What's Stopping You?

Acts 8:26-38

In this text, Phillip was testifying to an Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus Christ. As they came upon some water the eunuch asked Phillip- What's hindering me from being baptized? Phillip responded by saying that if he believed Jesus Christ with all his heart, then he could be baptized. The eunuch responded in the affirmative and was baptized.

I am not speaking about baptism today, although I believe every believer must be. But my question today is this: What's hindering you? What's stopping you? What's preventing you from being all that God has designed you to be. I am referring to the mindset that many Christians find themselves in- a general way of thinking that prevents them from being all that God intended them to be. The word hindered means to prevent or forbid, to deny or refuse someone from a certain thing. Some of the synonyms are: manacle, obstruct, shackle, handcuff, inhibit.

So many Christians live beneath their privileges and responsibility. Yes- there is a responsibility when we become Christians. We aren't saved just to have a good life, sit back and take in all we can and not give out- not step up to the plate and take action and be responsible to our calling. We have to be interactive with God and mankind. We have to find out and put into action our calling. We can't just sit idly by. We will be like those described in Revelations as being lukewarm. And we know what happened to them- God spit them out of His mouth! Now- you don't want to be spit out of God's mouth do you?

What is hindering you? What is stopping you? It is time for Christians to take an honest self-exam and find out just what is stopping them from being all that God wants them to be. It could be fear: 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God hasn't given us the spirit of fear- it comes from the enemy. Fear has torment and God certainly doesn't torment us. It could be because you are still feeling condemnation- Romans 8:1-2 tells us that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. If you have come to Christ and confessed your sins- then it is done. Or if you have fallen into sin since coming to Christ- we have an advocate with the Father and all we need to do is repent and move on. (1 John 1:9)  Condemnation will stop many Christians in their path. This is from the enemy. He doesn't want us to move on in God. Satan wants us to stay paralyzed by our fear and guilt.

Another big stumbling block is being overly involved in the world- to the point of being all tangled up. 2 Timothy 2:4 tells us that no one engaged in warfare (the normal Christian walk) entangles himself with the affairs of life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. Now we all know we will never be out of this world until God calls us home. We are certainly in the world but not of the world. So many Christians are so involved in worldly things: music, sports, recreation, unholy alliances, our homes, our jobs, and the list goes on. But God wants us free, as a soldier is free of all things except his mission. How can he complete his mission and obey orders if he is constantly involved in other things. We have to stay focused on what God wants us to be doing.

One of the biggest hindrances to the Christian life I believe is prayerlessness and unbelief. James 5:17 tells us that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." It is powerful and hits the target. Prayer is intimacy with Christ. This is where we get our marching orders. This is where we find our calling. This is where we hear and feel the heartbeat of God and receive that strength and faith to do as He wills. Without intimacy with Christ  unbelief settles in and stifles and hardens the heart. Hebrews 3:12 says: "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Verse 19 points out- "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

What's stopping us? The answer is "Us".  We are the only thing hindering our progress in God when we allow any of these things to keep us from doing God will. A couple years ago after hearing the song- "I'm So Tired of Being Stirred and Not Being Changed"-- I remember going home that morning and really doing a self-exam on myself. I was always being stirred, but I wasn't changing. What was my problem? The answer stared me in the face-- ME! I was the reason. I was allowing things to hinder me, prevent me and stop me from doing God's will. I was the only reason that I wasn't reaching my full potential in God.I am the one who has to make the choice to change!  Let me assure you- I am not perfect and I have not arrived. I still stumble at times, I mess up and make mistakes. But-- I pick myself back up and start where I left off. I don't allow the enemy of my soul to hinder me any longer. I fight back with prayer and the Word. I try to stay focused on my mission. It doesn't mean that the enemy doesn't come after me-- but I realized that I am MORE- so much more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ my Lord.(Romans 8:37)  He has given me- and every Christian ALL "things  that pertains to life and  godliness".(2 Peter 1:3)  I don't listen to his lies anymore. And God can do the same for you if you just give Him the opportunity.

So what's stopping you?