Are you awake?
Praise The LORD!!!
Slept well?
Glory to God!!!
Are you going to have a blessed day?
There are promises! Know these promises that have been granted, given, THERE!
You need to stretch your arms out and receive what is there. It has been given!
We are the restraints!
I must ask: Can you believe it? We are the ‘hinderance’!
‘Why me?’ must be near number one in the top ten of the most commonly asked questions in life. Another question, ‘Why not me?’ is often asked by Christians who feel that God’s blessings are eluding them. Their spiritual lives seem to fall short compared to famous biblical characters, their historic spiritual heroes, or even some of their contemporaries. There appear to be some barriers to blessing; obstacles to maturing as a Christian. It’s as if there is a blockage in the way, obstructing what they know to be God’s declared will for their lives. Does this describe your experience?
Why is the experience of many Christians much less than what they are led to expect? Part of the answer is that Christian conversion is not the end of our spiritual search and transformation, but rather the beginning. The new birth is a threshold experience that opens the door of salvation, but then leads into a kind of hospital of healing in which the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, begins the process of changing us from ‘glory to glory’ into His own image. So, when you become a Christian, you embark on a journey that will never end until you are like the Son of God Himself.
It’s vital that these obstacles to blessings in our lives are diagnosed correctly, so that we may receive appropriate treatment. Often the wrong condition is being addressed, or the wrong remedy applied. Sins, wounds and demons are three general areas where most, if not all, problems occur. Sins are our acts of disobedience to God’s will as revealed in His Word. Wounds are the hurts, both internal and external, that we experience. Demons are actual spiritual personalities who seek, under the lordship of Satan himself, to destroy human lives.
The solutions for each of these problem areas are different. It is crucial that the correct treatment is applied to each condition. Sins cannot be healed or expelled. Wounds cannot be repented of or expelled. Demons cannot be repented of or healed. Sins should be repented of, wounds need to be healed, and demons must be expelled.
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/9541-breaking-through-barriers-to-blessing/day/1?ret=1
We can put up barriers so as to not receive the blessings that God has reserved for us all.
BLESSINGS
God has a multitude of blessings that He wants to impart to
each and every Christian.
A. Many times Christians just don’t understand the
extent of these blessings.
1. Peace with the God of the universe
(Col. 1:20-22)
a. It is very frightening to have such a being
as our mortal enemy.
2. A clear conscience (I Peter 3:21)
a. There is absolutely no other way to
remove guilt from our lives.
3. Salvation from the pain and terrors of hell.
(Jude 22-23)
a. If God did nothing else for us….this
would be one of the biggest blessings in
existence.
4. Eternal life….with God! (I John 2:25)
a. We aren’t talking a long time…we are
speaking of no more time…..never
coming to an end.
5. Adoption into the family of God (Rom. 8:15)
a. We have equal standing with Jesus Christ
…..everything that Christ is and has
inherited…..we share equally.
6. We enjoy the comfort and the power of
God, Himself…through the Holy Spirit.
(John 14:16).
a. If we have the power of the Holy
Spirit, working in us….WE HAVE
THE POWER OF GOD….if we
could and would only recognize it.
7. We enjoy the loving mercies of God
(Matt. 5:7).
a. We can have as much mercy as we
could possibly want….it all hinges
on the mercy that we are willing to
show to others.
** God has even designed His plan in such a way, that we
shall be exactly like Jesus….one day.
I John 3:1-3 – 1Behold what manner of love the Father has
bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not
know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it
has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know
that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is.
1. Multitudes of blessings are there awaiting us……
blessings too numerous to mention.
a. The thing we must know and understand,
however, is that these blessings are
conditional…depending on the condition of
our hearts.
1.) We can put up barriers, in our hearts,
that can work to deny ourselves these
blessings.
a.) God wants us to have them…He
has provided everything that we
need to obtain them….the only
one who can deny us these
blessings is ourselves.
We will look at HOW we put up barriers to God’s blessings.
I. We put up a gigantic barrier to God and His blessings,
by refusing to do what He wants us to do.
Heb. 6:9-12 – 9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you
have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered
to the saints, and do minister. 11And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of
hope until the end, 12that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises.
Heb. 10:36 – 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
A. Yes, there is something for us to do.
1. We read in the book of Revelation that all we need is already there. What will be is set, we have a decision to make. The decision!
mankind will be judged by what they did or didn’t do.
Rev. 20:13 – 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in
them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
B. People have bought into the notion that, “Jesus has done it all…..there’s nothing for us to do.”
1. This is absolutely true when we are speaking of the cleansing power of His blood….nothing else can wash away our sins.
a. There is no “penance” that would be
great enough to pay for our sins.
b. There would be no act, invented by man, that God would recognize.
c. Without the blood of Christ in the mix….
nothing else would be of any use.
2. But with the blood of Christ, and the
forgiveness of our sins….comes an expectation that we would act as loving and obedient children.
** Some scripture to illustrate the point:
John 14:15 – 15 “If you love Me, keep My
commandments.
