When the Excitement Fades or Don’t Quit
Quitters never win - - Winners never Quit
Failures are often stepping stones to success. Winners win because they continue to step.
Quitters: Nobody wants to be one; yet all of us have been disappointed by them. Are you a quitter? I suspect that most of you would answer “Absolutely not!” But one of the most discouraging realities in the church is the average believer’s inability to stick it out. When the going gets tough, the ranks thin quickly.
The dropout rate in Christianity is alarming. Few believers follow through on their initial zeal for the Savior, and the loss to church in potential ministry is great. Most of us assume that sin or bad doctrine is responsible. A closer look reveals that many of us simply quit. When the excitement fades so do we.
Absolutely not !!! Peter- “yet will I not deny thee” Absolutely not!! V. 69 – 74 but he denied before them all v. 75 wept bitterly
Matt. 26:30-35 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
If you are listening Peter, God wants you to help build the church. But,
(1) Don’t Look Back
(2) Don’t Look for Rewards (Perks)
(3) Don’t Look at Other People
According to Ed Underwood, these are the three major mistakes Christian quitters make.
I. Don’t Look Back
A. Comfort Zone - The first mistake Christian quitters make is looking in the wrong direction. When we walk with Christ our entire orientation is to the future. We are new creatures in Him and all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17). When we begin to look back at our comfort zone we get into trouble. [Comfort zone is that time of doing whatever the natural person desired - - a bed of ease.]
We remember the good old days when life was uncomplicated: the daily routine of fishing, the security of knowing what was next, the satisfaction of running your own life.
Do you ever ask yourself, “Why do I put up with all this?” Being a serious Christian adds a lot of pressure to our schedules. And serving with other believers often results in strained relationships, disappointment, and even pain. Many of us will sometimes dream of what life was like before we were so committed. But we need to know that we can never simply pick up where we left off.
(1) Jeremiah 20:7-9 LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. 8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Jeremiah may have looked back on easier days – sleeping in a bed instead of a dungeon – eating regular well balanced meals instead of bread and water.
Ministers – If you enjoy the public’s ear, you must endure the public’s mouth.
If you do your best to speak the truth in a church that stands for the truth, most will be with you.
To survive these temptations of comfort you must have His Word in your heart as a burning fire shut up in your bones.
(2) Elijah 1 Kings 19:1 – 4 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
“It is enough”
v. 5 – 8 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Sometimes we might just need a little food and some rest.
(3) Paul 2 Cor 11:23 – 28 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
No doubt, Paul contended with the temptations of the comfort zone. He found his comfort in scriptures.
Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 8:16 – 18 This temporal world is not comparison to the eternal.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:35 – 39 Nothing can separate you!!! Don’t quit!!! Don’t look back!!!
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Satan tempts you to give only a little, give much more.
Ilustration: 682 Proof of Conversion
Dwight Moody used to speak of a miserly farmer recently converted, to whom a neighbor in distress appealed for help. The miser decided to prove the genuineness of his conversion by giving him a ham. On his way to get it, the tempter whispered, “Give him the smallest one you have.” A struggle ensued and finally the miser took down the largest ham he had. “You are a fool,” the Devil said. And the farmer replied, “If you don’t keep still, I’ll give him every ham in the smokehouse!”
B. Looking Back to Worldly Attractions
(1) Remember Lot’s Wife Gen. 19:15 – 17 23 – 26 – 28
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
v. 26 Lot’s wife Looked back from behind him.
Eve was taken from Adam’s side, not his back.
Not from his head as to be his head,
Not from his back to always be behind him,
Not from his feet to be suppressed under him,
But, from his side near his heart to be a help meet along side him.
(2) Numbers 11:4 – 6 Mixed multitude - Be careful who you keep company with.
4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
(3) Numbers 14:1 – 6 An evil report of the land of Canaan
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
(4) Numbers 14:26 – 35 Children of Isreal punished. 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. 32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. 35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
(5) Looking Heavenward
a. Psalms 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
b. Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help.
c. Psalms 123:1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
Do not look back. You belong to Jesus now and things can never be the same. Your future is with the Lord and full of exciting significance if only you will follow Him. For those who will follow, there is the assurance of a Savior who will provide in an intimate and personal way.
