Limiting God

Limiting God

God allows men to limit Him

Text: (Passage where they bound the hands of Jesus)

(Also passage where Jesus takes the from of a limited Human existance)

Introduction:

There are theologians that would have us to believe in something called "irristaible grace." But we see from the Bible that men can and do limit the grace of God in their lives.

“The limit to my experience of God’s power rested not with God, but with me.

God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people like you…but only when you allow Him to enlarge your spiritual capacity and overcome your self-imposed limits.

LIMITING GOD IN OUR LIFE

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.” Psalms 78:40-41 (NKJV)

Can man limit Almighty God? Psalm 78:41 says "Yes!" Using the Bible as our only reference source, let us take a serious look at the ways man can limit God.

I want to ask you a question this morning and it is a big question because it comes from a big person, it comes from almighty God.

I'm going to let Jeremiah answer that question is Jeremiah thirty two, verse seventeen, you might put it out in the margin, here's what Jeremiah said, Ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, there is nothing too hard for thee.

Why doesn't God do something? why is God silent? Why doesn't God act? Why doesn't God move? What is God waiting on?

there is no promise that God cannot keep. Now, God has made in the bible some thirty thousand promises and everyone of them he will keep, everyone of them.

Numbers chapter twenty three, verse nineteen. God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoke it and shall he not make it good.

The bible speaks in Titus chapter one and verse two, it speaks in these, in this word, in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promise before the world began. Jo you know why I know that I'm going to heaven? God can't lie. God can't lie. God has promised me eternal life before the world began.

there's no prayer that God cannot answer, no prayer, I mean, there's nothing too hard for the Lord. God says in Jeremiah thirty three, verse three, call upon me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not.

There is no problem that God cannot solve.

Why hasn't he solved my problem? Well, dear friend, there are several things I want you to under- stand, first of all, God does not work necessarily the way you think he ought to work. He says in Isaiah fifty five, verse eight, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. God does not work on the same thought level that we work on. We think we have it all figured out how God ought to do it, how God ought to solve our problems. We would like to instruct the Lord.

I imagine when THOSE fiery serpents were biting those people out therein the wilderness there were people praying oh God, oh God, kill the snakes, kill the snakes, but God didn't do that. He had a different way and a better way. He put a brazen serpent on a pole and said everyone that looks will be healed. They thought God ought to do one thing, God did another, but God solved the problem. Today we're asking God, oh God, why don't you eradicate sin? Oh God, why don't you kill all of these snakes? God, why don't you kill the devil? Why don't you do something? God lifts his son up upon a cross and says believe in him, receive him. You see, God may not do it just the way you think he ought to do it, but there's no problem that God cannot solve.

I heard about a farm boy one time who was critiquing the way the Lord Made creation. He said if I were God I would have done it differently. He said for example, there's a great big oak tree and it's got little acorns on it and here's a little weak vine and it has watermelons on it. That seems backward to me, you ought to have the big watermelon on the big oak tree. About that time an acorn him on the head and he said I'm glad it wasn't a watermelon.

Now, friend, let me tell you, God, God knows what he's doing, God knows what he's about. I am telling you friend, there is no promise that God cannot keep. There is no prayer that God cannot here. I want to tell you there is no problem that God cannot solve, I want to tell you there is no person that God cannot save. God will save anybody. The same Lord overall is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Alright, if that is so and it is so, that God is a god of might and a God of miracle then that brings us to another question, why do we have so many problems? If there is no prayer that God cannot answer why are my prayers not answered? If there is no problem that God cannot solve, why are my problems not solve. If there is no person that God cannot save, why are not my friends and neighbors saved?

now, secondly, I want you to think with me about what I'm going to call the mystery, the mystery of man's limiting power, the mystery of man's limiting power. Did you know that puny man can limit God?

You say, Adrian, that sounds like blasphemy to me. Well, it would be to me to if I did not know the scripture, but I want you to look in the scripture with me and I want you to look a very interesting passage of scripture in Psalms chapter seventy eight and verse forty one. It speaks of God's people there in the wilderness and God is trying to lead them out of the lard of bondage, through the wilderness, into a land that flows with milk and honey. Oh, God wanted to bless them, God wanted to pour out upon them lavish blessings, but God remonstrates with them and this is what god said to them. Yea, they turned back and tempted God, now listen to this next phrase and limited the holy one of Israel. That's an amazing thing.

