Amen. All right good morning everyone. First I want to say thank you very much
for coming out to this event. This has been a really awesome event even though
we just had one day of soul winning so far. I have to say that yesterday
was the most receptive soul winning I have ever seen in the United
States. That was incredible. Having 40 soul winners and 52
salvations. I mean me and my soul winning partner yesterday were preaching gospel
the entire time. It was really exciting and you know I come from a very
receptive place, Texas. So some of you that are in other un-receptive place
yesterday was probably like a breath of fresh air for you guys you know.
But that was really really great. I want to thank Pastor Thompson for
putting this on. Brother Temo, Brother Robert, everyone that put in a lot of
hard work to this. This is a great event. I'd like to see this become a
yearly thing honestly because even if there's no church here in Detroit which
I mean a new IFB type church right of course there's churches here. But if we
come here every year for decades how many thousands and thousands of people
could get saved here? Even if there is no new IFB church and God willing
that would happen. But even if that's not the case there's a lot of work
that could be done for God in this area and it's very exciting to see. So
let's get into our text here. Let's read 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 7. This
is the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy. It says I have fought a good fight. I have
finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me
at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his
appearing. And the title of my sermon this morning is don't quit on serving
God. Don't quit on serving God. It's a very powerful passage towards the end
of the Apostle Paul's life and he makes some profound statements here
saying that he has fought a good fight. That he has finished his course.
That he has kept the faith. And isn't that what we all want to say towards
the end of our lives? That we've been faithful. That we've continued being soul
winners. That we've continued reading the Bible. That we've continued doing the
things of God. Because I am very happy and very thankful for every single
person that came out to the soul winning marathon that decided to serve God. That
decided to put their time, their money, their energy into doing something for
God. And that is great that you did this this year. But I would love it if
everyone did that back at home and if everyone did that next year and the
next year until they die. Or until they're physically unable to preach the
gospel. That they would never quit on serving God. There's things in life
sometimes that you quit. There's jobs that you leave. There's bad
relationships that sometimes people quit on. And there's even good things that
sometimes people quit on when they shouldn't. But let it be said of you
that one thing you never ever will quit on is serving God. That is the one
thing you should never ever quit on. And when I think of someone who never
quit. Someone who never gave up. I think of the Apostle Paul. Because this guy
went through some hard hard stuff. And so if we're gonna look at the life of
Paul. I think we can learn some lessons. Some things that were different about
the Apostle Paul that caused him not to quit. Because here's the thing. Any
one of us can quit. We all have the flesh. We all can get weak. We all can
get scared. We all can get lazy. That's every single person in this room
including myself. So we need to take heed to ourselves. Look at a man that
did it right and learn the lessons from him. Let's go to 2nd Corinthians
chapter number 11. 2nd Corinthians chapter number 11. And if you get the
context of this chapter. You know the Corinthians are kind of calling into
question the authority of Paul and the legitimacy of him as an
apostle and as a preacher. And he's like okay you know you guys are being
fools. Let me speak as a fool a little bit for you. Let me boast myself a
little bit of what I'm really like. And he's speaking under the inspiration
of the Holy Ghost. So everything that he says he went through. Everything that he
says about himself is true. He's not just making this stuff up. But if you
look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 18. Let's start reading some of
the things he went through. He said,
I speak as concerning reproach as though we had been weak. Howbeit wherein so
ever any is bold I speak foolishly. I am bold also. I'm going to start telling them
about himself. He says, are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I.
Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they the ministers of Christ? I speak
as a fool. I am more. In labors more abundant. So he's working really hard.
In stripes above measure. In prisons more frequent. In deaths oft. Okay so
already if this is a pretty crazy list so far. And for someone to not quit
that implies that they went through something really hard, right? It's like
you don't say like I didn't quit. It was like so easy the whole time I
coasted. It doesn't make any sense. Someone that didn't quit because they
went through something really hard. Let's look at all the things that he
went through. Of the Jews, five times received by 40 stripes saved one. Now you
know sometimes we read verses in the Bible it's just like oh verse next verse
next verse. But let me just just have you think about this for a moment. Think
about getting beaten with a whip. 40 stripes saved one. 39 times with a whip.
And it says that he did that five times. That's just one verse in your
Bible. But let me tell you within that one verse is a lot of pain and agony
and bleeding and physical suffering and a lot of temptations to say I'm done. I'm
quitting. This preaching the gospel thing is not worth it. I'm getting beaten five
times with whips. That's pretty intense. No one in here has probably gone
through anything like that preaching the gospel, right? Then he keeps going.
