1. God has a plan for your life - Jer. 29: 11
2. There is a battle engaged for your life - Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
3. Too many of God’s people are losing the battle - Marriages, children, finances, life.
Over the last 4 weeks we have looked together at our first eight secrets. .
It has been said that persistence is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you get tired. You quit when the gorilla gets tired.
I have seen some serious spiritual battles at Elim Bible Church. Some of our deacons will tell you that if you don’t want to go toe to toe with the enemy don’t join EBC. When God moves among His people the devil gets angry. Many have joined the fight and quit. I have even had thoughts of giving up when it feels like Suzanne and I are the only ones doing anything. But God will instill in those who ask, a bulldog tenacity. We raised pit and English mix bulldogs, when I was a boy. I learned at a very early age that there is no quit in them. When there is work to do they stay until it’s over, then they spend the night guarding those they love.
1) Secret # 9 - Never Quit -
Genesis 21:14-19 - Hagar threw in the towel within sight of the well that would have saved her. Friend don’t quit. The old adage still holds true - winners never quit and quitters never win. Retool, rework, reinvest, change course, get Godly counsel- but don’t quit. Here are some hints for you today:
1. Accept adversity as a given. Jesus says to us, in John 16: 33 “In this world you will have tribulation, but take courage for I have overcome the world.”
Stop rolling over and playing dead when things get tough. Stop acting like life is supposed to be a bed of roses and yours is the only one that’s got thorns. Accept the adventure and learn to thrive in adversity not because you are strong but because Christ has overcome the world. When you’re weary stay with Jesus,
He said, “come to me ALL who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
That means you and me…
2. Stop running away from your problems.- Many of us have set up a pattern in our lives of quitting when the going gets tough. From an early age I set up a pattern in my life that led to failure - I ran from problems rather than confronting them.
I had to figure out a very important lesson. If you intend to thrive in life you will need to confront your problems. They will not magically go away. You need to face them, deal with them, and solve them in the power of God.
Illustrate: Goliath, would not go away until someone came out to fight him…
No matter how big your problem is God will always be bigger…
3. Fight for your life. Ephesians 6:10-13 -
Stand firm - don’t quit. The thief comes to kill steal and destroy. He wants to keep you from the abundant life that God wants for you.
*If you want to have abundance you have to be willing to fight for it. That will mean committing time, energy, and resources to get where you want to be. If Suzanne & I want an abundant marriage - We have to fight for it - it’s not going to happen by accident, it takes both of us one can‘t do it alone.
*If you want children to live in abundance you have to fight for them - commit your time, your energy, your love to them. If you just sit back and wait for life to come to you, don’t cry when the enemy slips in and takes it from you!
4. Live with the Power of God to win - I John 4:2 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” You don’t have to give in or give up - God has given you the power to win and find this abundant life but you have to fight for it. Instead of giving up GET UP and live in the power that God has already given you…
Adapted from a sermon by Dan Cale