To limit means to set boundaries, to hinder

In Matthew chapter twenty seven in verses one and two is the story of how the Lord Jesus Christ was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane by the chief priests, the scribes, the rulers, the soldiers, how the Lord Jesus was taken there to be judged and in Matthew chapter twenty seven and verse two it says this, that they bound Jesus, they bound Jesus, they tied him up, I mean, they put fetters on him. I don't know whether they used chains, ropes, handcuffs, I don't know what they did, but someway they took those holy hands, the hands of the Lord Jesus and they tied him up, they bound him.

Now, you think about it. He was the one who created the universe. Without him was not anything made that was made, universes dripped from his fingertips, worlds came from his words, he spoke and it was so, he spoke and it stood fast, all things were made by him and for him and without him was not anything made that was made. He was the one who said all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. He was- the one who scooped out the seas and heaped up the mountains, and flung out the sun, the moon and the stars, he's the one who regulates the universe, for the bible says, for by him all things consist and they tied him up, they bound him and he allowed him to do so. Now, don't think, don't think that he could have not stopped them if he'd wanted to.

Jesus said look Simon, put your sword back, you don't have to defend me, he said if I wanted to I could call twelve legions of angels. We sing he could have called ten thousand angels, actually a hundred and forty four thousand angels, actually one angel, if you'll read back in the bible, one angel, one angel, killed a hundred and eighty five thousand Assyrians in one night, one angel.

Run that out on a calculator, that's thirteen billion, seven hundred and fifty million people,

Our Lord allowed it, our Lord allowed himself to be limited. There's nothing too hard for God. Why doesn't God work. I'll tell you why God doesn't work, because we have handcuffed the Lord. We have fettered God. We have bound the bands that want to bless. Those hands that they tied were hands that were healing hands and blessing hands and giving hands and loving hands and soothing hands, those were the very hands, those hands that were to bless them were the very hands that they bound.

it is absolutely important today that you learn how to unfetter the Lord. Let me tell you some things that will bind the hands of the Lord Jesus in your life and in your home and in your family and in your business.

Main Points:

I. Men limit God by thier unwillingness. (An Unwilling Spirit)

(Jesus said that he would gather lie a hen does her chicks, but they would not.)

unwillingness will bind the hands of Jesus. Let me give you a verse. In Matthew chapter twenty three and verse thirty seven Jesus with those hands outstretched is weeping great, salty tears for the city of Jerusalem and here's what Jesus says. Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sin unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together even as the hen gathereth her chicks. Now, listen to this, but ye would not. I would have but you weren't willing, I wanted to bless you. It's not because I'm limited, I could have blessed you. I could have gathered you, I could have fed you like a mother feeds her chickens. I could have protected you like a mother hen protects her biddies, I could have cared for you and warmed you and done all of the things that need to be done. I would have but you would not. Now, dear friend, they limited the Lord by their unwillingness. God wants to bless you today. God wants to pour out love, grace, peace, happiness, joy, fulfillment, purpose, forgiveness, God wants you to give you all of this today, but dear friend, he will never force it on you. I would he said but ye would not and our Lord with his hands bound by your unwillingness

It is unwillingness, just sheer unwillingness that keeps God from blessing some people.

We are unwilling to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to our relationship with the Lord, we limit God’s work in us, and we place restrictions on the amount of service we are able accomplish. God knows our potential, and He wants to use our circumstances to develop our faith and increase our capacity to serve Him, but we must surrender and do whatever it takes to draw closer to Him.

II Men limit God by their unconcern. (An unconcerrned attitude)

III. Men limit God by their unreasonableness. (An unreasonable Mindset)

(God says come, let us reason togeather, man says no.)

IV. Men limit God by their uncleanness. (An unclean lifestyle)

(the story of the rich man who had the God of riches and wouldn't let go)

Illustration:

(A monkey is trapped when he reaches in for a handful of rice, and refuses to let go)

V. Men limit God by their unbelief. (An unbelieving heart)

(There were certian towns where Jesus was limited by the unbelif of the people)

We also limit God when we limit what we believe God can or will do in our lives. When answers to our prayers don’t come in the time or way we think they should, we stop praying—and we stop believing—because we fail to realize that God allows troubles and difficulties so that we will become more mature, trusting believers. Instead of embracing the work God is doing through our troubles, we entertain doubt and place limitations on what God can do for and through us.

Notes on limiting God from "Unlimiting God" by Richared Blackaby:

"Take your faith to the people and your problems to God"

We limit God with our lack of desire.

