Overcoming Hindrances: Eliminating the Hitch in Your Giddy Up

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 5:7 NKJV

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

NOT TODAY SATAN

Satan will try to put all types of obstacles in your way.

Temptation

Fear

Stress

False Doctrine

But we can overcome all of these obstacles Satan throws at us through the power of Jesus Christ.

We can say “Not Today Satan!”

Today, we’re going to talk about “Overcoming Hindrances.”

“Eliminating the Hitch in Your Giddy-Up”

HITCH IN YOUR GIDDY UP

Horses were hitched to a post to keep them from moving.

Giddy-up is a phrase used to get a horse moving.

So a hitch in your giddy-up is a hindrance that is preventing you from moving forward.

HINDRANCES

What is a hindrance:

an obstacle,

a barrier,

a difficulty,

an interruption,

a delay, or

a hurdle.

Ricky Pierce running the 110m hurdles

What are some examples of hindrances:

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:8 NKJV

8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

Sanballat and Tobias.

Sanballat

What are these feeble Jews doing?

Will they fortify themselves?

Will they complete it in a day?

Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish - stones that are burned?

Tobias

Whatever they build,

If a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.

Nehemiah

Prayed

Kept building

Even though others were conspiring against them.

Paul

1 Thessalonians 2:17–18 NKJV

17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.

We don’t know exactly what this hindrance was, but we know it was from Satan.

Paul had faith that Satan’s hindrance would not stop him forever (short time).

Paul committed to fight against the hindrance anyway he could. If Paul couldn’t go in person, he would write a letter of encouragement. Many scholars believe 1 Thessalonians was the first letter Paul wrote. If so, then Satan’s hindrance got Paul started writing letters to the churches. If that’s the case, then Satan regrets to this day trying to hinder Paul.

The Angel Sent to Help Daniel

Daniel 10:12–13 NKJV

12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

NOTICE SOMETHING ABOUT GALATIANS 5:7

Paul did not ask:

what hindered you,

why were you hindered,

when were you hindered, or

where were you hindered.

Paul asked:

Who hindered you.

There were obviously some in Galatia that were leading the people astray and hindering them in their relationship with God.

MESSAGE POINTS

There are going to be people who cross your path that you are going to have to deal with:

There are some people you need to FORGIVE.

Bitterness has derailed many Christians who used to run well.

Jesus demonstrated the power of forgiveness on the cross.

Jesus said we must forgive those who wrong us in order for God to forgive us for our sins.

Matthew 6:14–15 NKJV

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Jesus said there is to be no limit to our forgiveness:

Matthew 18:21–22 NKJV

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

There will be people in your life that you are going to have to forgive so that you are not hindered in this race of the Christian life.

There are some people you need to FORGET.

There may be some people in your life that you know are a constant hindrance to your progress with God.

Many of those people are good people, they are just not running at the same pace as you are.

My 330m hurdles race against Pensacola Christian.

They are not focused on the finish line like you are, and if you allow them, they will become a hindrance to you.

There will be people in your life that you are going to need to set healthy boundaries with.

There are some people you need to FORSAKE.

These are people that are not going in the same direction as you are.

These relationships are a danger to your spiritual life.

They will not only hinder you, but can also pull you out of the race altogether.

1 Corinthians 5:1-7 - Paul says:

Deliver the one promoting sexual immorality in the church to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the end.

Purge out the old leaven - a little leaven leavens the who lump.

1 Timothy 1:18-20 - Paul says:

Maintain your faith and a good conscience even when others don’t.

Paul rejected those who rejected faith and a good conscience and delivered them over to Satan so that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Examples of people that can put a hitch in your giddy up.

People that only need you when they need something from you.

People that are one way to your face and another way behind your back.

People who are constantly trying to get you to do things that are contrary to your Christian walk.

People who lie to you.

The man in the mirror.

Why do we sometimes allow wrong influences to hinder us?

We care too much about what other people think.

We allow ourselves to be influenced too much by the wrong people.

We lack the self-confidence we need through our identity in Christ.

We fail to recognize when Satan is putting a hindrance in our way.

CLOSING

Galatians 5:7 NKJV

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Are there any hindrances in your life?

Are there some things that are slowing you down?

Are there some things that are getting in your way?

Are there some things that are getting you off track?

Are there some things that are making it difficult to keep going?

Maybe it’s time to say, “Not Today Satan!”

ALTAR CALL