“IT’S TOO SOON QUIT”
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Proverbs 24:10-12 "If thou faint in the day of thy adversity, thy strength is small. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
12: If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
Becoming a Christian does not guarantee there won’t be Misfortunes or Calamities along the way... (I Don’t Know Where That Idea Comes From.) Becoming a Christian Does Guarantee That Christ Will Be With You In Your Misfortunes and Calamities!!!
The Day of Adversity comes to each of us... Have you ever been tempted to say, "Why Do Bad Thing Always Happen To Me, I Don’t See Anyone Else Suffering Like I Do...
LISTEN: We Are SHALLOW, SOUR, & SELF-CENTERED When We Think We Are The Only Ones Who Ever Hurt, Who Ever Have Bad Things Happen To Us, Who Have Misfortune or Calamity To Visit Us...
Verse 10 To Shows Each of Us Who Name the Name of Christ, How Solomon Warns Us Against "FAINTING IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY (Misfortune) !!!!
He Is Saying FAINTING IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY WILL BRING INEXCUSABLE INDIFFERENCE! Notice FIRST OF ALL:
I. TO WHAT OCCASION SOLOMON IS REFERRING "....the day of adversity" (v10)
What Is Your REACTION To MISFORTUNE? The Day of Adversity Will Come! ACCEPT That Fact, EXPECT It, So You Can BE PREPARED To Meet It...
You See, Misfortune, Trouble, & Calamity comes to everyone... There will be a time of ASSAULT, STRAIN, and PRESSURE...OUR STRENGTH IS TESTED DURING SUCH TIMES...
ILLUS: Let Me Ask You This, "What Good Is A Lighthouse That Only Stands In Calm Weather???" Or “How About An Army That Looks Good On The Parade Grounds, But Falls To Pieces On The Battlefield…”
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NOW, Let Me Ask You Another Question, "Were We Saved Only To Sail The Calm Seas?" Were We Called As Soldiers of Jesus Christ, “To Prance Around On The Parade Ground, Or To Go Out On The Battlefield???"
LISTEN DEAR SOUL: Our Strength Is Tested BY THE DAY OF ADVERSITY!!! Sometimes Those Days Come For Just That Reason, TO TEST US!!!
We Were Called To The Stormy Seas and The Battlefield and INDIFFERENCE to those days of Adversity Is INEXCUSABLE... Notice SECONDLY:
II. THE ACTION SOLOMON REPROVED: "If thou faint."
Solomon Says, "If thou faint that day, YOU NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME IN THE GOD’S SPIRITUAL GYM! WHY? "Your strength is small.."
Now NOTICE, He Does Not Say Your Strength Is Non-existent, He Says It Is "SMALL!
Your Spiritual Life Needs to Be Strong Enough To Hold Through TERROR, TEMPTATION, & TROUBLE!!! Untested Strength is FAULTY Strength, and will fail you in the day of adversity...
What Causes Failure? "An ABSENCE of FAITH!"
Only FAITH and COURAGE Will Give Strength in the day of Adversity... LISTEN, WHEN WE TRUST GOD, WE ARE ARMED WITH THE MIGHT AND POWER OF GOD...
What Causes Us “To FAINT?” Is That All too often we see our Situation, our Problems, our ADVERSITY too large for us to handle in our own strength, and forget all about the power of God...
Wise Old Solomon Say, You Will Have “Days of Adversity” (Misfortune). That’s What STRENGTHENS US! Don’t RUN From ADVERSITY, Don’t Deny It, Just Be PREPARED for it... Because INDIFFERENCE IS INEXCUSABLE
What’s The OCCASION Solomon Refers To? ADVERSITY... What’s The ACTION He Reproves? "DON’T FAINT"
And FINALLY "INDIFFERENCE IS INEXCUSABLE" Because of:
III. THE AVAILABLE REMEDY: "doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it..." (v12)
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I guess this AVAILABLE REMEDY could even be called a WARNING couldn’t It? There is always that temptation to run the other way When Faith Is Demanded! Because The Greater The ADVERSITY The More Faith is DEMANDED!
What is Solomon Saying? He Is Saying We Have An OBLIGATION, We Have A RESPONSIBILITY, We Have A DUTY To Those Who Are Drawn To Death!!!
It Would Not Only Be FAINT-HEARTED, But HEARTLESS To Ignore Those That Need Deliverance!!!
ILLUS: Custom among Jews, when man was led to execution, a sort of crier went with the procession, publicly proclaiming that if any man hath "anything to offer even yet to show the innocence of the accused, or any circumstances, or testimony, let him now declare it...
Dear Friend, Our Duty Is Clearly Pointed Out... We Are To Take The Everlasting Gospel To A Dying World...
Will You Make An Attempt, or will you Forebear... Whatever Your Choice, Remember: "....DOTH NOT HE THAT PONDERETH THE HEART CONSIDER IT?" (Would You Bow Your Head Please???)
CONCLUSION: We Are A Judgement Bound People! We Who Are Saved Have An Obligation To Those Who Need Deliverance... We Cannot IGNORE THEM, We Must Not FAIL THEM, LET US BE STRENGTHENED & OVERCOME ADVERSITY...