If you want god to make a change in you, you must want it and ask for it. if you don't, you will limit what God can

do in your life.

We must grow into a larger container so that we might be able to hold greater blessings from God.

Growing involves fresh challenges.

God invites each of us to spen time with Him and get to know Him, but He will not force Himself on us.

Jeremiah 7:13 (KJV 1900)

13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and

speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;

James 4:7–8 (KJV 1900)

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will

draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The limit to how close we drow to God is with us.

Jacob would not let go of God until he blessed him.

Of you have no desire to be any closer to God than you are right now, your are limiting what God can do in your

life.

We look at how bad God needs to intervene in the world, and in our own life and aske why doesn't God do something!

but we are the ones limiting and restricting what God can do.

After God declared that the poeple were not ready to come any closer to Him, the people feared and stayed from the

mountian of God.

We limit God with our lack of obedience.

If you are not faithful in what God has set before you to do now, you limit what God can do for you in the future.

You say " I want God to show me His will for my life," but If you don't respond to what God is doing in your life

right now, he will not give you further instructions.

We limit God when we neglect His Word.

In the same way the apostle Paul spoke of those who could only understand the milk of God's word, but others could

handle the meat.

Most of us go the amusment park with God and while He begging us to ride the rollercoaster, we insist on always

riding the choo choo train in the kiddie section. God is continnually comming to us and inviting us to go higher

and deeper with him, but were too afraid to leave our confortable choo choo train and experience a greater

relationship with Him. We limit God to the choo choo train. God patiently promises to go with us and to hold our

hand, but we still limit Him.

We limit God with our lack of vision.

Knowing the Lord is like a group climbing a mountain. Not everyone reaches the same level. Each of us decieds how

much effort we are willing to expend to climb higher with God. It's up to you how far and how high you will go.

The highter you go up the mountian with God, the more greater your senic view will be.

Take for example the story or Elisha and his servant as they were surrounded by the Syrian army. Elijiah had a

different view of the situation than his servant did.

Some people take the time to know God and as a result they are more in tune with the heart of God than others.

Because they are more familliar with the heart of God, they can more redily see what God is doing around them.

Jesus rebuke his deciples and asked "Have you been with me all this time and you haven't seen the father?

John 14:7–9 (KJV 1900)

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long

time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest

thou then, Shew us the Father?

We limit God in our prayer life.

We limit God in our prayer life. When Jesus was on the mountian top with Peter, James and John, the other 9

remained below and could not free a boy from demonic possession. As Jesus aproached the gathered croud the 9 were

being harrassed by the Pharasees and were totaly embarassed by thier appearant failure and lack of power with God.

Was God limited? No, Jesus had already given them power and authority to heal and cast out devils. What then was

limiting the power of God! Jesus imidiatel pointed to their prayer life!

We limit God with our faithlessness.

The next thing after our prayer life, Jesus indicated that we limit God with our faith. The father of the boy had

faith, but he asked God to give him more faith in order to heal his son. We limit god with a lack of faith.Here we

find a principle- God gives to us according to our faith.

An indication that you have stopped believing is that when you stop praying, you stop believing.

Another indication that you have stopped believing is fear and worry.Fear and Anxiedty limits God's power in your

life.

God's ability to bless us is unlimited. Our faith determines our compacity to recieve from God. This is illustrated

by the story of the widow who was in need and the prophet told her to gather pots. The pots were gathered and the

oil continued to flow until the last container was full. There was no more capacity to recieve from God. The more

pots were gathered, the more blessings could be recieved. We set the limit. II Kings 4:1-7.

Some people expect God to do great and mighty things in their life, and they prepare accordingly.

Matthew 13:58

Jesus came to his hometown and they had very low expectations for this carpenter's son. as a result "He din not

many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

Peter had reached the limit of his faith when he began to sink after walking on water. He had a greater faith than

the other diciples, but he to had a limit. Peter failed when he began to look at the storm and the waves. We limit

the power of God when we doubt. The moment Peter began to sink, he had reached the limit of his belief.

Another indication that you have stopped believing God is the level of Joy in your life.

We limit the amount of Joy we esperience from God. Jesus taught us that no one could steal our joy, but we can

surrender orlimit our joy at any time. In every dificult circumstande we decide if that circumstance is sugnifigant

enough to take our joy.

