What Hinders Me?

What Hinders Me? ()

Acts 8:36 ESV

36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

I. Friends and Family

A. Fear of What Others Might Think?

1. Often Times People Are Afraid to Obey the Gospel For Fear of What Others May Think of Them. 

2. We Should Learn That What Others Think Does Not Matter In Terms of How We Live () 

Galatians 1:10 ESV

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

B. Afraid of Not “Fitting In”

1. Closely Related to Our Last Point, Sometimes People Fear They Will No Longer “Fit In” With the Crowd.

2. The Christian Life Is Not About Fitting In, But About Being Different (; )

1 Peter 1:13–16 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Hebrews 12:14 ESV

14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

C. Refuse to Accept They Have Friends And Family Members Who Are Lost 

1. It is Often Stated When Studying With Religious Friends, “Well If I Accept That, That Means *Insert Some Family Member* is Lost and They Were/Are a Good Person.”

2. Whether You Accept the Truth or Not, They Are Lost. 

3. There is But One Way to Heaven (), And Even If You Choose Not to Follow “The Way,” It is Still the Only Way.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

D. Doesn’t Want to Divide the Family

1. Some People Are Afraid of How Their Family Will Respond When They Hear This Person Has Obeyed the Gospel.

2. Some Families Have Even Been Divided Over Someone Obeying the Gospel.

3. Jesus Came to Not to Bring Peace But A Sword ().

Matthew 10:34–36 ESV

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

4. We Must Leave Family For the Sake of Christ ()

Matthew 19:29 ESV

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

5. Even Hate Them ()

Luke 14:26 ESV

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

II. Not Wanting to Put Away Sin 

A. Some Are Hindered From Obeying the Gospel Because They Do Not Want to Give Up Sin.

B. They Are In Love With The World (; )

2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

1 John 2:15–16 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

C. The World Is Passing Away But Those Who Do the Will of the Lord Abide Forever ()

1 John 2:17 ESV

17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

D. The End of These Sins is Death ().

Romans 6:17–23 ESV

17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

III. Misconceptions 

A. Fear of Failure

1. Some Fear They Will Obey the Gospel And Fail. 

2. They Fear They Cannot Live A “Perfect Life” or “Christian Life.”

3. There Is None Righteous For We All Sin ()

Romans 3:9–28 ESV

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

4. God Has Made A Provision For When We Fail (; )

Acts 8:22 ESV

22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

B. Lack of Knowledge 

1. There Are Many Who Do Not Obey the Gospel Because They Do Not “Know Everything.”

2. These People Must Overcome This Obstacle Because They Never Will Know Everything. 

3. The Christian Life is a Life of Constant Growth ().

2 Peter 1:5–11 ESV

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

4. Moreover, There Were Many In the Scripture Who Obeyed After Hearing One Sermon (, , ).

5. All You Need to Know is That Jesus Died For You and What You Must Do to Be Saved.

a) Hear ()

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

b) Believe ()

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

c) Repent ()

Acts 17:30–31 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

d) Confess ()

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

e) Be Baptized ()

1 Peter 3:21 ESV

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

IV. Not Sure If They Are Accountable 

A. Some People Are Not Sure If they Are Yet Accountable to God. 

B. They Do Not Understand When They Are Accountable.

C. First We Need to Realize The Common False Concepts On Accountability: 

1. There is No Accountability, Babies Are Sinners From Birth ()

Ezekiel 18:20 ESV

20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

2. Age 20 (Based On )

3. Age 12 (Based On )

4. Age 30 (Based On )

Luke 3:23 ESV

23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

5. A Child Should Live the Life Before Baptism to Show They Can Do It.

6. A Child Has to Know Everything in N.T. On Subject. 

D. If None of These Are The Age of Accountability, Then When Is It?

E. There Is No Set Age of Accountability. 

1. Everyone Matures At Their Own Pace. 

2. Some Know Scriptures From Childhood and Learn Quicker (), While Others Do Not. 

2 Timothy 3:14–15 ESV

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

F. But There Is An Age of Accountability ()

Romans 7:7–12 ESV

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

G. It Is When We Are Old Enough to Understand the Plan of Salvation ().

Acts 8:25–38 ESV

25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. 26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

V. Afraid of the Cost

A. Some People Are Afraid of What Serving God Will Cost Them. 

B. Not Only Must They Give Up Sin And Possibly Even Family, But They Must Even Deny Self ().

Luke 14:27 ESV

27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

C. There Is a Great Cost In Serving God and We Most Certainly Should Count The Cost ().

Luke 14:28–33 ESV

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

D. But We Must Also Count the Cost of Not Serving God.

1. We Give Up Eternity In Heaven ()

2. And Instead Spend Eternity In Hell ()

Revelation 21:8 ESV

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”