Why I Cannot Quit

This sermon outline was derived from a message I heard preached by Pastor Brian Workman. He was the keynote preacher at a conference hosted by Community Baptist Church of Rugby, North Dakota. Pastor Workman is the pastor of Community Baptist Church of Lexington, North Carolina.

I was helped greatly by his message that cold January day. I later preached this outline in the church I was pastor of at the time… Cornerstone Baptist Church of Beulah, North Dakota. God moved in a great way!

Title: “Why I Cannot Quit!”

Text: John 6:66

(John 6:60-66) “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (KJV)

Introduction:

• Jesus gave a hard saying about those who would have eternal life in our previous verses, and, because of the statements Jesus made, many quit on Him!
• Yes, people quit on God!
• Many times we come to a position in life and we say that we cannot make it anymore, but we can!
• Sometimes we can appear to others as if we are continuing on but we have quit on God long ago and we are just going thru the motions!
• Christian don’t quit on God!

Proposition: There are four reasons why I cannot quit on God!

I. I Cannot Quit Because Of What’s On The Inside!

A. Salvation brought us into a relationship with Christ!

B. Our Salvation enlisted us into service for Christ!

C. If God can save us, then we have all the power of Heaven to help us!

(Ephesians 2:8-10) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (KJV)

(Philippians 1:6) “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (KJV)

II. I Cannot Quit Because Of What’s On The Outside!

A. We have friends and acquaintances that are watching us wanting us to fail!

B. Sometimes people in the church would desire to see the pastor fail just so they could say, “I told you so!”

C. Family is paying close attention to our actions and would desire to say, “I knew there was nothing to them, and that ‘born again stuff’!”

D. There is a work for us to do and we must stay in the field until the harvest be brought in!

E. Satan desired to have Peter and sift him as wheat, but Jesus prayed for him!

III. I Cannot Quit Because Of What’s On The Backside!

A. There are some wounds that have been bandaged!

B. The great balm of Gilead has annointed our broken bones and has put salve in our wounds.

C. Our experience teaches us that everything is going to be okay!

(Romans 5:1-5) “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (KJV)

D. We have come thru rough waters before and we must keep sailing on!

E. We have had dark valleys and there will be more, but we are more than conquerors!

(Romans 8:35-39) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.” (KJV)

IV. I Cannot Quit Because Of What’s On The Other Side!

A. We all have loved ones that have gone on before and many have paid a great price for their faith!

B. We have a host of ones that are encouraging us to go on!

C. Heaven is waiting and so is our reward, so why should we sit and sulk when we can get up and fight!

D. It is no mistake that in the conclusion of the great chapter on the resurrection, I Corinthians 15, that God would place a great encouragement!

(1 Corinthians 15:58) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (KJV)

Conclusion:

• Sinner, repent and be saved!
• Christian, don’t quit! Stand for God and keep on going!

God Is More Than Able

In the heat of the battle, it is sometimes hard to see the achievements of our Heavenly Father’s omnipotence because of the smoke from the fighting around us. Though casualties may be laying all around us and things may seem to be going in a different way than what we would like, God is still on the throne! He is still more than able to handle our needs! May we reflect upon this idea as we consider this outline…



Title: “God Is More Than Able!”

Text: Ephesians 3:20-21

(Ephesians 3:20-21) “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”  (KJV)

Introduction:

•    Webster’s Dictionary says the word “able” means:
o    Having skill
o    Strength to perform a task
o    Competent
o    Talented
o    Vigorous
o    When you speak of able bodied; it speaks of seamanship – a sound body or robust (having all around knowledge of seamanship)
o    The legal dictionary speaks of someone who is legally qualified
•    Whether you speak in common terms, Nautical terms, or Legal terms, God is able!

Proposition: There are four areas where we know God can work in our lives this year that we need to think about this morning!

I.    He Is Able To Work In Our Conflicts!

A.    Conflicts range in severity but God can give wisdom to respond the right way!

B.    There is not a conflict that God cannot work in:

i.    In our life as we struggle with sin.
ii.    In our realm of service.
iii.    In our testimony.

C.    Many times we see events or circumstances and we perceive that they are conflicts. Several times they are the hand of providence.

D.    If we would look back into the year 2010, we probably can see several conflicts God worked in.

E.    We should look forward to what He is going to do in 2011!

II.    He Is Able To Work In Our Relationships!

A.    Relationships are usually touchy subjects because we are dealing with at least one imperfect individual.

B.    God can work in any relationship!

C.    He can work in our relationship with him.

i.    Convicts us.
ii.    Comfort us.
iii.    Constrains us.

D.    He can work in our relationship with family members.

i.    Spouses
ii.    In laws
iii.    Parents
iv.    Children

E.    He can take the rockiest of relationships and make them smooth out into the sand on the sea shore.

III.    He Is Able To Work In Our Prayer Life!

A.    Our prayer life is vital to our effectiveness.

B.    God can take us and work with us so we can pray more.

C.    Often, in order for this to happen, He has to do something to get our attention because when things go well we forget Him!

D.    He can answer prayers that we thought were impossible.

E.    He has performed this in 2010 and He can do it in 2011!

IV.    He Is Able To Work In Our Workplace!

A.    The workplace is an arena that is not foreign to God’s working!

B.    Matthew was at his post at the receipt of custom, Elisha was plowing when God called him, the Phillipian jailor was saved while on the job.

C.    It was on my public jobs that I have learned the most about what it means to walk with God!

D.    There is no job site that God cannot work on!

E.    He has worked on 2010 and He can work in 2011!

Conclusion:

To The Sinner:

•    Be saved!

To The Christian:

•    Remember that our God is able!

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Enduring The Unendurable!

This sermon outline encourages us as followers of Jesus Christ to continue on in spite of our obstacles. God gave this message to me on one of the hardest days of my ministry! Meditate upon this message and see if it doesn’t help you too!


Title: “Enduring The Unendurable!”

Text: II Corinthians 4:16-18

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18) “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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.”  (KJV)

Introduction:

•    In life we all have a cross to bear.

(Galatians 6:5) “For every man shall bear his own burden.”  (KJV)

•    Paul describes his circumstances in the previous verses!

(2 Corinthians 4:8-12) “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.”  (KJV)

•    Many do not continue in God’s Will for their life because of their cross.
•    This cross is a sign of discipleship. We must endeavor to carry this cross even though it seems that it is unbearable!
•    Set backs, disappointments and misunderstandings all make things look different than what they really are! They are often like the funny mirrors at the fair!
•    Paul mentions some things here in our verses that should help us tonight!

Proposition: There are three things that suffering can produce in our lives if we derive our strength in God and His Word!

I.    When Crosses Get Too Heavy, Remember That God Proportions Your Shoulders To The Size Of The Cross You Have!

(2 Corinthians 4:16) “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”  (KJV)

A.    Funny thing about crosses, they are big and awkward. Never suitable… any way you carry them they hurt. It takes much discipline and purpose to carry them any distance.

B.    But is not that what God has called us to do!

C.    He never expects us to carry our cross any where without Him carrying one side!

D.    Crosses tend to show the onlookers, your inability to function, or they will embarrass you!

E.    The masses seem like they care very little about your cross, but there are a few of your brothers and sisters in the Lord that are concerned!

II.    When Crosses Leave Their Marks On You, Remember That They Produce Rewards!

(2 Corinthians 4:17) “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”  (KJV)

A.    The awkward, heavy, detestable, and hurtful cross that Jesus bore, produced the reward of Salvation!

B.    Think about it, the only way for you to have your sins forgiven and a home in Heaven was for Jesus to endure the cross!

C.    There are people who God will use you to reach, but you will have to carry your cross to produce the fruit!

D.    When the cross digs in and leaves its marks, then you dig in deeper and let God make you His instrument!

III.    When Crosses Seem To Be The Only Thing You See, Look To Finish Line!

(2 Corinthians 4:18) “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.”  (KJV)

A.    Many times we get so focused on making it one more step that we forget that there is a finish line!

B.    Many times we cannot enjoy the smell of roses, the warmth of the sunlight, and the aroma of daily nutrition for the cross that we are carrying!

C.    We are focused on the temporal rather than the eternal!

D.    We should make it our practice to see the finish line by faith!

Conclusion:

To The Sinner:

•    Repent and believe the gospel!

To The Christian:

•    All of us face hard and barren times, but God can cause the floods to fall on dry ground!
•    The God shape you as clay on His wheel!

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