Thrice I was beaten with rods. You know have you ever seen the police
videos online of the Rodney King incident where this dude's getting
beaten with rods? It's brutal. He says that happened to him three times, three
separate occasions. Once I was stoned. I mean how do you survive being stoned?
It's incredible. That's a lot of pain. That's a lot of temptation to quit.
Getting stoned. Once or thrice I suffered shipwreck. I mean I don't like
the ocean whatsoever. Three times suffering a shipwreck. That's a nightmare.
A night in the day I have been in the deep. You know he's just like
laying on a piece of wood in the middle of the ocean for a whole night
and a whole day. It's like okay Lord just take me home, right? I'm done. But
not the Apostle Paul. Not the Apostle Paul. It says a night in the day have I
been in the deep. In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of
robbers, in perils by my known countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in
perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings
often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Are you
getting the picture of what the Apostle Paul's life was really like? You
know he didn't live Joel Osteen's life. He didn't live Kenneth Copeland's
life, okay? The prosperity gospel. No, the Apostle Paul's life from a
physical standpoint was a complete suffering wreck, right? But he never
quit. And then he says this in verse 28, beside those things that are
without, besides all that persecution, all those things I just told you about, he
says, that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches. I'm also
taking care of all these churches that I planted, all the daily administration,
all the dealing with problems, all of the training of ministers, all of the
leading of the soul winning times, and putting on the fellowship events,
and ordering the Panda Express. He's doing it all, right? That's a lot of
work. That'll make a man want to quit. That'll make a man want to quit on
serving God. But he never did. Why is that? Go to Acts chapter number 20. What
was different about the Apostle Paul? This was a special man. This man got a
lot done for God. Number one, I think what made him different, what made him
never quit on serving God, was that he realized his importance to the mission.
He realized his importance to the mission, and if we do not want to quit,
we need to realize our importance to the mission. Acts chapter 20, he's speaking to
the elders at Ephesus that he's trained, and he's gonna leave them for
a while, and this is what he says. Let's start reading in verse 17. It says,
And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church.
And when they were come to him he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I
came into Asia, after what manner I've been with you at all seasons, serving
the Lord with all humility of mine, and with many tears and temptations which
befell me by the lying and weight of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing
that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly,
and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks,
repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now
behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that
shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city,
saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. He's saying, I'm about to go into
Jerusalem and I am unsure what's going to happen to me there. I'm not even quite
sure. But here's the one thing I know, bonds and afflictions await me. He's
like, the only thing I know is that it's gonna be really hard and it's
gonna be really bad. That's the one thing that he's he's assured of. Well
look what he says, but none of these things move me. How? How do none of
those things move you? Though that would move most people. That would move a
lot of us. That might move me. That would move a lot of people. But look what he
says, but none of these things move me. Neither count I my life dear unto
myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, don't miss this, and
the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of
the grace of God. You know what he realized about himself? He realized his
importance to the mission. He realized that he received of the Lord Jesus
the ministry to testify the gospel. He realized that he was an important
aspect of the mission. And you think about the Apostle Paul, he was someone
that was hand chosen by Jesus Christ, right? He had a very, very important
job. But let me just tell you right now, the Apostle Paul is not the only
person that Jesus Christ has chosen to have this ministry. Go to 2nd
Corinthians chapter number 4. 2nd Corinthians chapter number 4. 2nd
Corinthians 4, and look at verse 1, it says, therefore seeing we have this
ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not. See, it's not
just the Apostle Paul. In Acts 20 he says, hey, the ministry which I have
received of the Lord Jesus to testify the grace of God. Then in 2nd
Corinthians 4 he says, therefore seeing we have received this ministry. And a lot
of people have an improper view of themselves in the work of God. They
think, well, I'm not a pastor, I'm not an evangelist, I'm not a deacon, I'm not
someone that preaches, and so I'm not very important. That could
not be farther from the truth. Every single person has received this
ministry from the Lord Jesus Christ, not just if you're a pastor. Every man,
woman, boy, and girl has received this. And if you want to make sure that you
never quit, you need to realize, wait a second, I have received this ministry
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, that's a powerful truth when
you actually think about it, that you have received the same ministry that
the Apostle Paul received. Yeah, Jesus Christ came and chose him face to
face, but we're just as chosen as he is. Just as chosen as he is. Go to
Matthew chapter number 28. Matthew chapter number 28.
