Hold On:

Introduction:
1... Help Me Hold On and Not Give Up!
2... Ever feel like giving up? Ever feel like quitting? Ever feel like your situation is so hopeless
that the only thing you can possibly do is leave? Just walk away, head out the door and never
come back?
3... The temptation to give up, to lose hope, to despair, is universal. (Your pastor is always
tempted to give up, the leadership of this church is always tempted to give up). But the difference
is, some have giving up, I am only tempted to give up.
4... When we feel the situation is hopeless, that things arent going to get better. And when that
happens, the temptation is to give up. But we must continually remind ourselves of (Jeremiah
29:11) that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and his plan is to give you a future and a
hope.
5... All of us have faced this temptation, when it seems pointless to keep trying. Some of you are
probably facing it now. You may be hiding it well; so that the rest of us would never suspect the
struggle thats taking place in your heart.
The question for us as Christians is:
1... How do we keep holding on when we feel like giving up? How do we find the strength to
persevere, to go on? Where does the power come from to keep on keeping on?
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do
not give up.
(NIV)
In due season we shall reap:
1... The farmer, keeps ploughing, keeps sowing, and keeps on laboring in his fields, because he
has the hope of a plentiful harvest, which he cannot expect before the right and appointed time.
(Keep on doing what is right and at the proper time you will reap a harvest).
3... What about the delays in life? What do we do then? We stand on the promises of the Word of
God and dont allow ourselves to get discouraged. Dont lose heart. Dont give up!
The danger of becoming discouraged:
1... Look at what happen to the Israelites in (Nu.14:2-4) they grumbled against Moses, and said
we should choose a leader and go back.
2... They gave up on their dream. They had been rescued after 400 years of slavery but then
wanted to go back because they were being delayed.
3... Like the Israelites, some people would rather live in slavery than face the fear of freedom.
They are not willing to push through and work on the problem until they get it right. They want
to give up. They settle for less than God's best.
4.... Dont settle for less than Gods best for your life. If that means going through a tunnel of
conflict, take the tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel, it will be dark, and you will want to run
back to the light. But youve got to keep going until you come out on the other side into the light.

The law of the harvest:

1... There is always a delay between sowing and reaping. You plant in one season, and you reap
in another. God wants to see if youre going to keep cultivating, planting, and sowing. If he sees
consistency in your life, then the harvest will come.
2... Jesus said in (Luke 18:1), [You] must always pray and never lose heart.
Those are the two options you have in life:
1... Pray continually.
2... Or lose heart.
3... You will always be doing one or the other. If you pray continually, you will not be
discouraged. If you dont pray continually, you will lose heart.
4... What do you pray during the delay phases of life? Pray.
This morning Im going to give you three key principles to store in your heart for that day when
youre tempted just to throw in the towel and give up.
Trust in Gods Sovereignty:
1... First, God is sovereign. He is in control. No matter how hopeless, painful, unpleasant, or
discouraging your circumstances are, He has a purpose for them. He has a purpose for you in the
midst of them. And that purpose does not involve giving up. It does not involved despair. It does
not involve abandoning your faith. It does not involve panicking.
2... The struggle you are going through has meaning and purpose, because God is sovereign and
He does everything for a reason. He doesnt make mistakes. He isnt surprised by what has
happened to you.
Trust in Gods Power:
1... We become hopeless when we can see no escape from our situation. We despair when it
seems impossible that our circumstances will change for the better. But if God can make a way.
Jeremiah 32:17
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and
outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." (NIV)
Song written in the 90s:
"God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me;
He will be my guide,
Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength for each new day,
He will make a way, He will make a way."
2... God specializes in resurrections. He can bring life to dead relationships.
3... If your situation seems hopeless, if it seems that nothing short of a miracle can save you, then
you are in luck. God is able to do whatever it takes to fulfill His plan for you.
Place Your Hope in Christ:
1... But whether or not God chooses to change our circumstances, ultimately our hope is not in
what he is going to do for us on this earth, in this life. Our true hope is in Jesus Christ.
2... (1 Peter 1:3-4) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the

dead, (Vs4) and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in
heaven for you.
3... What is the result of placing our trust in God? Hope, joy, and peace. (Romans 15:13) says
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -