PRESS ON - DON'T QUIT

PRESS ON - DON’T QUIT

CONNECT Have you ever wanted to quit? There are many sayings out there about quitting… Winners never quit, and quitters never win… Nobody likes a quitter…

TENSION Well, I have a confession to make: I am a quitter. There have been times in my life that I have quit something and regretted it to this day. I quit playing football in high school after my sophomore year; and I quit my seminary program at Liberty University when I was pastoring at Fort Hancock. I am still experiencing pain from those two decisions. I don’t know where I heard this epithet the first time, “There are two types of pain: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. You choose which pain you live with.”

All of us have wanted to quit at one time or another.  I went to hear Tommy Barnett, one of my favorite preachers and pastor.  He spoke on "I Want to Quit"! He spoke about all the Bible characters and famous preachers and leaders that had wanted to quit.  He said some things that are interesting about quitting. 

•    Wanting to quit is a sign of success – it means you have “something” to quit!

•    The more you have to quit, the more you want to quit.

•    You can enjoy the luxury of wanting to quit if you know you’re not going to quit

•    If you don’t want to quit, lock yourself in so you can’t

SOLUTION Today I want to encourage you not to quit on Jesus. He has never quit on you, and He never will!

INSTRUCTION Listen to our text from the Message translation…

Philippians 3:12–14 (MSG) I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward — to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

Jesus reached for us; He is still reaching out to us; all He asks is that we keep reaching out to Him!

When the Savior reached down for me

When he reached way down for me

I was lost and undone without God or his Son

When he reached down his hand for me

This is the third talk in this series. The first was “Things We Need to Forget”, and the second was “Reaching for Something New”. Today my title is “Press On - Don’t Quit”!

BACKGROUND

Paul often uses metaphors to illustrate truth: the military, architecture, agriculture, the family, and the body. One that he uses frequently is athletics. In the Greco-Roman world athletics were very important. People were obsessed with their bodies and competition, just like today. Think about it, where did the Olympics come from? Greece. Where was one of the greatest athletic spectacles of all time? The Roman Coliseum. The Greeks had a special word for the place where they not only trained, but also competed: “gymnasium”! Does that sound familiar? How many of us have gym memberships and spend a significant amount of time there?

(Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary) In Greece the gymnasium (from Gk. gymnos G1218, “naked”) was originally a place of training for the Olympic games and other athletic contests. By the fourth century B.C. it had become an educational and cultural center as well for Greek youths and was regarded as an essential feature of a city. It derived its name from the fact that the competitors exercised naked. The gymnasium consisted of a number of large buildings, which contained not merely places for each kind of exercise—running, boxing, wrestling, discus throwing, etc.—but also baths, a covered portico for practice in bad weather and in wintertime, and outside porticos where philosophers and writers gave public lectures and held disputations. Most of the education of boys and young men was obtained in gymnasiums. In Athens there were three great gymnasiums, each consecrated to a particular deity.

Paul alluded to the exercises of the gymnasium several times: boxing (1 Corinthians 9:26), wrestling (Ephesians 6:12), and racing (1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 5:7; Philippians 3:12–14).

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (The Message) You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. 25 All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. 26 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! 27 I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Galatians 5:7 (The Message) You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience?

2 Timothy 4:6–8 (NKJV) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The Greco-Romans also gave us one of the most lasting traditions of our country. No, I am not talking about our political system; I am talking about NASCAR!

Ben-Hur video…

Philippians 3:14 (NKJV) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul says He is pressing toward the goal just like a runner is pressing toward the finish line…

We don’t use press much anymore in this sense. In the past it was used, even in music… Listen to the lyrics of this hymn…

HIGHER GROUND

I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day;

Still praying as I’m onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”         

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,        

By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,        

A higher plane than I have found;        

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. 

When we talk about ‘press’ today I think of exercise, bench press, military press; or I think about ironing a piece of clothing. Wow, that will preach.

Weight-lifting is developing strength by pushing against resistance. It is a discipline. As we push against the resistance the muscle fibers are literally torn apart. They then repair themselves and grow back stronger.

Hebrews 12:5–11 (The Message) My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. 6 It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. 7 God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; its training, 8 the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? 9 We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? 10 While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. 11 At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

When we iron clothes, we get the wrinkles out by the application of heat and pressure! God is getting the wrinkles out of us by the systematic application of heart and pressure! The difference between a lump of coal and a diamond is heat, pressure, and time!

Isaiah 48:10 (NKJV) Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Ephesians 5:27 (NKJV) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

I always like to look at how the Greek or Hebrew words from a text are translated in different ways…

The word for ‘press’ is dioko. This word often means to pursue intensely, to follow closely…

Mark 8:34–38 (NKJV) When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 10:21 (NKJV) Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

It’s interesting that the most common usage is “persecution”.

2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV) Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Again, I think of ways we use ‘press’ today. We talk about a wine press or an olive press, even a garlic press. Think what happens in a press. The fresh is destroyed so that the oil, the wine, the juice can be extracted. Isn’t this what persecution does for us?

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Luke 16:16 (NKJV) “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.

John 12:3 (NKJV) Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

2 Corinthians 4:7–11 (NKJV) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Our vessel has to be broken for the fragrance to come. The hard, outer shell of our hearts has to be removed for the light to shine out of darkness. (Watchman Nee, The Release of the Spirit)

ILLUS Duck press on Andrew Zimmern’s Delicious Destinations…

APPLICATION How do we keep from turning back?

Hebrews 12:1–2 (NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1.  Runners remove everything that is non-essential! This is why they are called ‘thin-clads’; they don’t wear much.
2.  Runners remove anything that would trip them up!
3.  Runners have prepared to win, not just run!
4.  Runners keep their eye on the finish line! They don’t look back.

INSPIRATION I want to go back to the intro, talk more about quitting. The Bible contrasts two men: one who quit and one who didn’t. We have seen how Paul kept going under all circumstances. Sometimes I don’t feel like Paul; I told you about times I have quit. I relate more to Peter; he was a quitter. He quit on Jesus. He betrayed him and went back to fishing, even after he had seen the resurrected Lord. He believed Jesus did not want to have anything to do with him.

Now, here is the good news. Jesus called Peter and spoke to him in private and gave him a renewal of his call! In spite of his quitting, Jesus restored him. That’s good news to me! If you have quit, it doesn’t have to be final. God is the God of Restoration!

ACTION STEPS

From the Life Application Bible Commentary…

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What kind of race are you running for Christ?
2. What prize do you seek?
3. What kind of opposition do you face?
4. How can Christ help you stay on track and reach the goal?
5. What spiritual workout or training will help you run?
6. In what way can you renew your commitment to press on?

FINAL WORD What is the prize? Three things:

1.              The Call to the award podium.

2.              The Crown of victory.

3.              The Commendation of Jesus Himself.

Matthew 25:21 (NKJV) His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

INVITATION Hebrews 10:36–39 (NKJV) For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

PRAYER I will not draw back; I will not drop out; I will not quit!