Winners Quit: Procrastinating

Introduction

A recent survey of Americans found that only 10% of Americans say they struggle with procrastination. Right! Of course 90% never got around to filling out the survey. Did you know there’s actually a Procrastinators Club of America? Formed more than 50 years ago, they have 20,000 registered members. They claim that 20 million more haven’t got around to joining yet. And their motto (I’m not making this up) is “We’re behind you all the way!” They hold a Fourth of July party every January 6th.

Definition

Procrastination – the needless delay of things one intends to do

Strategic Delay, in contrast to procrastination, one is confident that these negative consequences will be outweighed by the positive consequences of the delay in the long run. In the case of procrastination, the delay, in fact, often entails negative consequences or is at least accompanied by subjective discomfort.

P.L.A.N.

Elijah’s example of a Winner who doesn’t procrastinate

1 Kings 17:1–6 (ESV)

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Prioritize your Purpose

Elijah’s name means “The LORD is my God”

Our purpose is to live a life of worship

Our purpose is to worship God as living sacrifices - we all have this same calling

Ex 3:18 “...you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’”

Jesus Example

John 17:4 - I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do

Our purpose/calling

Eph 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Once we understand our purpose, it is time for us to launch!

Launch

Elijah launched his ministry when he stood before the king

Reasons we Fail to launch - Devil’s favorite weapon

3 frogs on a log one frog decides to jump off. how many frogs on the log? 3 deciding to do something isn’t the same as doing it

Indecision James 1:8 “he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Perfectionism - we set the bar so high we realize it’s out of our reach

Fear - “There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask "What if I fall?" Oh but my darling, What if you fly?” ― Erin Hanson Some of you have a fear of success too

Lazy - Prov 13:4 Lazy people want much but get little...

Lazy People #6, #7, #17,

Elijah launched by taking it one step at a time

The journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step

Elijah took one step to the king before God told him his next step

English Standard Version (Chapter 17)

2 And the word of the LORD came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan.

Leaps of faith aren’t biblical

Devil to Jesus - leap from this mountain God will save you

matt 4:5 “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple”

Steps of faith you can take

Serving: Worship team, kids, greeters

nextstepEC to 55498

Join a small group

Giving

Once you know your purpose and launch with the first step, you have to assess regularly

Assess

The Day the brook dried up

1 Kings 17:7 “And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.”

Opportunities missed because we failed to see what was happening around us

Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations Opportunities—missed

Ben Franklin made a speech on the last day of the Constitutional Convention, urging harmony among the delegates. It astonished him, he said, that they had produced a constitution of such high quality since so many compromises had fashioned it. He would vote for it because he expected no better given the differences among the colonies. Had it not been for Franklin’s and Washington’s willingness to sign the Constitution, many delegates would have refused. Only their influence made possible its eventual passage. Still, sixteen men refused even then to sign the document we so cherish today. What an opportunity they missed!

Once you launch, you can’t stay there forever

If you don’t assess you will procrastinate your next step

Hebrews 5:12-6:1 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity...

If you do not assess and continue to follow the word of God you will find the brook dried up and your faith dying…so what is Next

Next

English Standard Version Chapter 17

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath.

Miracles followed Elijah’s faith

Jars of flour and oil

Someone raised from the dead

Don’t get lost in all the future steps, just take the next one

What’s next on your faith journey?

Leading a small group

setting up recurring giving