Nobleton Community Church
January 28, 2024
Text: Galatians 6:1-10
Reverend Paul V Lehmann
We have a great promise in verse 9. I would like to focus our attention on this verse from the passage that Roxie read this morning.
The reason that some people don’t see results or “reap a harvest” in their lives, is because they “give up.” Things just get too hard. The trials are too much to bear. The reason they get this bad, is because they are trying to succeed in their own strength. We all at some time of other have been guilty of this. When we recognize that we have blown it, or we have failed to do what God wants us to do, we must “persevere” and keep going, but with His Power.
It’s said that Walt Disney’s request for a loan was rejected by 301 banks before he finally got a yes. Yet he built the world’s most famous theme park. So, this year let’s remember some things.
- Perseverance turns adversity into advancement.
At a sales convention the manager said to 2,000 of his firm’s sales force, “Did the Wright brothers quit?” “No” they responded. “Did Charles Lindbergh quit?” “No” they shouted. “Did Lance Armstrong quit?” “No” they responded. “Did Thorndike Mckester quit?
There was a long, confused silence. Then a salesperson shouted, “Who in the world is Thorndike Mckester? Nobody’s ever heard of him.” The sales manager snapped back, “Of course you haven’t—that’s because he quit!” As you have heard perhaps before –said by some coaches—Quitters never win and winners never quit.
Paul writes, “Everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.” (Philippians 1:12 NLT). Paul didn’t give up—he rose up! How did he do it? He found the benefit to him personally that comes from every trial. One Christian author writes: “Today we’re obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability. One Christian author writes; “Today we’re obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability. We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all temptation and release us from all spiritual growing pains. But real maturity is quite is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving.” Growth is gradual. We read in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that; our lives gradually become” brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”
“WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DON’T GIVE UP”
Every time I say we will—–you repeat together…Reap a harvest if we don’t give up.
Observe more things about perseverance.
- Perseverance means stopping not because you’re tired, but because the task is done.
Diplomat Robert Strauss quipped, “Success is like wrestling a 1000 pound gorilla. You don’t quit when you are tired—you quit when the gorilla is tired.” When you’re fresh, excited and energetic you work at a task with vigor. Only when you become weary do you need perseverance. The Apostle Paul recognized this when he said: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time—
“WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DON’T GIVE UP”
Fatigue and discouragement are not reasons to quit, they’re reasons to draw close to God, rely on our character and keep going. We underestimate what it takes to succeed. When we haven’t counted the cost we approach challenges with mere interest; what’s required is total commitment!
- Perseverance doesn’t demand more than we have, but all that we have.
Author Frank Tyger observed, “In every triumph, there is a lot of try.”
We read that most millionaires who haven’t inherited their money, failed at least once, maybe even went bankrupt before they were successful.
But perseverance means more than just trying or working hard. Perseverance is an investment. It’s a willingness to bind yourself, emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually to an idea, purpose or task until it has been completed. Perseverance demands a lot, but here’s the good news: everything you give is an investment in yourself. Each time you do the right thing—seek God, work hard, treat others with respect, learn and grow—you invest in yourself. To do these things every day takes perseverance, but if you do them your success is guaranteed.
“WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DON’T GIVE UP”
Perseverance is a trait that can be cultivated, and the initial step to cultivating it is to eliminate two of its greatest enemies. These are:
1. A lifestyle of giving up. A little boy was promised an ice cream cone if he was good while accompanying his grandfather on some errands. The longer they were gone the more difficult the boy was finding it to be good. “How much longer will it be? he asked. “Not too long,” replied the grandfather, “we’ve just got one more stop to make.” “I don’t know if I can make it, Grandpa,” the little boy said, “I can be good, I just can’t be good enough long enough.” As children we can get away with that, but not as mature people, and certainly not if we expect to succeed in what God’s called us to do. Then the other thing that we need to eliminate is:
- A wrong belief that life should be easy.
Paul told Timothy he must “endure hardness, as a good soldier.”
(2 Timothy 2:3) Having the right expectations is half the battle. Clinical psychologist John C. Norcross found the great characteristic that distinguishes those who reach their goals from those who don’t ––it is expectation! Both types of people experience the same amount of failure during the first month they strive for their goals. But members of the successful group don’t expect to succeed right away; they view their failures as a reason to re-commit and re-focus on their goals with more determination. Norcross say, “those who were unsuccessful say a relapse is evidence they can’t do it. They are the ones who have a wrong belief that life should be easy.” Bottom line: “We give great honor to those who endure under suffering.” (we read in James 5: 11)
“WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DON’T GIVE UP”
Then the next enemy of perseverance you’ll have to defeat each day of this year is:
3.Lack of resiliency
Harvard professor George Vaillant identifies resiliency as a significant characteristic of people who navigate the different seasons of life from birth to old age. In his book Aging Well he writes, “Resilient people are like a twig with a fresh, green, living core. When twisted out of shape the twig bends but it doesn’t break; instead it springs back and continues growing.” That’s an excellent description of perseverance. We must not become dry, brittle and inflexible. We must draw on God’s grace and endeavor to bounce back no matter how we feel.
The fourth enemy of perseverance that must be defeated is:
4.) Lack of vision.
Everything that’s created is actually created twice. First it’s created mentally, then it’s created physically. And where does our creativity come from? God, our Creator, who made us in His likeness
(Gen. 1:27). A God-given vision will keep you moving forward when nothing else will. The lack of one will stop you dead in your tracks. Or at the very least, will encourage the status quo and eventually there is a plateau, and no progress is made. This is true of our own personal life, and also for the church.
5.) Lack of purpose.
Rich Demoss remarked, “Persistence is stubbornness with a purpose.” It’s very difficult to develop persistence when you lack a sense of purpose. Conversely, when you have a passionate sense of purpose, energy rises, obstacles become incidental and perseverance wins out.
When we know what God wants us to do, we must not give up when we know that what we are doing is good. Let’s not get tired of doing it. Verse 9 could be read this way: “Don’t let evil get the best of you….Don’t let the bad circumstances wear you down and wear you out….Don’t give in to the evil that intends to defeat you….”
A world champion boxer years ago put it this way: “Champions aren’t made in the gyms, they are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision. They have last-minute stamina. They have to be a little faster and they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.
Do exactly what the Holy Spirit impresses you to do. Once you obey His leading, you must then use your God-given authority and command Satan to take his hands off your finances (if that is the problem), or your family, (if you see them struggling, perhaps physically) Boldly declare by faith for this year, that: God’s blessings are yours. You have every right to expect God’s blessings to come pouring into your life!
“WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DON’T GIVE UP”