JEREMIAH 20:7-9 “HAS QUITTING EVER CROSSED YOUR MIND?”
A) Jeremiah, like many other men who have been tested by suffering, failed God,
and then laid blame on the Almighty for his insults and bodily sufferings.
* He was being persecuted and mocked by the multitudes.
B) God had told him in 1:18-19 that all the princes, priests and people would
fight against him.
* But Jeremiah forgot about that, and he accused God of deceiving him. (v.7)
C) It was what God told Jeremiah to preach that got him in trouble with
the people.
* He obeyed God, but the people didn’t appreciate his obedience – How many other
preachers feel the same way?
* He preached hard, and people laughed at him and mocked him. (John the Baptist)
D) Man cussed me at Faith FWB Church in Kinston, N.C.
* Letters in the mail ... I got so discouraged ... U-Haul coupon.
E) Jeremiah got discouraged and was gonna throw in the towel and quit.
* God knows the times that I have felt like Jeremiah.
* It seemed to Jeremiah that he had failed God and his labor was in vain.
* 1 Cor. 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye .......”
F) Jeremiah made up his mind that he was spending his life for nothing.
* He determined to quit speaking for God ... Quit speaking the Word of the Lord.
* He says that he will not mention Him no more nor speak His name no more.
G) He says, “I quit.” – Don’t we feel the same way sometimes?
* Go out on visitation ... No one comes and we say, “What’s the use?”
* But look what Jeremiah said in the latter part of v.9 “But His Word was in .......”
H) Friend, there’s no place to quit – The devil will try to get you to quit.
* Somebody once said, “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.”
* We ought to be like Jeremiah – Although he said he was gonna quit, he says,
“I can’t.”
I) I’m gonna give you some reasons tonight why I can’t quit.
* And I hope it will challenge your heart to keep going for Jesus.
* We can’t quit because .......
(1) WE HAVE A HIGH CALLING * 2 Tim. 1:8-9 “Be not thou therefore .......”
A) Heb. 3:1 says that we are partakers of the heavenly calling.
* We are saved – God Himself called us with a high calling – Illustrate .......
B) Not only that, but God has chosen me to carry the gospel.
* No – I can’t quit because of the high calling.
(2) BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF GOD * 2 Cor. 5:14 “For the love of .......”
A) The Greek word for constraineth is “sunecho,” (soon-ekh’-o) and it means
“to compel, to hold together, to keep in.”
* It’s God’s love for me that holds me together.
B) Notice that Paul doesn’t say that he keeps going because of the great
teaching of Christ – Nor the great example of Christ .......
* Nor the great ministry of Christ, or the great life of Christ.
* He says that what keeps him from quitting is the great love of Christ.
C) Thank God that His love for me keeps me going – I can’t quit.
* 1 John 4:9-10 “In this was manifested the love of God toward .......”
D) Even if no one else in this world loves me, I know God loves me.
* He loves me when I’m happy – Sad – Good – Bad – Song “Jesus Loves Me.”
* Look in your Bibles at Romans 8:35-39 .......
E) I can’t quit because of God’s love for me.
* One of the best Scriptures that comes to mind about God’s love is Rom. 5:8 .......
* John 3:16 – Who can define the word “so” in this verse?
F) “The love of Christ constraineth us.” – That’s what keeps us going.
* Isa. 50:6 “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off
the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”
* Isa. 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and .......”
(3) BECAUSE WE’VE GOT LOVED ONES WAITING ON THE OTHER SIDE
A) Heb. 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with .......”
* My Grandma – My Daddy – Friends – Abraham – Job – Peter – Paul – etc.
* But most of all, JESUS – No, I can’t quit because of that great cloud of witnesses.
(4) BECAUSE THE PRICE IS TOO HIGH TO QUIT
A) Take a good look at Jonah – God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and cry out
against it and tell them to repent.
* Instead he went to Tarshish ... He thought he could run from God, away from
His presence.
* Everything was all right for a while, but the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea.
B) Everyone on the ship was afraid – They didn’t know why this was happening.
* They began calling upon their gods while Jonah was down in the sides of the ship asleep.
* They woke him up and told him to call on his God.
C) Can you imagine how Jonah felt then?
* They knew he was running from God because he had told them, “I’m your problem.”
* He told them to cast him overboard and the problem would be solved – So they did.
D) And God had a whale prepared for Jonah to swallow him up.
* Jonah realized what he had done – Jonah 1:17 says Jonah was in the belly of the
fish for three days and three nights.
* Jonah 2:1-2 “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me;
out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”
* Jonah 2:7 “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD:”
E) After Jonah repented, the whale vomited him up, he was ready to preach then.
* God’s got a whale for you friend – Heb. 12:5-8 “And ye have forgotten .......”
F) Jonah quit, but look at the price he paid.
* You get swallowed by a whale (spiritually), you’ll be ready to do God’s will
again too.
* I can’t quit because the price is too high – I don’t want to be swallowed by a whale.
(5) BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES INTERCESSION FOR ME
* Rom. 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth
what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according
to the will of God.”
A) Have you ever kneeled down to pray, broken hearted, and couldn’t think
of a word to say?
* Have you ever prayed and seemed you were hollering into an empty room?
B) I have many times – When we don’t know how to pray for certain things,
the Spirit makes intercession for us.
* I can’t quit because the Holy Spirit is making intercession for me.
(6) BECAUSE I’M TOO FAR IN DEBT TO CHRIST
* 1 Cor. 6:19-20 “What? know ye not .......”
* Rom. 1:14 “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both .......”
* Gal. 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ .......”
A) All the money in the world could not pay God back for what He has
done for me.
* God has done so much for me – All I can give Him is my heart and my life.
* I can’t quit because I’m too far in debt to Christ.
(7) BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD IS IN MY HEART AS A BURNING FIRE
SHUT UP IN MY BONES
A) Souls are crying ... Men are dying ... They need Jesus and I must tell them.
* It’s a burning flame that won’t go out ... I can’t quit ... And you can’t either.
* God’s called you to be a witness for Him.
B) Let me write it down for you – For God’s sake, don’t quit – Do right.
