He is saying that God wanted to do so much more for Israel, but the choices in life they made limited the Lord from doing more for them.
Illus: A wealthy father, who had one son, loved that son very much. The father had influence and wealth and he could help his son in many ways. But one day he was heard to say of his son, "I love my son and I would like to help him, but his life-style limits me so that is not possible!”
The children of Israel are like the children today; they will shock you with the foolish decisions they make.
Illus: There was a farmer that grew watermelons. He was aggravated by some local kids that would sneak into his watermelon patch at night and eat his watermelons.
After some careful thought, he came up with a clever idea that he thought would scare the kids away for sure.
• He made up a sign and posted it in the field. The next day, the kids showed up and they saw the sign that read, "Warning! One of the watermelons in this field has been injected with cyanide."
• The kids ran off, made up their own sign and posted it next to the farmer's sign. When the farmer returned, he surveyed the field. He noticed that no watermelons were missing, but the sign next to his read, "Now there are two!"
These kids will shock us with these foolish decisions they make.
Illus: An honest seven-year-old girl admitted calmly to her parents that Billy Brown had kissed her after class.
• Her mother screamed and said, "How did that happen? "
• The young girl said, "It wasn't easy, but three girls helped me catch him!"
Like I said, when we think we have these children all figured out, they shock us with the decisions they make!
As they grow, we constantly need to determine if they are mature enough yet for us to help them with certain things we would like to help them with.
It is not that we as parents do not want to do certain things for them, it is that they limit us in doing certain things for them.
God desired to bless Israel, but He could not, because the Bible says they, "... limited the Holy One of Israel."
Let us look at some of the ways we limit God from blessing us. We limit God through the-
I. LACK OF PRAYER
In James 4:2, we read, "Ye have not because ye ask not.”
I know that some of you are saying, “Preacher, I pray and ask God all the time for things and I don’t get them!”
This verse of scripture, "Ye have not because ye ask not,” comes with instructions.
Many people buy something that comes with instructions and they believe those instructions are for everyone BUT THEM. So they discard the instructions. When it comes to these instructions concerning prayer, they apply to everyone!
But you have to admit that sometimes these instructions can be confusing. Here are some actual label instructions on consumer products:
• On the bottle-top of a flavored milk drink – “AFTER OPENING, KEEP UPRIGHT.
• In some countries, on the bottom of Coke bottles – “OPEN OTHER END.”
• On a Sears hairdryer – “DO NOT USE WHILE SLEEPING.”
• On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding – “PRODUCT WILL BE HOT AFTER HEATING.”
• On a Korean kitchen knife – “WARNING: KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN.” (Who are they to tell us how to raise our children?)
• On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights – “FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR USE ONLY.” (As opposed to use in outer space?)
• On a Swedish chainsaw – “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP CHAIN WITH YOUR HAND.” (What kind of consumer phone-call led to this warning?)
• On a child's superman costume – “WEARING OF THIS GARMENT DOES NOT ENABLE YOU TO FLY.”
• On some frozen dinners: “SERVING SUGGESTION: DEFROST.”
• On packaging for a Rowenta iron: “DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY.”
• On Nightly sleep aid: “WARNING: MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS.” (Duh!)
The Lord said, "Ye have not because ye ask not.” This verse of scripture seems simple enough, but it comes with instructions.
WHAT ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS? Simply this: there are two kinds of prayers…the right kind and the wrong kind.
• When we pray the right kind of prayers, God answers
• When we pray the wrong kind of prayers, God does not answer
A lot of folks know how to pray the WRONG KIND OF PRAYERS, but they do not know a thing about praying the RIGHT KIND.
God knew this would be a problem, so God gave us the lives of two men to look at.
• They both went to the same place of worship
• They both prayed
But one prayed the RIGHT KIND of prayer and the other one prayed the WRONG KIND!
Look at Luke 18:10-14, we read, “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
(1) THE PHARISEE PRAYED
He prayed the wrong kind of prayer.
Look at verses 11-12, we read, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”
The Bible makes it very clear that he prayed but God did not hear his prayer. Why?
Look at verse 11 again, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus WITH HIMSELF…”
He was not really praying. The Bible tells us HE WAS TALKING TO HIMSELF. Talking to yourself is not praying. When you are truly praying, you are talking to God.
Illus: Someone said this about talking to yourself:
• You can talk to yourself. (Not too weird)
• You can answer yourself. (Maybe a little weird, but not that bad)
• You can even explain it to yourself. (Now your getting crazy, but still you can function)
• But don't have a debate with yourself. (Then you are crazy)
The Bible says this Pharisee, “…Prayed thus with himself…”
The Pharisee had a conversation with himself. Notice, he felt that he was better than others were. He said, “…I thank thee, that I am not as other men are…”
Besides talking to himself, he is a proud arrogant snob! If you do not think some folks are great, JUST ASK THEM! Well, you really do not have to ask them; they are going to tell you how great they are without you asking them.
