“Don’t Quit”
By
Bishop Melvin L Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: Earlier this week I had a friend of mine text me and in the text they said, “I went to the doctor and he told me it is C pray for me Melvin I am scared”. As I began to text back and forth with my friend and try to encourage them and pray with them God began to deal with my spirit and just kept saying over and over again “Don’t Quit”. For me it was Don’t Quit Praying for them, for them it was Don’t Quit holding on and trusting in Jesus.
There used to be a saying that we don’t hear much today, but when someone was getting ready to say something and they really wanted to get your attention and have you understand what they were about to say they would say this is Real Talk. Real Talk was a way of emphasizing what is about to be said.
So, this I am about to say right here is real talk, so listen closely please. It doesn’t matter how spiritual you may be, you can read you Bible constantly, fast ferociously, pray without ceasing, speak in tongues, and think you are God’s first cousin. Life has a way of hitting you at times that will break your heart, crush your spirit, cause you to question God, and even wonder is it even worth going forward. If you have never felt this way, then just keep on living because it is coming.
Understand this doesn’t negate the fact that you are saved; however, it does mean that you are WATCH THIS: Human-Spiritual, you are human first and there are things that because we are human are going to experience, if we are living and the Lord tarries we will die because the Bible says Hebrews 9:27 “And it is appointed once for man to die, but after this judgment” Jesus said in John 16:33 “In the world ye shall have tribulation”. Your human part is connected to the world “for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” Genesis 3:19.
Now Jesus in this life - was Theanthropos – God-man = Theos = God and Anthropos = man so Theanthropos is God-man – Theology is the study of God – Anthropology is the study of man/ humanity.
LISTEN: There even came a time in His life here on earth that the (Anthropos) man/human part of him didn’t want to die, the human part of him didn’t want to suffer, the human part of him said “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” Matthew 26:39. I want to encourage someone today and say Don’t Quit.
PRAYER:
SCRIPTIRE:- Hebrews 12:1-2 says “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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”.
BACKGROUND: Depending on who you talk to some people believe that Apollos wrote the book of Hebrews, and some think Paul wrote it, I lean towards Paul, but what is more important than the name of the person who wrote Hebrews is the purpose it was written. The purpose of the book of Hebrews is it was written to the New Testament Saints that although they had been converted and were saved are dealing with life and struggling with the way things were, just like us today New Testament Saints.
See the devil doesn’t care about title, position, robes, or any of the superficial stuff religion puts so much emphasis on. He will attack your faith at any time because he understands scripture and he knows, Romans 14:23 says “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin”. So what he does is he attacks your faith because he wants you to develop the sin of unbelief understanding that that is the foundation of all sin.
EXPLAIN BISHOP: WATCH THIS: When Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt and he went up on Mt Sinai and received the 10 Commandments, the Children of Israel persuaded Aaron to build a golden calf and they worshipped it. That was the manifestation of the sin for the sin originated in their hearts as unbelief. Hebrews 3:8 says, “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness” the sin was the harden hearts tht did not believe God everything stimmed from that.
See it is the sin of unbelief that will ruin your relationship with God. This is the reason Hebrews was written the people were beginning to waiver in their faith and attitude toward God. So, Paul encourages the people to holdfast in Hebrew 3:6 and to go on unto perfection in Hebrews 6:1 to live a life of faith Hebrews 10:19-25, Hebrews is a letter of to encourage the people Don’t Quit.
Then we come to the 11th chapter of Hebrews, it has become known as the Hall of Faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. This is the definition of Faith but let me break this down a little. Substance is assurance and evidence is the conviction the driving force, so Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction or the driving force of that which is not visible. I may not see it now, it has not materialized yet but I am going to hold on believing God until it happens.
WATCH THIS: This faith is more than what you had in order to be saved this NOW FAITH is a lifestyle that is lived. That’s why 2 Corinthians 5:7 says “We walk by faith and not by sight” it’s a lifestyle live daily.
