THINGS THAT CAUSE CHRISTIANS TO QUIT--Joshua 1:6

God commands Joshua, "Be strong and of a good courage."

This is not a suggestion. God commands us to be STRONG.

We have no right to burn out, give up or quit on God!

We have no Scripture to back up an ANNUAL NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!

Many of God's Children who are in sight of VICTORY in their Christian Life, throw in the towel & become one more causality in the Cause of Christ.

Why do People Fail, BURN OUT and QUIT ON GOD?

I. IDENTITY CRISIS

2 Corinthians 5:17.."Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A.     Failure to recognize that you are a NEW CREATURE in

      Christ!

B.     You have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

C.     You are now a Child of God – John 1:12 But as many as

received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

D. You have everything that's needed to be victorious.

E. The Number One Reason so many burn out and quit is

that FORGET WHO THEY ARE!

·         2 Peter 1:9 "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."

II. LACK OF COMMITMENT

I Thessalonians 5:20.."And the very God of peace sanctify you WHOLLY; and I pray God your WHOLE spirit and soul and body be preserved blamless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

A.     Commitment, an almost forgotten WORD in the

           Christian Vocabulary.

B. Paul says, "...sanctify you wholly; ....your whole spirit and soul and body..blameless..."

C. Today we have soul salvation with daily sinful living.

D. As a Christian you are to be different because of who you represent.

E. Everything and everywhere you go people ought to think better of God because of your COMMITMENT!

III. UNCONFESSED SIN

I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

A. Sin separates from God. That is why Jesus died on the Cross!

B. It may start out as just a little sin in your heart, but if you don't confess and repent of it it will: discourage and destroy you.You must deal with EVERY SIN as soon as you discover it.

C. One little sin becomes a cancer that’ll kill you as a Christian.

IV. DETACHMENT James 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw night unto you"

A. When you 1st got SAVED you had sweet fellowship w/ the Lord.

B. Along the WAY you began to over-look that Fellowship that kept you close to the Lord. You got DETACHED!

C. Now, you wonder what in the world has happen to your fellowship with God. You are either going forward or backward in you Christian life!

V. BITTERNESS

Ephesians 4:31.."Let all BITTERNESS, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, will all malice. (32) And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

A. If you are really serving the Lord some where down the line people will mistreat and disappoint YOU.

B. You have no right to burn out or quit just because someone's hurt you!

C. Bitterness, malice and jealousy are CANCERS that will kill you .

D. Stop blaming everyone else for your bitterness.

E. SUCCESS, JOY and HAPPINESS are personal choices you have to make for yourself.

VI. NO VISION Prov 29:18"Where there’s no vision, people perish

A. There was a time in your FIRST LOVE when you had a vision of accomplishing great things for the Lord.

B. SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER, Church, BUS WORKER, PREACHING, TITHING, ETC.

C. You had a vision of helping build a great work for Christ.

D. Somewhere along the way, you lost your vision.

CON: Get your eyes fixed on God and determine that you are going to go on because He commanded you to be "strong and of a good courage"

John 6:67.."Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" (68) "Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."