Hindrances Topic by Rev. Mike Jones [Revised May 14, 2018]
HURTLING YOUR HINDRANCES Job 9:12
WHAT HINDERS YOU?? Acts 8:36
This has been a terrible week with me about hindrances- 2 death, several in the hospital, many problems, numerous pastors by for help on fall programs, innumerable phone calls, etc. All of these have combined together to limit my visiting and hinder my sermon preparation- right at the time we’re seeking to bear “fruit” for the Lord by winning Lost people.
Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Baptism is a Public sign of your faith in the Death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It does not save you but it is something that EVERY Christian should do– They should believe in their Heart that Christ died for their sins, confess with their mouth that they have accepted Christ as Savior and will now follow Him, Be baptized by immersion, and join a local Bible Believing Church where they can grow and function as a Christian.
This is what is supposed to happen but it doesn’t happen very often. The people who ought to be saved seem satisfied being lost and doomed for Hell and the people who accept Christ seem satisfied to make a confession without living a commitment {It’s very difficult to get people to join the Church any more much less take an active part in its ministry}. I want us to look today at some things that hinder people from coming to Christ or continuing with Christ and then REMOVE THE HINDRANCE!!
I. FAMILY TIES- Gen 24:56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. The servant of Abraham had come seeking a Bride for Isaac (Just as I have come seeking a Bride for Christ!) and God had prospered and directed his journey (Soul winners need to remember that God will direct them also!). Now as he was attempting to take the Bride back the family kept trying to delay him because they didn’t want to give up their daughter.
Families generally hinder you because they want you for themselves and they fear committal to Christ will “steal your love”- A Christian wife will want to Pray instead of party; your worldly friends will not like your Christian convictions so you’ll have to make new friends….
This same type of hindrance is keeping people from coming to or committing to Christ today- Many wives must come to Church alone or with Husbands who are not fully committed to Christ so they can’t enjoy the full Blessings of God; Children are sent to Church by parents which means they must be disciplined by others and think of Church as a Duty to be endured.
The way to Hurdle this Hindrance is to heed the words of Jesus-Jesus said you had to love Him above Mother, Father, Husband, Wife, Son, or Daughter. He even told a man who’s father was dying to “let the dead bury the dead, come follow me”! His meaning is very clear, Commitment to Christ must come ahead of anything or anyone.
II. RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS- Luke 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. Many people are hindered by the Hypocrisy of “showman Preachers”. They hear them cry for money and live like millionaires; They hear them talk of sacrifice yet never make any. They must realize that there are a lot of “showmen and Charlatans” that are attracted to Christianity but we don’t call them to “Religion”, we call them to Christ
III. SATAN- I Thess 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
PRESSURES OF DUTY- Rom 15:22 For which cause [maintaining my ministry in Asia Minor] also I have been much hindered from coming to you. A Christian is not OF the world but he must live IN the world and sometimes the “daily duties” keep him from showing concern and compassion as he should. But isn’t it strange how men will wait in a doctor’s office for hours because of some physical problem and yet expect someone to beg and bribe them to come for help with their spiritual problem?
PEOPLE’S OPINION- I Cor 9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
MISAPPLICATION OF DOCTRINE (They were being taught that they had to be circumcised as well as believe the Gospel to be saved)- Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
FAMILY PROBLEMS- I Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
JEALOUS NEIGHBORS- Neh 4:7-8 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
Job 9:12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him (GOD)? who will say unto him, What doest thou? God limits Himself to allow things and circumstances to hinder His work sometimes.
What is Hindering YOU from coming to or Continuing with Christ?? It’s time to remove the Hindrance and take up the Cross.
WHO HINDERED YOU? Gal 5:6-7
Gal 5:6-7 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by Love. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
The Christian Life is not only a Blessing; it’s also a Battle! We’re in a warfare and Satan is trying every way he can to get us to either not accept Christ as Saviour or else live a defeated life. It’s simply amazing to me to see how many people think that when they’re saved all they need do is just “exist” until they die and go to Heaven. If this is all God wants then why doesn’t He kill a person as soon as they accept Christ as Saviour??