He then gives a list of names like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and others but what is very interesting is what he does he says “By Faith” see faith is the key, that’s why the devil attacks your faith because he knows that faith is the key, faith is the foundation that the miracle is going to be built upon. Faith is what catapult’s you into action.
WATCH THIS: Verse 7 says, “By Faith, the substance the assurance, of being warned of God of things not seen as yet - understand it had never rained upon the earth before there was a dew that came up from the ground that watered everything, but it was faith the assurance that it is going to happen that moved Noah to action with fear and prepared (action) an ark to the saving of his house (miracle) by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness (reward) which is by faith. See there is 1st Faith, then 2nd action, then there’s 3rd miracle, and 4th reward.
So chapter 11 Paul gives 40 verses of people who have BY FAITH held on and keep on pressing and Did not Quit.
Then we come to our text today chapter 12 verses 1 & 2 and he starts with “Wherefore – after giving the examples of the Old Testament Saints who BY FAITH looked for the promise having all died in faith not having received the promise but seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and did not quit, but we the New Testament Saints has God provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect. Wherefore – because seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness – a witness is one who testifies of something. We can all think of some we can ask what has God done for you that will testify and be a witness of the goodness of God. Because we all have this witness around us we can’t quit.
Because we have this great cloud of witness surrounding us we have the responsibility a 3 fold responsibility. Remember 3 means fullness, so we have a full responsibility. “let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and run with patience the race that is set before us”.
WATCH THIS: A). “Let us lay aside every weight” – a weight is anything that will slow you down, that will keep you from rising higher and getting closer to God. A habit is a weight, a person could be a weight, if you are on Facebook more than your face is in the Book then that is a weight anything that impedes your progress in getting closer to God is a weight that must be laid aside.
B). and the sin which doth so easily beset you – remember I said the golden calf and the worship wasn’t the sin it was the manifestation of the original sin. The sin that so easily besets is the sin of unbelief. Because a person doesn’t believe God it manifest, comes to light in other forms. Because Abraham didn’t believe God he had a child by Hagar named Ishmael. Because people don’t believe God they commit adultery, they live as though there is no consequences. Because they don’t believe it is appointed once for man to die and then judgment they live life like when they die it is all over.
C). Now that we have laid aside every weigh and the sin we have to run with patience the race set before us, it is not a sprint but a marathon. That’s why I said this faith is different than that faith to receive salvation, I believe God and I accept Jesus as my person Lord and Savior, but this faith to live and run and lay aside and endure is a lifestyle faith.
Then we come to verse 2 which says, “Looking unto Jesus” we must focus on Jesus, sure there is a lot of things going on in the world, Covid is on the rise again, inflation is at an all time high, wrong is being called right and right is being called wrong, but we must look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”. Author – it was Jesus that caused us to believe in Him and receive salvation – it is Jesus who is going to bring us through even though we may not see it yet – finisher.
“We must look to Jesus 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”.
Remember I said Jesus was Theanthropos – God-man. The Anthropos – humanity part of him didn’t want to die didn’t want to suffer didn’t want to go on, but the Theos-God part of Him saw the joy that was set before him. He looked passed the scourging, he looked pass the cross, he looked pass the shame, he looked pass being separated from his father and saw that in 3 days he would rise again with all power of heaven and earth in his hand. He looked and saw that 40 days later he would ascend into heaven and be seated on the right hand of the throne of God, he looked and saw that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is God. He looked a saw that someone would receive a bad report from the doctor and would want to give up. He looked and saw that someone someday would have their heart broken. He looked and saw someone was about to commit suicide. He looked and saw someone was saying I don’t feel like going any further.
So he said II need them to look at me and say He didn’t quit He overcame the world and I want them to believe me when I said As I over come the world so will you.
So, I want to tell somebody no matter how hard it looks no matter what people may say, no matter what the doctor has told you, no matter who is in the white house Don’t Quit.
Your heart my be broken but Don’t Quit.
Your spirit my be crushed but Don’t Quit.
You don’t see how you are going to make it but Don’t Quit.
You need to tap yourself and say Don’t Quit.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