II. Don’t Look For Rewards (Perks, Incentives)
At the center of the quitter’s problem is a lack of motivation. When it comes to serving God, the only sustaining force is a deep love for the Savior. When we consider the mercies of God, the only reasonable response is to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1). If we are following our Lord for any reason other than love, we will run out of steam.
Lack of motivation? Who’s job is it to motivate you - - the church? Are you not a part of the church? They should do . . . we are they or they are us.
Everybody thought somebody but nobody . . . .
(1) Extrinsic (External) Motivation is not sustaining - - lasts only for short periods of time and must be continuously implemented.
(2) Intrinsic (Internal) Motivation (self-motivation) is sustaining - - lasts indefinitely - - comes from within - - results from commitment and individual goals.
The Lord leaves no room for selfish goals. Only a pure motivation of love for the Chief Shepherd will qualify ministers to care for His sheep.
The pattern never varies. Dropouts betray their inner motives the moment they quit. Each year our church presents many opportunities to serve. Initially, the euphoria of all that is new and exciting carries people through. Then, as the year wears on, the rationalizations begin to trickle in: “I do not think I am cut out for teaching small children; it simply is not fulfilling.” “I just cannot work with this man anymore; our differences are too great.” “Our family is just too stressed out over this.”
“I really do not have the time to put in on this class.” At the end of the year, the only ones left standing are those who volunteered for the right reason in the first place - - - love for their Lord.
When the honeymoon period is over - - - love, commitment, internal goals, etc. must carry on.
*The only sustaining force is a deep love for the Savior.
With external motivation, when the excitement fades, so do we.
(3) 1 Sam 30:1 – 6 David encouraged himself
v. 8 David enquired; v. 9-10 David pursued; v. 18-19 David recovered all
1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
(4) 2 Cor 4:17-18 Light afflictions, but for a moment
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(5) Psalms 34:15 – 22 v. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. 20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. 22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
(6) Romans 8:28 All things work together.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Examine your motives—Are you looking at Christ to gain materially, financially, etc? Do you follow for the fish and loaves?
Don’t volunteer for a duty to impress someone and don’t hold that duty grudgingly due to peer pressure, etc. If you do, it will damage your salvation.
The believer who is looking to get something out of service to Jesus Christ will never last. The Christian who volunteers because of a deep love and commitment to Jesus Christ never fails.
What about you? What strings are you attaching to your service for the Savior? Be careful. God will stretch those strings until they break. Do not look for perks. Do it for love, or do not do it.
III. Don’t Look At Others
Believers who throw in the towel look at the wrong person. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Go has unique plans for each of us. When we compare ourselves to others, we usually get ticked off at God.
(1) Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus 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 at the right hand of the throne of God.
Did you ever fall into the comparison trap? Who are the Jones’s in your life. Who is your “Joe”? Who is it that you present before the Lord and ask, “What about this person? Why does he or she have it so good when I have got it so bad?” Their marriage is marvelous, but yours is miserable. His career is soaring while yours stalls. She gets all the attention at church, but nobody even notices you. It seems they never have the problems we have. It just is not fair! So I am just going to quit.
Jesus would no more put up with that attitude today then He did on the shore of Galilee hundreds of years ago. Do not look at others. Christ is more than capable of dealing with each saint. He does not need any help from us to make sure every believer gets a fair deal. The cancer of comparison will eat at your attitude until you quit. But Jesus says, “Stop worrying about others; you follow Me.”
Psalms 73 Look and lose. Read 1 - 17
Psalm 37 v. 37 Look and learn
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
Though it is true that some enjoy while others endure; most will endure hardships before this life is over and if they miss Heaven- - what would they give?
Dake says
1. Look within is to be miserable.
2. Look around is to be distracted.
3. Look up with an expectation to God brings blessings.
