Dharius Daniels - Fire Extinguishers

John chapter 6, verse 60 says: «Upon hearing it, many of His disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching; who can accept it? '» Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, «Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I’ve spoken to you are Spirit and life; they are different. They’re not just logical; they’re not just wise; they’re not just profound. You do more than hear something when I speak.» Jesus continues, «Yet there are some of you who do not believe, for Jesus had known from the beginning who of them did not believe and who would betray Him. He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father enables them.'» Remember, He is talking to His disciples. He is saying, «You are a disciple, and you are with Me, but you don’t believe.» From this time, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. Last week, I talked to you about wet wood—those are people who can’t catch on fire. Today, I want to discuss fire extinguishers—those are people who can’t stay on fire. Many of you may be surprised to know this, but there was a season in my life when I actually ran track. Some of you are aware that I’m an ardent basketball fan, borderline fanatic; I played organized basketball from ages 10 to 21 all the way through college. But I also ran track; I was a distance runner. I ran the 3200, the 1600, the 800, and the 4×400 relay. I think that’s what it’s called. I ran all those events, and there’s something significant I learned during my experience in distance running. Distance running is unique from any other type of running because your success in distance running isn’t predicated on your athleticism. You do not have to be the fastest; distance running isn’t just about speed—it’s about stamina and strategy. I’m going to say it one more time: distance running isn’t just about speed; your success in distance running is predicated on your stamina and your strategy. I remember distance races where the gun would go off and we would take off, and I observed the activity of others, coming to the conclusion that they didn’t have a winnable strategy because they were exerting too much energy too soon. Lo and behold, there were always those who took off when the gun sounded. They would take off fast, feverishly, and I would watch them get a big lead, knowing that their pace for the race was unsustainable. Inevitably, halfway through the race—sometimes halfway around the first lap—they would flame out because they used their speed to get a good start, but they didn’t have the stamina or strategy for a strong finish. I learned something that the Bible, specifically the Apostle Paul, often compares to life. The Apostle Paul even says, «When I run my race, I don’t run as someone who’s just beating or fighting against the air; I discipline my body so that when I preach to others, I am not a castaway.» He uses athletic analogies to describe life. Just like track, life is not just about your speed, and I want someone to hear that because maybe you’re feeling nervous. Perhaps you are unsure about your own evolution because you’re observing the progress of others, and it seems like they came out of the blocks faster than you. You are running this race called life, and it seems that for most of your journey, you’re looking at their backs because they seem to be ahead of you. You’re tired and fatigued, leading you to think you’ll never catch up with them. I want you to know that the race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to the one that endures to the end. Your spiritual success is not just based on your speed; it’s based on your stamina and your strategy. I understood the importance of a healthy pace so that at the end of the race, when everybody else was slowing down, I was turning it up. What if I told you God might be saving your best for last? What if it doesn’t matter who starts where at the beginning of the race? What matters is what position you’re in at the end of the race. What if I told you that there were some races where I never led until the last 200 yards because I always kept something in the tank for the end? Did you hear what I just said? I want you to know that it is possible to be running the race of life, feeling like for the majority of your life you haven’t been leading, but there might be some reserves in your tank that you haven’t tapped into yet. There may be abilities and capabilities that you are even unaware of, and this last season of your life could be the season where God is getting ready to make the last first and the first last. If you receive that, type, «I receive it,» in the chat. I want you to understand: sometimes people flame out not because of speed, but because of…