Matthew 28. Let's start reading in verse 18. It says, And Jesus came and spake
unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world. Amen. This is the famous Great Commission. And how
has God ordained that the Great Commission is fulfilled? Well, it's
through the local New Testament church. This is the institution that
God has created for the Great Commission to be fulfilled, and in that
God-given institution, there is God-given positions of authority, like pastor, you
know, you have evangelist deacons, all of that, teachers, but we're all part of
that body, and all of us are working for that same mission that Jesus Christ
gave in Matthew 28, and that's to teach all nations. That's not just the
pastor's job. That's not just the preacher's job. That is every single
person's job, and you need to take ownership of that mission, realize your
importance to the mission, because Jesus is not going to complete this
mission by himself. God is not going to come down here and go and knock in
the streets of the ghetto of Detroit and ask people if they were to die
today, if they're 100% sure they're going to heaven. Jesus is not going to
do that. I feel like a lot of churches have forgotten about the
importance of soul-winning. They have not emphasized the importance of
preaching the gospel, and people have forgotten that this is our job.
This is the whole reason church exists. This is the whole reason God
instituted the local New Testament church, is to preach the gospel. Yet how
many churches don't go soul-winning? That is a shame to them. Why are they
not doing it here in Detroit? This is, like I said, the most receptive place
I've ever gone soul-winning in America. What are the Baptists doing in
this town? Why are they dropping the ball? Go to John chapter number six. I
think there's a great story in John that illustrates how Jesus is not going
to go and give the gospel himself. He's not going to come down here and knock
on people's doors himself. Look at John chapter six. Let's read in verse one. The
Bible says, after these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is
the Sea of Tiberius, and a great multitude followed him. That great
multitude pictures the unsaved, this world. There's a great multitude out
there. Followed him because they saw his miracles, which he did on them that
were diseased. Verse three, and Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he
sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When
Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he
saith unto Philip, When shall we buy bread that these that these may eat? You
know, I love that Jesus, he sees his multitude, and he asks Philip, Hey
Philip, what should we do about this multitude? What should we do about this
multitude? Is Jesus asking this question because he doesn't know the answer? No,
but he wanted to have Philip. Phil, why don't you tell me what you think we
should do about this? You know, if you don't mind writing in your Bible, why
don't you just write over Philip your name? Because you know what Jesus is
saying to you? Hey, hey CJ, what should we do about this multitude? Right? Hey
brother Bill, what should we do about this multitude? Hey brother Dylan, what
should we do about this multitude? Right? He's asking us that question
because he already knows the answer, but he said, Hey Philip, what should we do
about this? I like that he asked his disciple that because he doesn't need
the answer. He knows. It's like kind of a rhetorical question, right? But
look at verse 6. And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he
would do. Philip answered him, 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for
them, that every one of them may take a little. He says, Jesus, this is too
big of a job. What do you mean what should we do about this? This is way
too big of a job. I mean, we have very few people here. We have very few
resources. We don't have enough time. Do you see how much of a multitude
there is out there that needs help? You think that we could take care of
this, Jesus? What are you talking about? And don't a lot of Baptists have that
same attitude. This world's too big. It's too big of a job. We don't have enough
time. We don't have enough resources. We don't have enough money. We've got a
small church, right? We don't have the fancy buildings. How is it gonna get
done? Verse 8. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
saith unto him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two
small fishes, but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men
sit down. Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down in number
by about 5,000. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, pay
attention to this, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them
that were set down, and likewise of the fishes as many as they would.
Notice, Jesus did not break the loaves, multiply the bread, and he didn't walk
up to every single person and start divvying out the bread. He didn't do
that. He broke the bread, and he said he gave it to his disciples, and he said,
You go give it to them. You know what that's a picture of? Jesus isn't coming
here to preach the gospel. We have to do it. Hey, Jesus is the bread of
life. He broke his body for us. He's done the miracle. He's paid the
sacrifice, but you know what he's done? He's handed that to us, and he says,
Distribute to them. Make the men sit down in companies, and distribute to them.
