to Him who will not leave you!
Look to Him who is able to keep you!
The writer of Hebrews says, there is a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on!
Saying run on, do not give up!
Run on and see what the end will be!
Run through streams of doubt!
Run through valleys of despair!
Run over mountains of fear!
Run down paths of righteousness!
Run till peace flows like a river!
Run until justice arrests violence!
Run until Chris Brown and Bobbie brown learn how to treat women!
Run until Whitney and Riana gain self esteem and self worth!
Run until Christians love one another!
Run until every man becomes his brother keeper!
Run until sinners repent and come to Jesus!
Run until love flows from heart to heart!
Run until Jesus meets you at the finish line!
The price has been too great!
The sacrifice has been too much!
The reward is too great!
Listen to the cheers!
Listen to the call!
You can make it!
Grand mother is calling you!
Grand father is cheering you on!
Mother is cheering you on!
Father is cheering you on!
Your Husband is cheering you on!
Your Wife is cheering you on!
Your friends are cheering you on!
Daughter is calling you!
Stay in the Game! Don’t Quit!
You can make it if you try!
The Son is calling you!
Will you Come?