Original Sermon:(Taken from a message given by Adrian Rogers)

There is Nothing Too Hard for God

taken from a message given by Adrian Rogers

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” Jeremiah 32:17

When we look at the world with all of its trials, troubles, tribulations, and heartaches; we sometimes ask: “Where is God? Why doesn’t He do something?” Is it that God is not able? Is the situation too large or too difficult for God?

The Majesty of God’s Limitless Power

God told Abraham that he was going to have a son in his old age, and Abraham was a little quizzical about it. In Genesis18: 14, God asked Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Later, Jeremiah gives the answer: “There is nothing too hard for thee.”

There is no promise too hard for God to keep. There are over thirty thousand promises in the Bible, and God will keep His Word. If God made the promise, He cannot lie. There is no promise too hard for God to keep.

There’s no prayer too hard for God to answer. Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” When you ask in prayer and believe, you’ll receive.

There is no problem too hard for God to solve. God specializes in things that seem impossible. Now God may not solve your problem the way you want Him to, but there’s no problem too hard for God to solve.

There’s no person too hard for God to save. God can save anyone if he’ll come to Him.

The Mystery of Man’s Limiting Power

Did you know that puny man can limit Almighty God? There’s nothing too hard for God, yet let me tell you how you can limit God and bind the hands that want to bless:

An unwilling spirit - There was a man who was sentenced to death. Some people went to the governor and pled for the man’s life. The governor wrote a pardon. The man said, “I will not accept it.” The high court adjudicated that the pardon is rendered invalid and the man must be hanged if he refuses the pardon.

You have the dubious privilege to say no to the Lord. If you’re not willing, there are not enough angels in heaven to drag you to Jesus.

An unconcerned attitude - In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him . . . ” He has limitless power. Do you think there’s any door that could keep out the Lord of Glory if He wanted to open it? Yet, Jesus stands at the door knocking until someone decides to let Him in.

An unreasonable mindset - If you have an unreasonable mindset, you can use silly, superficial reasoning and say no to God. Some people say:

“I will not go to church because my mother made me go to church.” I imagine his mother made him take a bath also, so now he doesn’t take a bath anymore? “Well, there are hypocrites in the church.” Some lawyers are shysters; some doctors are quacks; and some money is counterfeit. But, if you need a lawyer or a doctor, you find one. And you’ve not yet burned all of your cash because some money is fake. “I’d like to be a Christian, but there’s just so much to give up.” It’s like saying, “I’d like to be healed, but I don’t want to give up my cancer.” The only things God asks you to give up are things that will hurt you.

An unclean lifestyle - Did you know if you harbor sin in your heart, you have limited God and kept Him from answering your prayers (Isaiah 59:1-2)? Has God failed to answer prayer because He’s weak or can’t hear you?” No, He doesn’t answer prayer because your sins have separated you from Him.

An unbelieving heart - Now all sin is terrible, but the worst sin is unbelief. Unbelief is devastating (Matthew 13:58). Faith is the channel through which the risen Lord pours His life into you. If you refuse to believe, you refuse God entry.

There is nothing too hard for God, but we can and do limit God. Now I think, folks, we’re pretty foolish if we bind those blessed hands, the hands that want to bless.

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Full Text of original sermon by Adrian Rodgers:

Is There Anything Too Hard For God?

