Most People Don’t Quit Overnight

Most people don’t quit on Jesus overnight. They don’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m done with God.” It usually happens slowly.

They get saved. They get excited. They get passionate. They start serving. They start praying. They start reading the Word.

And then… time passes.

A couple months. A couple years. Maybe longer. And without even realizing it, they fizzle out.

Don’t drift. Don’t fade. Don’t shrink back. Finish the course.

That’s why Acts 20 is so important. In this chapter, Paul gathers the believers in Ephesus—people he loves deeply— and gives them a farewell message. And it’s not a light, sentimental goodbye. It’s serious, emotional, and urgent.

This is one of the longest speeches in Acts directed specifically toward Christians. It teaches us how to keep our passion and live effectively for the Kingdom of God.

The Context: Paul’s Farewell to Ephesus

Paul has been in Ephesus for about three years. God has used him—and the people around him—to shake that city with the gospel. Lives have been changed. False worship has been confronted. The Word has spread. The Spirit has moved.

But now Paul is leaving. He’s headed toward Jerusalem, and he knows what’s waiting on him isn’t comfort—it’s suffering. The Holy Spirit has made it clear:

“...imprisonment and afflictions await me.”

Acts 20:23

Paul knows something we often forget: It’s not hard to start the Christian life. It’s hard to stay faithful over time.

8 Decisions That Keep You From Fizzling Out

Paul’s farewell message gives us a framework for a life that doesn’t fade out spiritually. These aren’t just “good ideas.” These are Kingdom priorities.

1) People Over Recognition

“You yourselves know how I lived among you...”

Acts 20:18

Paul didn’t minister above people. He lived among people. That’s the ministry of presence. And real ministry is costly. It involves humility, tears, and trials.

Kingdom impact is loving people, not being noticed.

2) Truth Over Approval

“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable...”

Acts 20:20

Paul preached publicly and privately—from the synagogues, to the marketplace, to house to house. And he preached the whole gospel:

“...repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Acts 20:21

Truth without grace becomes cruelty. Grace without truth becomes cowardice. The gospel comforts the afflicted… and it afflicts the comfortable.

3) Spirit-Led Over Self-Reliant

“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Holy Spirit...”

Acts 20:22

Paul didn’t move based on comfort or convenience. He moved because the Spirit was leading. The outcome is God’s responsibility—obedience is ours.

4) Completion Over Comfort

“...if only I may finish my course...”

Acts 20:24

Paul’s goal was simple: finish the course. Many believers fizzle out because of pain, fatigue, or a divided heart. That’s why this prayer matters:

“Teach me your way, O Lord… unite my heart to fear your name.”

Psalm 86:11

5) Urgency Over Ease

“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all...”

Acts 20:26

Eternal realities require urgency. Love does not remain silent. Not one person should go unwarned and unprayed for.

6) Watchtower Over Platform

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock...”

Acts 20:28

Paul warns the church that fierce wolves will come. Some danger comes from outside, but some rises from within. The church is not a stage for self-promotion—it’s a watchtower.

7) Word-Built Over World-Made

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace...”

Acts 20:32

The Word of God builds you. The world will shape you. If you want to finish the course, you don’t need hype—you need the Word.

8) Service Over Stuff

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

Paul didn’t covet. He worked hard. He helped the weak. He gave. Blessing comes from giving, not getting. And we will never out-give Jesus.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

The Final Call: Renew Your Commitment

This message is for believers. And it comes with a question:

Have you fizzled out?

If so, today can be the day you renew your life—not with hype, not with emotion, but with a decision to finish the course.

There are two days on our calendar: this day… and that day.
So we will not fizzle out. We will finish the course.