It's our job. It's no one else's job, and you are an important aspect to that
mission. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Every single person is
important to this mission, and something that will help us not quit on serving
God is realizing that, because when you quit on serving God, you are doing
damage to the kingdom of God, because there's people out there that need you,
and where are you? You quit. That's a sad thing. Verse 12, When they were filled, he
said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be
lost. Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with
the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above
unto them that had eaten. See, the sacrifice was plenty. You know, he's
like, Oh, we only have a couple fish, a couple bread. There was more left
over after he fed everyone. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is plenty. He can
save every person. What's the problem? Us. We're the problem. We got to go
distribute the bread. Go to 2 Corinthians, chapter number 5.
2 Corinthians, chapter number 5. Look at verse 18. It says, In all things are of
God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us
the ministry of reconciliation, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing trespasses unto them, and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in
Christ's stead. Be ye reconciled to God. The Bible says that we are
ambassadors of Christ. God has committed the ministry of
reconciliation to us, and it's our job to plead with people in Christ's stead to
get saved. That is our job. That is our mission, and you have to realize that
you are important to that mission. I don't care if you're a silent partner. I
don't care if you've been preaching the gospel for 10 years. If you show up
to a soul winning time, you are accomplishing great things for God. You
say, Well, I live in an unreceptive area, and people don't often get saved. Okay,
well, congratulations. You're Ezekiel, because God told Ezekiel, Hey, why don't
you just go preach to these people? They're impudent. They're stiff necked.
They're hard-hearted. They're not gonna listen to what you say, but just go
preach to them anyways. Hey, we're all getting paid the same when it comes to
rewards in heaven. We're called to be soul-warners first. Praise God if we're
soul winners, but you can't control if someone believes on Christ. All you can
do is control if you open your mouth and give someone the opportunity. So
don't get discouraged if you don't live in a place like Detroit, right? I've
lived in unreceptive places before. I've been soul winning in Boise, Idaho. I've
been soul winning in Portland, Oregon. I understand, okay? But it doesn't even
bother me, soul winning in an unreceptive area, because our job is
just to be faithful to what God says. It's funny, in Texas, people are so
spoiled with good soul winning. A soul winning captain will just fall over
themselves apologizing if you went to a location, you didn't get
someone saved. They're like, oh, I'm so sorry, I'll make sure you get a good receptive
location. Next week, I'm like, bro, it's okay. I'm from Vancouver. What are you
talking about? It's like, chill out, you know? I'll take all the rich doors
for you. I don't mind, because we need to be soul-warners. That's our job.
Number one, realize your importance to the mission. How are you not going to
quit? Number one, realize the importance to your mission. Number two, have real love
and compassion for other people. You cannot do the things that Paul did. You
cannot have the ministry that the Apostle Paul had without real love for
people. You could put on a show for quite some time. You know, you could go
through the motions and make sure everyone thinks that you're really
godly, make sure everyone thinks that you care about souls, but you know what?
You're not gonna get stoned, you're not gonna get beaten, you're not gonna
get shipwrecked, you're not gonna go through the things that he did unless
you actually love people. That's a great way to quit, is get some love for
people in your heart, to get you through all the obstacles, all the
wiles of the devil that are gonna try to stop you from preaching the
gospel. What's gonna overcome that? Love. Love will overcome that.
2 Corinthians chapter number four. Let's read this again. It says,
Therefore, seeing we have received, therefore seeing we have this ministry,
as we have received mercy, we faint not. You know, you ought to think about the
mercy that you have received. All of us deserve to go to hell. All of us
deserve to spend an eternity in a lake of fire. We've received a lot of
mercy, and if you've received that mercy, don't you want your neighbor to
receive that mercy? Don't you want your mom and dad to receive that mercy?
Don't you want your kids to receive that mercy? Don't you want your friends
and your boss and your co-workers to receive that mercy? Look what he says in
verse 2. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of
the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. Do you ever think
about that? And I think you guys probably do. The ones that show up to a
soul-winning marathon across the country, you probably do think about that,
but never forget that. Never forget that if your gospel is hid, it's hid to
those that are lost. And if you quit opening your mouth, there's people that
will spend an eternity in hell because of it. I don't know how, I don't
understand how Christians live with themselves that quit soul-winning. You
know, quit on your job, whatever. Quit on these temporal, worthless,
earthly things, whatever. But don't ever quit soul-winning. Don't ever quit
soul-winning. Yeah, I get better at the pastor, I want to go to a different
church. Don't quit soul-winning. Don't ever quit soul-winning. Look at verse 4.
