Complete Sermon Notes

7 Things That Hinder God’s Work

In the truest sense, nothing hinders God – we HINDER ourselves.

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Tip of the week: Know What You’re Consuming

• Sugar – 4lbs to 100lbs.

• The immune system fights off diseases including cancer cells but the more it has to fight….

• Cottonseed oil is made from a byproduct of the industrial waste from the cotton farming industry, which isn’t a food crop. Cotton crop waste is also used is to make some “cellulose” additives (when wood isn’t used) that’s added to products like Kraft shredded cheese. You’ll find these cotton byproducts in hundreds of mainstream processed foods because they’re cheap to produce and have a long shelf life. Cotton waste is also fed to conventional farm animals as a way to cheaply dispose of it and artificially bulk up their feed. http://foodbabe.com/2016/05/16/this-ingredient-isnt-food-but-most-americans-eat-it/

• An on-line listener: “I was dying and submitted to Christ. Look at what He did for me after I was in bed 12 years filled with toxins from my workplace, a 2.35cm nodule was in my lung, with heart problems, and diabetes. Prayer and nutrition and submission to God changed that!…All my diseases are gone, no medications, full of energy and coaching others who are trapped in their bodies and homes…I will be 68 yrs. old in a week….I was given 4 to 9 months to live. I call myself Lazarina…raised from the dead and empowered by Christ. I give praise and glory to Jesus Christ.”

• The difference it’s made in my life. Look at ingredients; eliminate something different each week.

Back to ACTS 5 GAMALIEL – LEAVE THESE MEN ALONE “for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

ACTS 5:40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ [primary focus].

• Unbelievers get the last jap in.

• A Christian is killed every 6 minutes in the world.

• Honor Killings – the U.N. estimates 5,000 annually.

Why? It’s a spiritual battle – silence the voice of truth AND put out the light.

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THINGS THAT HINDER “US” DOING GOD’S WORK:

Acts 6:1 (NKJV) – Seven Men Chosen to Serve – Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

• Hellenists are “Greek-speaking” Jews scattered among the Gentiles.

2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave [neglect] the word of God and serve tables. [ESV – “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.”] 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

• 2 roles – deacons and elders.

EXAMPLE OVER A FEW DAYS – AM breakfast meetings – 9am to 12pm stop by the hospital homes, 12pm to 2pm go here and do that – 3pm to 6pm, go to the office and organize this and oversee that – 7pm get home and answer emails – go to bed and repeat.

• My walk with God suffers, the sermon is going to stink, and my wife and kids are neglected.

• When we spend time doing what we are not called and created to do, it often leads to burnout.

H.B. London on Pastor’s burning out:

• 40% of pastors and 47% of spouses are suffering from burnout, frantic schedules, and/or unrealistic expectations.

• 45% of pastors’ wives say the greatest danger to them and their family is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual burnout.

• 56% of pastors’ wives say that they have no close friends. And 70% of pastors say they don’t have any close friends.

• 75% report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation.

• 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with their spouse.

• 80% believe that pastoral ministry affects their families negatively.

• 94% feel under pressure to have a perfect family.

• 1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure.

But then you have people like Chuck Smith, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll who are finishing strong. What tilts the scale??

• They focus primarily on what God has called them to do – Ephesians 4:12 – “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

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QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE OFFICE OF DEACON: DIAKONOS [dee-a-kinos]

1 Tim. 3:8 – “Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”

• WIVES CANNOT QUALIFY A MAN BUT THEY CAN DISQUALIFY HIM.

A Controversial Topic – THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Here is why: Females are identified with the word deacon [servant], but not the office. We have fought for women’s rights since the dawn of history, and rightly so, but it’s not about a “right”, but God’s creation.

• We use Scripture to define roles: pastor/deacon – give people as much responsibility as possible – women teaching women – not to usurp the influence.

• It’s not about culture, but creation.

• The man leads into war and guards and protects and dies [the head of something is not necessarily above but ahead]. The man is responsible for the teaching at his home; he is held responsible. Servant leadership at the church is about dying to self and leading into battle, not some glorified position where we dominate.

• There are exceptions – but exceptions often prove the rule.

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Regardless of who you are – 7 Hindrances

1. Too busy w/ the wrong things. Take inventory – the reduction will be hard.

2. Assuming that if it’s “good” it must be God.

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.

“So let them go to church. Let them have their conservative lifestyles. But steal their time so they can’t gain that experience in Jesus Christ.”

“Here is how I want you to do this. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day.”

“But how shall we do this?” shouted one of his angels?

“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent numerous schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.

3. Lacking faith – faith hopes and waits on God. You are thankful, not a complainer.

Rev. 2:4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left [abandoned] your first love.”

4. Not applying wisdom to your daily life – “full of wisdom”.

5. Focusing on long term and neglecting short term – what does God want you to do today?

6. Prayer is an afterthought – “we will give ourselves continually to prayer.”

Like oxygen it brings life; like water it replenishes; like food it nourishes; like rest it recharges.

My life is brought back into focus –

7. Not full of the Holy Spirit. Are you overflowing with God?

“I had become someone I never thought I would become. I was in complete darkness…I would sleep in my clothes for as long as I could. I began wishing that I would die. The emotional pain was unbearable.”  Comments made “before” a man fully surrendered his life “I only wish that everyone could feel the love that I experienced. I’m able to forgive others and genuinely love them. I feel like I have been re-born…elusive peace has now been found.” Comments made “after” he fully surrendered his life

WE SAY, “If I could just try harder and do this and do that…”, but the problem is I’m a broken person and so are you. A broken mom can’t fix her daughter. A broken dad can’t fix his son…only the Holy Spirit in perfect union with Christ working thru us CAN rebuild lives and lead us in the right direction. Completely surrender your life today.

For some, you don’t truly know God. You know about Him – you’re searching – but you don’t know Him: “Repent and Believe” – repent of all your preconceived views.