Sermon Central
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To Handcuff The Power Of God In Your Life
Contributed by Michael Dephillips on Feb 8, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: How sin limits the power of God in our lives
To Handcuff the Power of God
(Prayer)
A recurring theme of the bible is that only those who would dare to trust God with their whole hearts will see the power of God manifested in their circumstances. Once there was a man named Moses who was called by a burning bush on the backside of the wilderness to lead God’s chosen people out of hard bondage. The Israelites were released from that bondage after a series of miracles or plagues depending on which side you were rooting for and carried the treasures of the wicked on their shoulders to the shore of the Red Sea and as they stood between the devil and the deep blue sea with the Egyptian army breathing down their back they cried out to Moses that they would have preferred to remain slaves than to have come here to this place and die. They cried out to return to the same bondage they had begged God to save them from and Moses cried out to the Lord that day standing on the seashore.
YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHAT GOD SAID TO HIM!
EXODUS 14:15 WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME? SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THAT THEY MAY GO FORWARD!
NCV Why are you crying out to me? Command the Israelites to start moving
WHY DID GOD SAY THIS? Simple answer to it if you’re willing to listen, there’s no going back with God! NO FORREST GUMPS IN GOD’S ARMY! No spiritual armor to cover our fannies running from the enemy and Christ Jesus stands on the ramparts to issue the command CHARGE!!!!
Moses had already been told by God in Exodus 3 and 4 that he was with them and that his intention was to bless the children of Israel beyond measure and comprehension by leading them to a land flowing with milk and honey. They already had God’s word on it and they had already experienced the power of Almighty God working on their behalf yet here they stand whining in the desert about how good it used to be!
WHY DO GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE ALWAYS SEEM TO BE SO MUCH BETTER AT WHINING AND COMPLAINING THAN ACCOMPLISHING THE MISSION OF GOD? Why do we have 20/20 vision seeing the problems and we’re so much more faithful to say how something is impossible to do instead of finding the solution? Do you think Jesus ever gets tired of our belly aching? He gets to hear us moan and groan and complain and whine about our petty little problems when in Ephesians 1:3 it says that we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing through Christ Jesus. Do you think that maybe sometimes he’d like to slap us when we get more concerned about the situation around us than trying to accomplish the Great Commission? In the word of God there was a time that the disciples wore his patience thin on a little boat in the sea.
· Jesus came to a moment in his earthly ministry that his own chosen disciples, the men he was trusting to carry out his mission, when he saw how blind they really were
"BEWARE THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND OF THE LEAVEN OF HEROD!" These men of God failed to see the spiritual and only looked at the physical. Jesus said that because we didn’t bring enough hot dog buns when we roast weiners on the other side! Well it’s his fault anyway! Every time it’s time to leave he’s rushing us and out in the van blowing the horn saying, COME ON, HURRY UP! He should have let us stop at the Food Lion on the way out of town if he’s going to be so worried about bread.
· I believe that Jesus’ patience wore thin at that moment at the monumental stupidity of those who said they were Christians, his disciples.
Scripture clearly says that he was tempted in all points like we are and I know from experience there ain’t nothing that’ll try your patience more than a roomful of Baptists at teaching time. Unless it would be trying to start a 5hp Briggs and Stratton engine when it’s a hundred degrees outside and the grass needs mowing! Hey, I know! I use to have a full head of hair but now it’s falling out!
First thing that Jesus did… He wondered out loud at their lack of faith!
A. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS ABOUT BREAD?
B. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND AND WHAT LITTLE BIT OF COMMON SENSE YOU ONCE HAD?
C. DID YOU WORK HARD TO MAKE YOURSELF THIS SILLY?
Are you so blind and unseeing that you can’t see the truth staring you in the face or are you so deaf that you can’t hear the words I’m speaking to you right now? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN YOUR TESTIMONY!