It says, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them. Think about this, the Bible
describes someone that is unsaved as blind, okay? What kind of sense would it
make if someone was blind and I said, well, he's just gonna figure out how to
see someday. He's just gonna figure it out. He's just gonna heal himself. Is
that how that works? Someone just decides one day they're not gonna be
blind, or did Jesus have to heal the blind, right? I mean, hello? But there's a
great story about this. Let's go to John, chapter number five. There's a great
story that illustrates that, hey, people aren't gonna heal themselves. People
aren't gonna get saved themselves. People aren't gonna pick up the King's
James Bible and get themselves saved by reading it. People aren't gonna get
saved by reading a tract. People are not going to get themselves saved. They
need us to help them. John, chapter number five. Look at verse one. It says, and
after this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now
there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the
Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay, there's that word
again, a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for
the moving of the water. Again, the great multitude. It's a picture of the
unsaved, and they're blind, and they're halt, and they're maimed. What are they
doing? Waiting. They're waiting, and some of them don't know that they're
waiting. Some of them don't know that they're miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Some of them don't know that they need to be healed, but trust me, they're
waiting. They're waiting for us. Verse four, for an angel went down at a
certain season into the pool, and troubled the water. Whosoever then, first
at the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease
he had. Now of course this is a supernatural miracle that's happening
right here. The troubling of the water. An angel would come, trouble the water,
and then if you walk into it, then you're healed. And of course the water, a lot
of times, is a picture of salvation, right? And so it makes sense. It's also a
picture of the Holy Spirit. You know, you need the Word of God to be saved.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. You got to get into
the water to be saved, as it were. Verse five, it says, and a certain man was
there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. There's some people, you
know, that have been going to Joel Osean's church for 38 years. There's
some people have been going to Catholic Church for 38 years. There's some
people, you know, that have been agnostic for 38 years, and they've never heard
the gospel. They've never heard a good opportunity to hear it. And they're
waiting for the moving of the water. Verse six, it says, when Jesus saw him lie
and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him,
Wilt thou be made whole? Notice, salvation is a choice.
Salvation is free will. He's asking the question, do you want to be made
whole? Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be saved? It's a complete free
choice. It's not Calvinism. The Bible says, you could stay there, I'll read for you
Revelation 22 17, and the Spirit and the bride say come, and let him that
heareth say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let
him take the water of life freely. See, that water is a picture of
salvation. And he's saying, whoever wants to, come take it. Jesus asked us, man, do
you want to be saved? You know, this is us saying, hey, if you were to die
today, are you 100% sure that you'd go to heaven? No, I'm not very sure.
Well, can I spend 10 or 15 minutes with you and show you how you can know for
sure? Okay, and you show them, you say, do you believe this? Do you want to call
upon the name of the Lord? Wilt thou be made whole? That's what we're doing.
We're asking them. Look what he says. Verse 7, the impotent man answered him,
sir, and these are some of the saddest words in the Bible, I have no man.
Does this man want to get saved? Yes, he does. What was the problem? I have
no man. How many people are in Detroit that have no man? They want to be saved.
They'd get saved if you showed up and talked to them, if you loved them, if
you cared about them, but they say, hey, I have no man. That's the problem.
That's sad. That's chilling words in your King James Bible right there. I
have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool. But
while I am coming, another step it down before me. That's some sad words.
Verse 8, Jesus saith unto him, rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And
immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked, and on
the same day was the Sabbath. See, Jesus, because he had compassion, because he
loved this person, he walked up to this person and said, wilt thou be made
whole? What is that? Love. That's what the Apostle Paul had. That's what the
Lord Jesus Christ had. Love. That would cause you to go up to someone that you
don't even know, that you will probably never see again in your life,
and ask them, wilt thou be made whole? That's what you have to have in your
heart for you to not quit on serving God. Because, hey, the storms of life can
knock you down, but the love of a person's soul to escape them from the
fires of hell and spend eternity in heaven, that'll get you through a lot
in life. That'll get you through a lot if you love people, if you want to
warn them about hell. You know, the Bible teaches, go to 1 Corinthians
chapter number 3. The Bible teaches that God has ordained a minister for every
person. God has ordained a soul winner for every single lost soul in
this world. Look at 1 Corinthians 3 verse 1. And I, brethren, could not speak unto
you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto you were not
able to bear it, neither yet now are you able. For ye are yet carnal, for whereas
there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal
and walk as men? For while one sayeth I am of Paul and another I am of
Apollos, are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul and who is Apollos, but
ministers, notice this, by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to
every man. The Bible teaches that God has given to every soul a minister by
whom someone has the opportunity to believe. And guess what? That minister, for
thousands and thousands and thousands of people alive on this earth right
now, is you. It's you. That's a sobering thought when you actually take
that seriously. When you realize that God has chosen you to give people the
gospel that are alive right now in this world. Those people that brother
CJ and I got saved yesterday, God has given them a minister. He's given
them ministers. All the people that you got saved yesterday, you were the
minister that God chose for those people to get saved. And many Christians
today, God has chosen them to be a minister, to get the gospel to people
and they're just saying no. Why? Because they're lacking love. Because
they're lacking compassion. Because they just care about themselves
instead of caring about people spending an eternity in hell. And notice
Paul says, who then is Paul and who is Apollos? It's not that we're
anything special because of us. It's not that we're anything special because of
our talents or our abilities or our looks or our position. No, we're special
because of our mission. We're special because of the ordinance that God has
given to us to be ministers for him. To have the ministry of
reconciliation. That's what makes us special. You better believe we're
special. You better believe you're special in this room. But it's because
of the mission that you have and nothing else. Who is Paul? Who is Apollos?
But ministers by whom he believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have
planted Apollos water, but God gave the increase. You know, we of course know
God gets all the credit. He's the one that died on the cross. He is the
one that went to hell for three days and three nights. He's the one that
rose again from the dead. Hey, we're just passing the message here. We know
that God's the one giving the increase. Don't get me wrong. But we still
are laboring together with him. Verse 9, for we are laborers together with
God. You're God's husbandry. You're God's building. We don't get the credit, but
here's the thing. God's not going to do it without us. God can't do it without us.
Remember, he gave the bread to the disciples. He didn't go give the bread
to the people. It's our job to do that. You say, well, I'm lacking love. And I
don't think any of you are because you're here. But maybe someday you're
lacking your love. You know, you're driving down the road and you just see
a bunch of weird freaks and you're like, I don't want to preach the gospel.
What's going on? I live in a weird area. But look what the Bible
says. I'll read for you in Proverbs 16 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord and
thy thoughts shall be established. You want to know how to change your heart,
how to change your thoughts, is by doing the work. I guarantee you
yesterday, if you knocked on someone's door and looked them in the eyes and
preached them the gospel and called upon the name of the Lord with them,
you have more love in your heart now than you did before because
you're committing your works unto the Lord. That's how you get the love
back in your heart if it ever gets lost. And you need to know how to do
that because what are we talking about? How not to quit. Realizing your
importance to the mission but also having real love and compassion for
people. That's going to keep you in the fight. That's going to keep you
going. So number one, how do we not quit? Realize your importance to the
mission. Number two, have real love and compassion towards people. Number
three, loosen your grip on the things of this world. Loosen your grip on the
things of this world. This is one of the biggest reasons why Paul never
quit on serving God is he had a loose grip on the things of this world.
And when you think about why many Christians, especially in our country,
fail and quit is because they have a tight grip on the physical things of
this world. Because we live in such a prosperous nation that's been blessed
by God for so long that people just have their hands gripped so
tightly around this world. And it causes people to quit. Let's go back to
Acts chapter number 20. And I want to point out again some
things that didn't move Paul. Look at verse number 22 of Acts chapter 20. It
says, and now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the
things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witness it in
every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. So remember he's
saying I'm going to Jerusalem and I don't know what's gonna happen to me
other than that it's gonna be bad. And look what he says in verse 24, but none
of these things move me. And now I want to focus on a different part of this
verse. Notice this, he says, neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I
might finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have received in the
Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Notice Paul did not
count his precious little life something that was so dear unto him. There was
things that were more important to the Apostle Paul than his own life, than
his own daily affairs, than his tent making business, than all the things
that he enjoyed in this world. He did not count his life dear unto himself. He
had such a loose grip on the things of this world that he was willing to
kiss his physical body and his physical life goodbye for the gospel of
Christ. That's incredible. That is incredible. He did not have a tightly
grip thing on the things of this world. Go to Matthew chapter number six,
Matthew chapter number six, and the reason why so many people quit is
because they count their dear precious little lives too dear unto themselves.
Their job is too important to them to make a stand for God. Their life is too
important to them. Their family situation is too important to them to
live for God, to serve God. They have all their things it's too important
to them. But notice what Jesus said in Matthew 6 verse 24, no man can serve
two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he
will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
What is mammon? Mammon is just things. It could be money, it could be toys, it could
be your physical possession, it could be your house, it could be your job.