James 2:17,24 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (24) You see then that a man is justified by works,
and not by faith only.
1. There are many more passages which illustrate the point.
a. The blessings of God are free and they are there… but one of the conditions of receiving the blessings is that we need to put our faith into action.
C. God has not designed any of the things that He expects us to do…..with any kind of hurt in mind.
1. As a matter of fact….God will even take the wicked and hurtful things that satan brings our way….and God will turn them around to our good.
Rom. 8:28 – 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose.
D. Too many people refuse to do what God wants!
Summary: We can put up barriers so as to not receive the blessings that God has reserved for us all.
mankind will be judged by what they did or didn’t do.
Rev. 20:13 – 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his
works.
B. People have bought into the notion that, “Jesus has done it all…..there’s nothing for us to do.”
1. This is absolutely true when we are speaking of the cleansing power of His blood….nothing else can wash away our sins.
a. There is no “penance” that would be
great enough to pay for our sins.
b. There would be no act, invented by man, that God would recognize.
c. Without the blood of Christ in the mix….
nothing else would be of any use.
2. But with the blood of Christ, and the
forgiveness of our sins….comes an expectation that we would act as loving and obedient children.
** Some scripture to illustrate the point:
John 14:15 – 15“If you love Me, keep My
commandments.
James 2:17,24 – 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 24You see then that a man is justified by works,
and not by faith only.
1. There are many more passages which illustrate the point.
a. The blessings of God are free and they are there…
but one of the conditions of receiving the blessings is that we need to put our faith into action.
C. God has not designed any of the things that He expects us
to do…..with any kind of hurt in mind.
1. As a matter of fact….God will even take the wicked and hurtful things that satan brings our way….and
God will turn them around to our good.
Rom. 8:28 – 28 And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose.
D. Too many people refuse to do what God wants done….because they allow fear…to rob them of God’s blessings.
1. When God shows us His will…..we will
sometimes hold back from doing His will,
because we are afraid of the results of doing His will.
a. We must understand and believe…with
all of our hearts, that God will not allow
evil to win out where He has promised us
blessings.
E. All too often Christians fail to do the things that God wants done, because these Christians have their own agenda and it is in conflict with God’s.
1. God calls upon every Christian to deny
himself/herself…..that means that if our will conflicts with God’s will….we displace our will with God’s.
a. The blessings of God only come within
the parameters of His will.
** There IS a job to be done, and God expects every one of His children to put the hand to the plow if they expect to receive the wages of the Master.
II. The second barrier to the receiving of God’s blessings is, SELF JUSTIFICATION!
Rom. 10:3 – 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of
God.
Luke 18:9-14 – 9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that
Summary: We can put up barriers so as to not receive the blessings that God has
I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13“And the tax collector,
standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me
a sinner!’
14“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
1. God’s Word has shown us….very clearly….
that God our opinion as to weather we have
been justified, or not…..He will only accept
His standards.
a. He is the one writing the rules for what
He wants.
1.) It is God who tells us what is right
(and righteous) and what is not….
we need to conform to His standards.
B. Certainly God has told us, very clearly, that fellow human beings are not the “yard stick”….or the “measure”…the “standard”, by which we should compare ourselves.
II Cor. 10:12 – 12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves.
But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
1. Righteousness….or…RIGHT NESS…can
only be determined by the standard set for us,
and found in His Word.
John 12:48 – 48“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
III. The last way I will discuss, in this message, for us
to deny ourselves the blessings that God has in store for us…is found in the sin of STUBBORNESS AND REBELLION.
Sam. 15:23 – 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
Heb. 3:7-12 – 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes.
Prov. 1:24-26 – 24
A. Our self-centerdness puts us in a tug-o-war with God…….and God will always win.
1. We certainly can know what is right, and we have a choice….chose the ways of
God…and live……or……have our own way
and be cursed of God.
B. Men’s traditions and their personal upbringing can
taint their acceptance of God’s will.
1. If someone, “Ain’t never done it thata way”
….then this person will, most probably,
resist the will of God….and in so doing, this person has also rejected the blessings that God has for him/her.
C. It is nigh unto impossible to convince some people to admit that they are wrong….that God’s Word shows that they are wrong….and that they will stand condemned if they refuse to do what God commands.
1. They cannot admit that they may have been wrong, all of these years.
2. Their pride gets in the way, and their
perception that they are being humiliated by admitting this mistake.
a. This very pride and stubbornness can
well cost them their souls.
CONCLUSION:
God has always wanted the very best for us.
A. The only one that can get in the way of this plan,
is the very one that the plan has been formed to bless……..us.
Men can block the blessings that God has for them, in main ways:
A. By not wanting to DO what God wants.
B. By justifying themselves.
1. If a person is already justified, saved,
and righteous……why would this person feel that he/she needs to do anything else?
C. By stubbornly refusing….or even rebelling
against the will of God.
We have nothing to gain and everything to lose by resisting or denying the need for obedience to God.
A. Are you now….have you been……..doing the
whole will of God?
1. If not….why not?
2. If not….when will you start?
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