No Time To Quit

INTRODUCTION IT HAS BEEN SAGACIOUSLY SUGGESTED THAT WINNERS NEVER QUIT AND QUITTERS NEVER WIN. KEEPING IN MIND THAT WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING. ON THIS CHRISTIAN JOURNEY, THERE ARE BOUND TO BE MOMENTS WHEN WE WANT TO QUIT, WHEN WE WANT TO GIVE UP, BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. EVERY NOW AND THEN, SOMETHING OR SOMEONE MAY TRY TO BLOCK OUR PATHS, AND WE THROW OUR HANDS UP IN SUBMISSION. BUT MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS I WANT TO REMIND US TODAY, THAT WHEN THINGS GO WRONG AS THEY SOMETIMES WILL, WHEN THE ROAD WE’RE TRODDING SEEMS ALL UPHILL, WHEN FUNDS ARE LOW AND DEBTS ARE HIGH, WE TRY TO SMILE BUT HAVE TO CRY, WHEN YOUR CARES ARE PRESSING YOU DOWN A BIT, REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T YOU QUIT. WHY? BECAUSE OUR GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR PROBLEMS, HE’S STRONGER THAN OUR ADVERSARY. WE HAVE A GOD WHO IS WILLING TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES FOR US. SO WHATEVER YOU DO, REMEMBER ON THIS CHRISTIAN JOURNEY, THERE IS NO TIME TO QUIT.

I. TEXT

THE CURTAIN GOES UP ON THIS SCENE, AND WE SEE AHAB TELLING JEZEBEL ALL THAT ELIJAH HAD DONE. THE QUEEN GETS MAD, AND TAKES OUT A CONTRACT ON THE LIFE OF THE MAN OF GOD. JEZEBEL MAKES A VOW TO DO TO ELIJAH WHAT ELIJAH HAD DONE TO THE FALSE PROPHETS.

UPON HEARING THIS NEWS, ELIJAH BECOMES FEVERISHLY FEARFUL, DESPERATELY DESPONDANT, AND OVERCOME WITH ANXIETY. HE ABANDONS HIS MISSION BECAUSE HIS SITUATION GOT THE BEST OF HIM INSTEAD OF HIM GETTING THE BEST OF HIS SITUATION. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE SHOULD NOT FEAR THOSE WHO THREATEN OUR LIVES, LUKE 12:4 TEACHES, “AND I SAY UNTO YOU MY FRIENDS, BE NOT AFRAID OF THEM THAT KILL THE BODY, AND AFTER THAT HAVE NO MORE THAT THEY CAN DO. BUT I WILL FORWARN YOU WHOM YE SHALL FEAR: FEAR HIM, WHICH AFTER HE HATH KILLED HATH POWER TO CAST INTO HELL; YEA I SAY UNTO YOU FEAR HIM.”

CONSEQUENTLY, ELIJAH FLEES SOME NINETY-MILES TO BERR-SHEBA, SITS UNDER A JUNIPER TREE, REQUESTING TO DIE. FROM THE PASCHAL PERSPECTIVE, HE SAYS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I CAN’T TAKE IT NO MORE.

II. ELIJAH’S PLIGHT

· ELIJAH RESIGNED WITHOUT CONSULTING GOD.

· HIS FAITH FAILED HIM.

· HE DWELT IN A BARREN ENVIRONMENT.

· HE FAILED TO REMEMBER THAT GOD WOULD FIGHT HIS BATTLES.

· HE RESIGNED BEFORE THE JOB WAS COMPLETE.

· HE PUTS HIS AGENDA BEFORE GOD’S AGENDA.

QUITTING

QUITTING CAN IMPLY A LACK OF FAITH IN GOD. QUITTING CAN SOMETIMES BE A SIGN THAT WE LACK CONFIDENCE IN OUR ELVES. QUITTING IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH FAILURE.

GOD WILL SOMETIMES SEND YOU RIGHT BACK INTO THE BATTLE. VERSE 15 GOD SENDS HIM BACK TO WHERE HE CAME FROM. GOD TELLS HIM IN VERSE 18, I HAVE LEFT ME SEVEN THOUSAND IN ISRAEL, WHICH HAVE NOT BOWLED UNTO BAAL. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS HELP AND ASSISTANCE.

WHENEVER THE CROWD IS AGAINST YOU, JUST BE STRONG AND OF A GOOD COURAGE, FOR GOD SAYS IN JEREMIAH 1:8, “BE NOT AFRAID OF THEIR FACES: FOR I AM WITH THEE TO DELIVER THEE, SAITH THE LORD.”

REMEMBER THAT FOR EVERY MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE, WE MUST GO INTO THE VALLEY. BUT YEA THO I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, BECAUSE THOU ART WITH ME. WHEN IT APPEARS THAT YOU JUST CAN’T MAKE, WAIT ON THE LORD, ISAIAH 40:31 TEACHES, “BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN, AND NOT BE WEARY; AND THEY SHALL WALK, AND NOT FAINT.” AS YOU TRAVEL ON THIS JOURNEY, IT’S GOING TO GET HARD SOMETIMES BUT WAIT ON THE LORD. PSALMS 31:24 SAYS, “BE OF GOOD COURAGE, AND HE SHALL STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART, ALL YE THAT HOPE IN THE LORD.”

IT’S NO TIME TO QUIT. MOSES, ABRAHAM, DANIEL, EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, JESUS, NEVER GAVE UP!