Hindrances
Are hindrances good or bad?
When you hear preachers or teachers of the Word, you must ask yourself, are they giving us the whole council of the God?
Acts 20:19 (AMP) “You know well how I [lived when I] was with you, from the first day that I set foot in Asia [until now], 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me]; 20 [you know] how I did not shrink back in fear from telling you anything that was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public meetings, and from house to house, 21 solemnly [and wholeheartedly] testifying to both Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance to God and [to have] faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [for salvation].
You can be a preacher and cherry pick verses by finding out what people want to hear and just preach on those verses but never give other truths in the bible. God will judge me whether I gave you part of the gospel or the whole gospel, part of the bible or only some of it.
Why is it important to know the “bad” things as well as the good things in the bible?
Sometimes there are hindrances in our lives, and we have to discern where the hindrance is coming from.
Paul is writing to the church of Thessalonica and he is defending himself from people speaking against him. These people were only interested in making money. Many people have turned the gospel into a money making system using Jesus and a few other phrases. So Paul is defending himself, and he wants to talk to them about how he wanted to see them but he was held back from visiting them. Paul went to Thessalonica because he went to Greece. His first missionary trip was in Turkey, he wanted to go to other areas in Turkey, (Asia, Bithynia).
Acts 16 6 Now they passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor];
This is strange. Paul wants to preach the Gospel in Asia, but the Holy Spirit is not allowing him!
7 and after they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from [the Roman province of] Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 And when he had seen the vision, we (including Luke) tried to go on into Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
The reason Paul went to Thessalonica, was because God (through a dream / vision) instructed him to go there.
1 Thessalonians 2 17 But since we were taken away from you, believers, for a little while—in person, but not in heart—we endeavored, with great longing to see you face to face. 18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again [wanted to come], but Satan hindered us.
Notice Paul had a great longing to see the face of his disciples. He was not interested in their money, or church size, but them. He missed them and longed to see them. This sounds almost like a boyfriend / girlfriend letter.
He went to Greece because God hindered him from going where he wants to go. He could not visit them because Satan hindered him. Paul discerned this is Satan blocking me from visiting. Wanting to go preach the Gospel, in a sense it’s like the Holy Spirit is saying no, don’t go there, Ok well then I will go here, then the Spirit of Jesus says no again. Imagine how sensitive you have to be to hear like this from the Holy Spirit. So then he didn’t know what to do.
What do you do when you are blocked and don’t know what to do?
As Paul waits, the Lord sends a dream to him and he sees a man from Macedonia saying come on over and help us. After consulting with his travelers they conclude, it was God telling them where to go.
God hindered him. God works not only to will and to do, to bless strengthen to encourage, but sometimes by hindering us from going to places we shouldn’t go (even if you have pure motives and intentions). If you are not sensitive to the spirit of God, you just make up your own mind and do your own thing, but you suffer for it. If you were listening and waiting and sensitive you would have picked up the fact that God was telling you, don’t do that. God is a hinderer, not just a supplier and encourager.
What are some obvious things that God hinders us from?
What should be our practice of watching and waiting and being prayerful? God would want to hinder us from temptation and sin, and from hanging out with the wrong people. If we were sensitive we would know where to go, and where to keep away from. Don’t go to that night club, you don’t belong there, they glorify sin there. The songs are sensual, drug-centered, and immoral. You used to go where you wanted but now you belong to me, and he will hinder us by making us uncomfortable, taking away your peace in a split second. God is hindering us from wrong relationships, wrong books. Wouldn’t you want to hinder your child from being involved with the wrong people?
Satan also hinders us.
18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again [wanted to come], but Satan hindered us.
We don’t know exactly how he hindered. Satan also tries to hinder us from what God wants in our lives. We don’t even think about it, we think it’s a circumstance, a situation, a person, but it’s Satan.
What are some obvious things Satan hinders us from?
How can we discern whether it’s God or Satan hindering us?
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
2 Chronicles 26:5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
