IT’S ALWAYS TO SOON TO QUIT
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 3:13
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
PEOPLE NEVER GET TIRED OF DOING GOOD THINGS................DO THEY?
Tending Garden - Early Spring\ August.
Dishes - Dull after 1st decade.
Mowing Lawn - Can’t wait till son gets old enough.
FACTOID> WE GET TIRED OF ANYTHING even if it’s GOOD & WORTHWILE!
Playing organ is vital to worship - Get tired & need vacation!
Sunday School - Get tired & need vacation!
Nursery (even most dedicated) - Get tired & need vacation!
^As commited, dedicated, christians how are we to handle our particular areas of ministry when we simply GET TIRED?^
^^FIRST LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION: WHY DO WE GET WEARY?^^
A. PHYSICALLY TIRED \ EXHAUSTION
1. IKg. 18:30-34) - Elijah had had a busy couple of days
-. Went to Kings Court
-. Built an altar
-. Dug trench
-. Killed Bullock and arranged on altar
2. 1 Kg. 19: 4-9) Elijah thought that God had abandoned him and the world was against him.
- Wanted to die (not really)
^ELIJAH WAS WEARY IN WELL DOING BECAUSE OF EXHAUSTION^
B. EMOTIONAL CAUSES
1. Working hard without seeing results = DISCOURAGEMENT
DISCOURAGEMENT leads to DESPAIR.
2. II Thess. 3:10-13)* People were discouraged because others would not
do their share.
^When it seems as if you are the only person who cares, it is easy to
’grow weary in well doing!’^
3. Recent Crisis: Relocation, Loss of loved one, Pleasent experience that does not happen as expected.
^Weariness can occur as we try to carry on in spite of the circumstances.
C. SPIRITUAL CAUSED FOR WEARINESS IN WELL DOING.
1. Mal. 1:13)* People were merely going through the motions of worship
They were not spiritual or Emotionally involved with God.
^WHEN WE LOSE TOUCH WITH GOD, WE LOSE SENSE OF DOING A VITAL WORK FOR HIM.............EXAMINE THE STATE OF YOUR QUITE TIME TO SEE IF SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE LORD OCCUPIES THE "throne of your life"^
<<^JUST AS CHEMICAL IMBALANCES (the lack of; or overproduction of; ) CAN CAUSE CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL AND BRING ABOUT: DEPRESSION - DISCOURAGEMENT - DESPAIR.
THE SAME IS TRUE IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM. >>^
Trans Sent
"I want to offer to you tonight some thoughts I have on how to .....not become weary and if you are weary in well doing; How to become re-energized and have the fires re-lit."
I. Never Quit
A. Winston Churchill speech at West Point Graduation.
"Never, Never, Never, Never Quit!"
B. Will Rodgers,"You cannot defeat a man (woman) who will not stay down."
II. Paul said same thing in Gal. 6:9)
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
HERE PAUL TALKS ABOUT THREE THINGS THAT IT WOULD DO US WELL TO REMEMBER
1. Privilege - 2. Peril - 3. Promise
A. PRIVILEGE - "Doing Good."
1. The essense of Christian Life & service are all about.
Matthew 5:16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Christians are BELIEVERS & BEHAVERS:
Christans do the WILL OF GOD and the WORD OF GOD for the GLORY OF GOD.
2. Jesus himself "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38)
When we are involved in ’Good Works’, we are following in the steps of the Master.
WE ARE NOT SAVED BY WORKS, BUT WE DO PROVE THE REALITY OF OUR SALVATION BY INVESTING OUR LIVES IN GOOD WORKS.
3. Doing good sometimes looked on as burden or Chore. LEADS TO:
BITTERNESS - CRITICALNESS - LOSS OF BLESSING (wood hay etc.)
-Praising is a privilege
-Salvation is a privilege
-Serving is a privilege (work while you can, tommorrow you might not be able to and you’ll mss the rewards of "WORKS"
^HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE THE LORD?^
^SOME FOLKS WOULD ABSOLUTELY TRADE PLACES WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SERVE THE LORD WHERE AND HOW THEY ARE^
NO MATTER HOW MUCH SACRIFICE GOD CALLS US TO MAKE, WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT SERVING JESUS CHRIST IN ANY CAPACITY IS A WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE.
B. PERIL - The danger of ’growing weary IN doing good.’
^Though we may get weary IN well doing we must never get weary OF the Lord’s Work.^
1. Weary IN
-When ministry gets to be a ’Drudgery’
- We cease to be JOYFUL Servants.
- We make others (whom we are supposed to encourage) become
weary like us.
- We become like the priests in Mal. 1:13)*r
^This kind of weariness has nothing to do with a tired body.
This is a weariness of the MIND and HEART
Loss of: Excitement and challenge
Produces: M:inistry that is: Dull, Lifeless, Routine & ineffective
a. We stop planning ahead & and are merely content with
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
b. We have no Joy in Service
c. We stop making Sacrifices
d. Begin to get critical & resentful.
e. BECOME LIKE PRODICAL’S BROTHER (Luke 15:25-32)*
-Busy in the field
-faithful to the Father
- A drudgery who finds no Joy in ministry.
2. WAY TO STAY UNWEARY.
a. Remind yourself : "It’s a privilege to serve the Lord"
Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
[Just the opposite of the priests in Mal. 1:13]
b. Remind yourself: About ’Rocks’
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE JOB YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN BY THE LORD.
ARE YOU WEARY OF IT? IN IT?
YOU PROBABLY ARE NOT WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO FINALLY BE, BUT YOU WILL NEVER ARRIVE THERE IF YOU ARE WEARY OF WHERE YOU ARE. (and Quit!)
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
PRIVILEGE - PERIL
III. THE PROMISE - Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
A. Image of a Farmer - one who knows what it is to stay on the job.
-. Chicken Farmer
-. Dairy Farmer "manual labor" - el presidenti
1. Must prepare the soil - sow the seed - pull weeds - water - wait.
2. Farmer has no guarantee of Harvest.
^Believer has a guarantee of harvest "if he faints not".^
B. Parallels to farming and Serving the Lord.
1. Seasons to the Lord’s Work
-times of plowing
- times of planting
- times of watering
- times of cultivating
- times of reaping
-TIMES OF WORKING ON THE TRACTOR
a. Wise worker must know the season and work accordingly.
b. Know it is God who gives the [increase]=[harvest].(ICor. 3:5-9)
c. Know that it’s in God’s timing.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
2. Due season
a. Not always the end of the meeting.
b. May not be at the close of church year
c. Jesus said: " at the end of the age" (Matt. 13:39)
^We may not see the results of our Labors today or even next year, but we will see them when we stand before the Lord. ^
Like the farmer we must sow, and water by faith trusting the Lord to cause growth in His time.
IT IS ALWAYS TO SOON TO QUIT *quote
IV. IT IS ALWAYS TO SOON TO QUIT!
If we keep in mind THE PRIVILEGE of serving Christ
If we believe His PROMISE of the Harvest
We will be able to guard against the PERIL Of weariness.
THEN WE WILL KEEP ON KEEPING ON........UNTIL HE RETURNS
V. SURVEY CONCLUSION
A survey published by a national retail sales organization revealed that 48 % of salesman in the United States quit after their first visit, while 25% called a second time before quitting. Only 15 percent made three visits - and then they gave up.!
THE REMAINING 12 % KEPT ON CALLING - They did 80% of the business.
GOD’S BUSINESS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, SO
IT IS ALWAYS TO SOON TO QUIT!