Illus: Speaking of bragging reminds me of a Japanese man that went to America sightseeing. On the last day, he caught a cab and told the driver to take him to the airport.
• During the journey, a Honda drove past the taxi. Thereupon, the man leaned out of the window excitedly and yelled, "Honda, very fast! Made in Japan!"
• After a while, a Toyota sped past the taxi. Again, the Japanese man leaned out of the window and yelled, "Toyota, very fast! Made in Japan!"
• And then a Mitsubishi sped past the taxi. For the third time, the Japanese leaned out of the window and yelled, "Mitsubishi, very fast! Made in Japan!"
• The driver was a little angry, but he kept quiet. This went on for quite a number of cars. Finally, the taxi came to the airport. The fare was three hundred dollars.
• The Japanese man exclaimed, "Wah... so expensive!"
• The driver yelled back, "Meter, very fast! Made in Japan!"
This Pharisee was a bragger! Notice something else he did. He listed his character qualities before God. He proudly told God that he was not an extortioner, he was not unjust in his dealings, he was faithful to wife, he fasted twice each week and he tithed of all he possessed.
Now these are good qualities for any man to possess, but we are wasting our time when we tell God how good we are, because GOD KNOWS HOW GOOD WE ARE! HE KNOWS US INSIDE AND OUT!
We can tell God 10 good things about ourselves, but He could list a hundred bad things for every one of them. Do not come to God telling Him how good you are if you want your prayers answered.
This Pharisee prayed, but he prayed the WRONG KIND OF PRAYER.
(2) THE PUBLICAN PRAYED.
He prayed the right kind of prayer. We read, “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Notice that the only thing he prayed for was for MERCY!
Illus: Sometimes we come into contact with people that are mad at God. They feel God has given them a dirty deal. They have prayed and asked for His help, and He has not granted their request. JUST WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?
Publicans were the tax collectors of that day. This Publican knew that God was aware of every shady deal he had ever pulled, and the only thing he requested from God was MERCY!
None of us like tax collectors. Why? Because we feel they take more money from us than they should.
Illus: A nervous taxpayer was unhappily conversing with the IRS auditor who had come to review his records. At one point the auditor exclaimed, "We feel it is a great privilege to be allowed to live and work in the USA. As a citizen you have an obligation to pay taxes, and we expect you to EAGERLY PAY THEM WITH A SMILE."
"Thank Goodness," returned the taxpayer. "I thought you were going to want cash."
This Publican was a tax collector and he had pulled many shady deals. All he wanted from the Lord was MERCY. Why? Because he recognized that God does not owe us a thing!
Listen, if God never does another thing for us again, He has already done more for us than we deserve.
Illus: Many of us like to watch and listen to Dave Ramsey on Fox’s business news.
• When callers call in, they say to Dave, “Dave, how are you?”
• And Dave will frequently say, “Better than I deserve!”
This is true for all of us. The only reason any of us are here today is because GOD HAS BEEN MERCIFUL TO US!
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE PRAY, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE PRAY THE RIGHT KIND OF PRAYERS.
Christians all over this nation today are stripped of the blessings of God.
• It is not that they DO NOT PRAY
• It is because they pray the WRONG KIND OF PRAYERS and limit God in their life.
If we are lacking the blessings of God, it is not God's fault. It is because we LIMIT HIM FROM WORKING IN OUR LIFE THROUGH PRAYER.
God has always worked through prayer and He said that, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16
We limit God through LACK OF PRAYER and -
II. LACK OF FAITH
It is one thing to ask God for something and it is an entirely different thing to believe He will do what we ask Him to do.
Look at Heb. 11:6, we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
You see when a man prays, he believes in the existence of God. However, it is not enough to believe that HE EXISTS. Faith believes HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO!
Let me give you a Biblical example. The Scriptures tells us that Jesus came to His hometown, Nazareth. The Lord had been doing all kinds of miracles and now we can only imagine what He wanted to do for these people He grew up with.
Look at Matt. 13:53-58, we read, “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. AND HE DID NOT MANY MIGHTY WORKS THERE BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF.”
He wanted to bless these people, but the scriptures make it clear that He could not because of their unbelief. They did not see Him as almighty God; they saw Him as the carpenter’s son.
What we think of Him determines what we receive from Him!
• If you serve a little God you receive little things
• If you serve a big God you receive big things
Matt. 9:29 “….According to your faith be it unto you.”
"They limited the Holy One of Israel."
Listen, if you do not believe God CAN do it, you need not waste your time asking Him to do it.
Conclusion:
Many have tied the hands of God and have limited the Holy One of Israel from blessing them because of -
Part 1 of 2
I. LACK OF PRAYER
II. LACK OF FAITH
Part 2 of 2
III. LACK OF MATURITY
IV. LACK OF GODLINESS