The truth is that God looks for Fruit (Mk 11:12-14) and Every branch in me that bearth not fruit he taketh away; (Jn 15:2). This makes it of utmost importance that we not only be IN the vine but that we also bear fruit. It’s not an optional thing that we can decide to do or not do! As James says (2:26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
You know, of course, that this does not mean a person is saved by their works. The Bible is abundantly clear on the fact that by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest may man should boast (Ep 2:8-98). But a Faith which does not produce works is a faulty Faith. Look at the great Faith Chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11; vs 4 “By Faith Abel Offered”, vs 7 By Faith Noah prepared, vs 8 By Faith Abraham went out, etc. It remains ever true, Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show you my faith by my works (James 2:18).
One of the sad things about a person who claims faith and doesn’t work is that he is easily led into sin and eventually into disbelief. The writer of Hebrews had this in mind when he wrote, Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:12-13). It happened several times to Paul’s followers (II Tim 4:10) and may have been the reason he exhorted the Corinthians, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (I Cor 10:12).
Not only does this Fruitless Believer go astray himself but he also leads others astray. How many die without the Gospel because the men with the message simply don’t do what they’re supposed to do? Others may have listened to the message but are “put off” by the unholy and barren lives of these professed believers. The old saying that “your life speaks so loud I can’t hear what you’re saying” is especially applicable here.
The motivating Force behind our work must be Love- Faith which worketh by Love (Gal 5:6b). Jesus said, If ye love me keep my commandments (Jn 14:15). It was love that brought Christ from Heaven to the Cross to die for sins (Jn 3:16) and it must be Love that compels us to work for God- not to be saved but because we are saved.
What a difference it is when we work from love instead of duty. Burdens become Blessings, Jobs become Joy, and life becomes Abundant. This is what it’s supposed to be! Salvation by Grace thru Faith so that we can willingly and lovingly serve God as Saved Saints instead of Burdened Bondsmen. That’s why Satan puts up some of his greatest battles at this point to defeat the Child of God.
This is what Paul had in mind when he asked the question in our text, Who did hinder you? WHO DID HINDER YOU??? Why did you leave your first Love (Rev 2:4)? Why do you have to be begged and bullied to do God’s work? Why do we find so many who love in word and tongue but not in deed and truth (I Jn 3:18)? The answers, I believe, are found in finding out what the Bible says hinders us.
The first one I notice is found in I Thess 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. Again I say, We’re in a Warfare and Satan is out to destroy or defeat Christians. I really don’t know all the methods Satan uses to hinder people but one that comes to mind immediately is when Satan hindered the answer to Daniel’s Prayer (Dan 10:12-13). I wonder how many Christians have failed to know the joy of prayerful fellowship with God because one of their first prayers was not immediately answered (In Daniel’s case it took 3 weeks to get an answer). If Satan has hindered you here then you need to find a place NOW and tell God of your sin of impatience and unbelief and then determine to Wait on the Lord. Remember the words of Habakkuk (2:3) though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
One of the ways Satan hinders Prayer is thru dissension in the family. Peter addressed this problem in I Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. The man is the priest of his household and when he refuses to take his place as leader, or abuses that position, then his prayers are hindered. Who’s hindering YOUR prayers, Satan or Self???
Another thing that hinders people is Family Ties. Genesis 24 tells the story of Abraham sending out his servant to seek a Bride for his son Isaac. The Servant is directed by God to the Bride and then makes preparation to return with her. The Bride’s family seek to get him to stay for awhile but he answers, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way (Gen 24:56). I would venture to guess that family ties keep more people out of Church or away from active serve than any other single thing. Even Jesus’ family tried to take Him away from His work (Mk 3:31) and you need to realize that one of your greatest “enemies” will be your own family (Matt 10:36).
There are numerous ways that family ties hinder a person. It may be thru DIVISION- some in the family are saved and some are not so naturally they’ll be at odds. It may be thru DIVERSION- Some want to go to Church while some want to go to the Lake, etc. Some want to attend one church while others want to attend another. It can also be thru DIVORCE- a Divorced man is automatically disqualified from being a Deacon or Pastor (I Tim 3:2,12). Or it may be thru DEDICATION- How many people never do a great work for God because they’re unwilling to leave home and , like Abraham, go out, not knowing where they’re going (Heb 11:8)? Jesus settled the Family question when he said, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple (Lu 14:26). Your family will either help you or hinder you but regardless of what it does you must put God first.
