Sermon Tone Analysis

57.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

*Don’t Quit!*

*1 Corinthians 15:57-58*

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All of us need to know that we are here for a purpose.

Not only are you on this earth for a purpose, but you are in the family that you are in, you are in the household that you are in, you are in the marriage that you are in, you are in the church that you are in for a specific purpose.

It was not God’s intent to put you here to do nothing.

In God’s eyes, no matter who you are, you are somebody.

You must ask yourself today, if I’m here for a specific purpose, am I fulfilling my purpose.

I know that many people uses the excuse that they don’t know what their purpose is.

If I were you, I wouldn’t let that stop me from doing what I needed to do.

I need to tell you tonight that everybody have a sweet spot.

What is a sweet spot?

 

(I’m glad that you asked)!

A sweet spot is a place where we are comfortable.

It is a place where we don’t mind doing what we are doing.

But when we are rustled or rushed out of our sweet spot, then we become reluctant to do anything.

I know that this sounds like struggles.

I’m here to tell you tonight that we all got struggles.

All of us are at war.

We are fighting the devil and our flesh which are contrary to the spirit.

What are you saying preacher?

Your reality is not lining up with your revelations.

See, according to the revelations of the Bible;

 

·        God said, in times of trouble He will hide you.

·        God said, He would supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

·        God said, no good thing will He withhold from those that do His will.

·        God said, give, and it shall be given unto you.

·        God said, bring your tithes to the storehouse, and the windows of heaven will opened for you.

·        God said, Come to Me, and I’ll wipe the tears from your eyes.

·        Where there is confusion, I’ll bring peace.

·        Where there is sadness, I’ll bring joy.

·        Where there is sin, I’ll make you white as snow.

But when I get to what’s real, I find myself asking the Lord, how do I deal with these struggles.

How do I get my flesh to succumb to what His Spirit wants?

·        Because during my trouble, I find people talking about me.

I know we say that it don’t bother you for people to talk about you, but it bother everybody.

·        Instead of all of my supplies being met and me finding my self in a surplus, I often find myself coming up short of where I need to be.

·        I’ve found out that the good things that I want ain’t always the good things that you get.

·        I’m bringing my tithes to the storehouse, but I don’t see my blessings falling fast enough.

·        I have surrendered my life to God, but my eyes are still filled with tears.

·        I’m still living in confusion, sadness is all around me. Lord, when do I get rid of my struggles?

On top of the struggles that I encounter in my spiritual life, are the struggles that I face from day to day.

Somebody here got struggles on their job.

They can get alone with their boss like they feel they should.

Someone got struggles in their homes.

Their relationship is not all that they want it to be, their children are not traveling that path that they had planned for them to travel.

Someone got struggles when they step out of their front door.

Where do we find the peace?

Where do we find the prosperity?

Where do we find the promises that are revealed in your word?

Tonight, somebody need a renewed strength.

And I know in your word, */Isaiah 40:31/* it says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings as an eagle, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”.

I’m waiting, but while I’m waiting it seems like the devil is controlling, capturing, and conquering my every thought.

My mind that should be stayed on you is not always on your will.

Mine new hands and new feet are doing old things.

How do I get out of the trap that I’m in?

How do I get delivered from this cage of wickedness?

Most of the time, I find myself like Paul, the thing that I want to do, I don’t do, but the things that I don’t want to do, those are the things that I find myself doing.

How can I keep from falling back further, when I know I need to press on to the mark?

I’ve learned that when I find myself involved in wretchedness and wickedness, I have a tendency to quit on God.

As Paul comes to the close of this letter, he is inclined to let the church at Corinth know that no matter how hard the way maybe, don’t quit.

Corinth was a metropolitan city.

There were many things going on in this city.

There was so much wickedness was readily available to them.

These folks would leave church, go get drunk, and go to the sex party at Diana’s temple.

Paul lets them know that they must be genuine believers.

Today we are faced with the same thing.

Some of us can’t wait until church is over so we can go to the casino.

Some of us can’t wait until the preacher says his final amen, so we can go get our groove on.

Some of us can’t wait until the doxology had been given, so that we can get our little dirt started.

Some of us are just like these people in our text, your body is here with me, but your mind is on the other side of town.

You know how some people feel like they got everybody fooled.

You are doing your little dirt, but you don’t think anybody know about it.

And then you run up in the church acting like you don’t ever do any wrong.

Ain’t no use in coming to the church and acting like you are the only person in here to knows the Lord.

But when you are outside of the church and I see you in the streets, you will turn your head and won’t even speak.

The bible says that we ought not to think of ourselves more highly than we do others.

Don’t you know that when you get too high, God will bring you back down?

You better forget about man, and do all that you can do to please God.

So, in this last verse of the 15th chapter Paul says to them, “Therefore”.

He simply says in verse 57, “we can find victory in Christ Jesus”.

In Him, shall we all be changed!

IN Christ, corruption shall be replaced with incorruption.

Mortality shall be replaced with immortality.

Even the last enemy, “death” will be swallowed up in victory.

I don’t know about you that that verse is speaking to me,

In Christ, my tears shall become triumph.

In Christ, my sorrows shall become safety.

In Christ, my pain shall become potential.

In Christ, my hurt shall become healing.

In Christ, my worries shall become worthless.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

If you really look at this text, you will see that Paul is saying, since you know that you are going to be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, you are going to be caught up, Don’t quit.

Hold on to your faith.

Don’t quit praising Him.

Don’t quit working for Him.

Don’t quit giving your service for Him.

Working for the Lord will pay off, bye and bye.