Mammon is just things. He says look you'll either hate the one and love the
other, you'll hold to the one and despise the other, you cannot love the
things of this world and serve God. And look when it says to hate mammon
this isn't saying that when you get your paycheck at work you have to rip it
up and say I despise this, right? The Bible doesn't say that money is the
that money is the root of all evil, it says that the love, I'm sorry, the Bible doesn't
say that money is the root of all evil, it says that the love of money is the
root of all evil, okay? So hate in the Bible sometimes is loathing and just
detesting something. Sometimes it's esteeming something less than
another, okay? So I'm not saying you got to rip up your paycheck when you
get paid from your job, okay? But you know what, if you esteem your money
higher than you esteem soul winning, you got a problem. If you esteem your
money higher than you esteem church attendance, you have a problem. The things
of God always needs to come number one, and if it doesn't you've got a little
too tight of a grip on the things of this world. And if you're gonna have
longevity in the Christian life, if you're gonna get to the end and say I
fought a good fight, I finished my course, I've kept the faith, you've got to
loosen your grip on the things of this world. But what do Americans care
about today? Their cars, they've got to have a couple Teslas, and they've got
to have an RV, and they've got to have a boat, and they've got to have a summer
house up in the mountains of Idaho. They've got to have a winter cabin down
in Phoenix, Arizona. They've got to make all these trips abroad and travel
the world and don't have any kids until you're 30 so you could travel the
world. Look, that's garbage. None of the things on this earth matter. The
Bible says that, you know, there's no remembrance of former things. When
you're in heaven you're not going to remember your boat. You're not going to
remember your house. You're not going to remember your vacations. You're not
going to remember any of that stuff. You know what you're gonna remember? The
people you got saved yesterday in Detroit. That's who you're gonna
remember. That's the things that actually matter. Go to Philippians
chapter number four, Philippians chapter number four. Philippians chapter number
four. Look at verse 11, it says, not that I speak in respect of want, for I
have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. The word
content means to be satisfied and accepting of one situation, belongings
and lot in life. Do you always find yourself where you're never
satisfied with the things that you have, the places that you go to, your
job, all the things that God is giving you? You just always find yourself
wanting more, wanting different things. Well, Paul was content in whatever state
he is. Verse 12, he said, I know both how to be abased and I know how to
abound. I know how to live good, basically, and I know how to live in
poverty everywhere and in all things I'm instructed both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and suffer need. I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me. Because the focus wasn't on the rewards of Paul's
work and the nice cars and the fancy houses. No, he said, I could do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me. That's what strengthened him, not
the things that he had, not the things that he could obtain in this world. I'll
read for you 1 Timothy 6. It says, but godliness with contentment is
great gain, for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we
can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be there with
content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and
into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drowned men in destruction and
perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some
coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows. The Bible explicitly says that covetousness causes people
to err from the faith, causes people to quit on serving God. This is not
something I just made up. The Bible says that while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith. And you want to quit serving God? Get covetous. I
mean the Bible says that you're supposed to be kicked out of church in
1 Corinthians 5 if you're a covetous person. Talk about quitting serving God.
What about if you're cast out of the church, right? And you know what? A lot
of people that just get covetousness or coveted, they don't even have to get
kicked out of the church. They kick themselves out of the church because
they'd rather be on the boat on Sunday than in the church anyways.
They'd rather be serving money than at church anyways. They'd rather be
serving money than soul winning anyways. They get themselves out of the fight.
The Bible tells us that they've erred from the faith. But thou, O man of God,
flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness. Look, the world is out there and the devil is constantly
bombarding you with messages that you need more stuff to be happy, you
need a better house to be happy, you need to buy this new smartwatch, you
need to buy this new phone, you need to buy this new car, you need to
dress like this, and you're gonna see it everywhere in the movies and the
television and the billboards. It's gonna be constantly bombarding you. But the
Bible says, man of God, flee these things. You gotta wake up in the morning
and say, okay, I realize that I live in America and I realize that every single
person here thinks that money buys happiness and everyone here is serving
money. I need to put on the new man. I need to renew my mind and say, okay, I
need to flee those things. Because the former things, we're not gonna
remember that. It's not important. Nothing else matters but serving Christ.