Another hindrance is Public Opinion. Paul found that even though he had rights he had to forgo them that the Gospel be not hindered (I Cor 9:12). Public Opinion is a strong Force and must be reckoned with lest our liberty become a stumbling block to others (I Cor 10:24-33) but, too often, a man’s service is determined by Public Opinion instead of God’s Word. It’s hard to “buck the tide” and be counted a “fool for Christ’s sake” (I Cor 4:10) but Christ demands that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Think for a moment, what does it matter to a man on the cross that the dogs howl beneath it? His eyes are on another world! And so should we be.
These are a few of the things that hinder men in their service for God. Perhaps you’ve seen something that has kept you from whole hearted service to God. If so, ask God to give you the victory over it and find the joy of Loving Service for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
I close with one other time the question of hindrances comes to mind. In Acts 8:36-40 Philip is asked by the Ethiopian Eunuch, What doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. You can never do the Work of God until you’re in the Will of God- and it’s not the will of God that any perish but that all come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim 2:4). What hinders you from being saved today? Is it really worth going to Hell over??
Why don’t you accept Christ as Savior today:
1. Admit YOU are a sinner and you cannot save yourself
2. Believe that Jesus Christ died as a payment for your sins.
3. Confess Christ as your Saviour publicly
4. Determine to live for Christ by serving Him in a local Bible Believing Church.
What Hinders YOU???
HURTLING YOUR HINDRANCES Job 9:12
There are numerous ways we can be hindered in our progress-
1) Someone can grab us from behind and hold us.
2) Something can Block our way.
3) We lack the necessary equipment to do our job.
4) We don’t have the strength or motivation to accomplish what needs to be done.
These same type hindrances face us in our Christian life.
1) Who grabs us from behind and holds us? SATAN- I Thess 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
2) What can block our way?
A) PRESSURES OF DUTY- Rom 15:22 For which cause [maintaining my ministry in Asia Minor] also I have been much hindered from coming to you. A Christian is not OF the world but he must live IN the world and sometimes the “daily duties” keep him from showing concern and compassion as he should. But isn’t it strange how men will wait in a doctor’s office for hours because of some physical problem and yet expect someone to beg and bribe them to come for help with their spiritual problem?
B) PEOPLE’S OPINION- I Cor 9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Many times a servant of God must sacrifice even things he needs in order to maintain his testimony. He may be able to win that woman to the Lord if it were not for the fact that he can’t be alone in her home. We must continually walk that “narrow line” between not caring what they say about us and caring tremendously about what they say about our Lord.
3) What keeps us from having the necessary Equipment to work for God?
A) MISAPPLICATION OF DOCTRINE (They were being taught that they had to be circumcised as well as believe the Gospel to be saved)- Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? The Bible has given us EVERYTHING we need to do the work of God but it can destroy life instead of save lives if wrongly used. People are also hindered because they don’t STUDY the Scriptures so they can know what is right. They don’t APPLY Scriptural Principals and so become hearers and not doers.
B) FAMILY PROBLEMS- I Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Our Home life is wrong so our prayer life is wrong so we don’t have the power we need to accomplish God’s will and work.
4) What can steal our strength and motivation?
A) JEALOUS NEIGHBORS- Neh 4:7-8 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. We become so busy fighting the world until we don’t have time to save it!!
B) FAILURES AND FIGHTINGS AMONG CHRISTIANS- We sow the seed and give our all to see it begin to take root; and then weeds come along and kill it, or some careless Christian steps on it!! And we get tired and discouraged.
How can we Hurtle these Hindrances? Job 9:12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him (GOD)? who will say unto him, What doest thou? Let God guide and control our lives. He not only knows the way but HE IS THE WAY!!.
What’s Hindering YOU from coming to or Continuing with Christ?? It’s time to remove the Hindrance and take up the Cross.