Verse 12, fight the good fight of faith. What's that in context of? Fleeing
covetousness? That's the good fight. Lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art
called and has professed a good profession before many witnesses. So, you
know, at the end of Paul's life when he says, I fought a good fight, we know
that one of the things he did was he definitely avoided covetousness
because in the context of preaching against covetousness, he's saying, fight
the good fight. Looks like Paul did this. And Paul was absolutely not a
covetous person. He had a position as a evangelist and as a apostle where he
could have been taking a full-time check. There would have been absolutely
nothing wrong with him doing that, but he decided to set an example where he's
working a full-time secular job and planning churches and getting
shipwrecked and getting stoned and just working like crazy. He wasn't a
covetous man. He fought the good fight. Go to Mark chapter number eight.
We just have to remind ourselves, we just have to have this bottom line in
our mind that you will lose everything someday. You will lose every
possession that you own on this earth someday. You will lose every family
member someday. Every car, every vacation, every trinket, you know, the chest full
of grandpa and grandma's hand-me-downs. It's all gonna be gone. None of it will
last. The only thing that matters is what you did for Christ. Mark chapter
eight, it's the context of Jesus explaining how he's gonna die and then
Peter rebukes him for it and then Jesus rebukes him back. Look, let's start
reading verse 34. It says, And when he had called the people unto him with his
disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. And I love this next
verse. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall
lose his life for my sake and for the Gospels the same shall save it. So
many unbelievers in this world and so many Christians are so focused on
saving their precious little lives and finding their precious little lives
and they think they're gonna find it in the material goods, they think they're
gonna find it with the adultery, they think they're gonna find it with the
fornication and the alcohol and all the things that money can buy, but
Jesus says, Why don't you just lose that, but whosoever shall lose his life
for my sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it. Then you'll actually
find your life. Then you'll actually save your life and find your purpose
on this earth when you give up all that other garbage. Verse 36, For what
shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? You know, what's
it gonna profit the devil who's called the god of this world, who runs
this world right now? What's it gonna profit him when he's burning in the
lake of fire for all of eternity? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Whosoever
therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and
sinful generation. Of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. You know, for the
unsaved, it's like, what does it matter if you get all these things
that you desire and then you lift up your eyes in hell? And for the saved,
what does it matter if you spend your whole vapor of a life on this
earth gathering wood, hay, and stubble and you have no rewards in heaven and
you're the least in the kingdom of heaven? You're gonna spend a lot more
time in eternity and in heaven than you will on this earth. And we just
live in the flesh, we have fleshly bodies, and sometimes that's all we can
see is our jobs, is our daily life, and just drudging through this life, but
you're not here for very long. You're not here for very long. And so
it's great when I see people spend their time, spend their money, spend
their energy to fly to Detroit and preach the gospel. It shows me that you
guys don't have a tight grip on the things of this world, that you do love
people, that you do realize the importance of this mission and how important you
are to it. So here's the bottom line. Look, quit on other things in
your life if you have to, but one thing, just never ever quit on serving God.
Never quit preaching the gospel. No matter where you live, no matter where
you are, open your mouth boldly and make known the mystery of the gospel.
Why? Because it's up to you. It's your mission. Realize how important
you are to it. Realize that you are a minister of God ordained to give the
gospel to people that are living and breathing alive on this earth right
now and that will spend an eternity somewhere. And the decision on whether or
not they go to heaven and hell is up to them if you preach them the gospel,
but if they never have a chance, you know what? Their blood is on your hands.
Their blood is on my hands. So how are we gonna never quit? And like I said,
all of us could quit. No one in here is above quitting and all of us have to
take heed unto ourselves and realize, hey, I have an important mission today. I
have an important mission. I'm an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ.
All power has been given unto us in heaven and in earth. Jesus Christ is
with us to the ends of the earth. Amen. We have an important mission and then
realize, hey, I need to have real love and compassion for people that are
gonna spend an eternity somewhere and that'll get you through a lot of
your problems and have a loose grip on the things of this world. These are
keys that will help you to never quit on serving God. Let's end in a word of
prayer. Lord, thank you so much for this day. I thank you for every single
person here that would spend their time, energy, and money to come out and
preach the gospel. I pray that you'd please strengthen every single
person here and just give us the tenacity and fortitude to never quit
on serving God, to never quit reading our Bibles, to never quit going to
church, to never quit preaching the gospel. Pray that you'd help us just to
be strengthened, to help us to love other people, to help us have a loose
grip on the things of this world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.