Adrian Rogers

I want to ask you a question this morning and it is a big question because it comes from a big person, it comes from almighty God. It is the title of our message this morning. The question is from God to Abraham, it is also from God to you this morning. I want you to listen to the question. It is found in Genesis chapter eighteen and verse fourteen, Genesis chapter eighteen and verse fourteen, turn to it and look at it. God had told Abraham that as an old man his powers of generation were dry and dead and withered, that he was going to have a child and uh, Abraham and Sarah who were both past the age of bearing children began to wonder about this and question the Lord and here is what the Lord said to Abraham, Is anything too hard for the Lord? That's a good question, isn't it? Is anything too bard for the Lord? Well, I'm going to let Jeremiah answer that question is Jeremiah thirty two, verse seventeen, you might put it out in the margin, here's what Jeremiah said, Ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, there is nothing too hard for thee. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? There is nothing too hard for thee. You know, sometimes we wonder why doesn't God do something, don't you wonder that? Why doesn't God do something? You look at all of the filth, the crime, the stench, the perversion, the rebellion, the war, the hatred, the strive, the crime, the rape, the pillage, the arson, the unbelief, the blasphemy, you say where is God? Why didn't God do something? Doesn't God know about it? Well, yes, God knows everything. Doesn't God care? Yes, God is love. Well, then why doesn't God do something? Maybe God is not able. Oh no, there's nothing too hard for the Lord. Well, dear friend, that brings a real question then, why is God silent? Why doesn't God act? Why doesn't God move? What is God waiting on? Well, I want to try and answer that this morning in a two point message. First of all, I want you to think of what I'm going to call the majesty, the majesty of God's limitless power, the majesty of God's limited, limitless power. He is the sovereign God. He can do anything that he well wishes to do- There is nothing too hard for God. I want you to think of that. For example, there is no promise that God cannot keep. Now, God has made in the bible some thirty thousand promises and everyone of them he will keep, everyone of them. All thirty thousand of these promises plus thirty thousand he will keep, they are yea and amen in the Lord Jesus. Why? Because God made these promises and he cannot lie. Numbers chapter twenty three, verse nineteen. God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoke it and shall he not make it good. oFs, dear friends, we live in a day when man's word means little whether it's a treaty between nations, a business contract or a marriage contract, sometimes it's just a scrap of paper, but I want to tell you when God speaks he'll make it good. God cannot lie. The bible speaks in Titus chapter one and verse two, it speaks in these, in this word, in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promise before the world began. Jo you know why I know that I'm going to heaven? God can't lie. God can't lie. God has promised me eternal life before the world began. I heard about an old lady that use to brag about her assurance and her salvation and how she knew that she knew that she knew that she was going to heaven because she'd repented of her sin received the Lord Jesus Christ, she was on her deathbed and she was still praising God for that blessed assurance that she had in the Lord Jesus and somebody said to her, Wall, suppose when you get to heaven you find out that God, or suppose you never really make it to heaven, suppose you find out that God did not keep his word, that you have lost your soul. She said if I lose my soul God will lose more and the person said what would God lose? And she said God would lose his honor and that's true. Listen folks, if the person who leaned on Jesus ever loses his soul, God loses his honor. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie have promised before the world began. There is no promise, no promise that God cannot keep. I want to tell you dear friend, that not only that, but if you think about it, there's no prayer that God cannot answer, no prayer, I mean, there's nothing too hard for the Lord. God says in Jeremiah thirty three, verse three, call upon me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not. Listen folks, in prayer, believing, you will receive. Matthew twenty one, verse twenty two, all things, whatsoever ye Mall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive. There are no limits, no limits. Dear friend, you can pray for a mountain to be cast into the sea and it will be done according to this scripture. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive. There is no prayer that God cannot answer, no, not one. Thou art coming to a king, great petitions with thee bring, for his power and grace are such, thou canst not ask too much. God is a God that answers prayer. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? There is nothing too hard for thee. I want to say dear friend, there is no problem that God cannot solve. Do you have problems to day? God is the solution for your problems. God is the solution for my problems. You say Adrian, do you have problems? Only when I'm awake or when I'm asleep. Listen folks, we all have problems, but there is no problem too big for God. The bible says trust in the Lord and do good and so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass. Well, you say when is he going to do it? Why hasn't he solved my problem? Well, dear friend, there are several things I want you to under- stand, first of all, God does not work necessarily the way you think he ought to work. He says in Isaiah fifty five, verse eight, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. God does not work on the same thought level that we work on. We think we have it all figured out how God ought to do it, how God ought to solve our problems. We would like to instruct the Lord. I imagine when THOSE fiery serpents were biting those people out therein the wilderness there were people praying oh God, oh God, kill the snakes, kill the snakes, but God didn't do that. He had a different way and a better way. He put a brazen serpent on a pole and said everyone that looks will be healed. They thought God ought to do one thing, God did another, but God solved the problem. Today we're asking God, oh God, why don't you eradicate sin? Oh God, why don't you kill all of these snakes? God, why don't you kill the devil? Why don't you do something? God lifts his son up upon a cross and says believe in him, receive him. You see, God may not do it just the way you think he ought to do it, but there's no problem that God cannot solve. Sometimes we say oh, if I were God I would do this. If I were God I would do that. You better be careful when you do that. God's ways are not your ways. His thoughts are not your thoughts. I heard about a farm boy one time who was critiquing the way the Lord Made creation. He said if I were God I would have done it differently. He said for example, there's a great big oak tree and it's got little acorns on it and here's a little weak vine and it has watermelons on it. That seems backward to me, you ought to have the big watermelon on the big oak tree. About that time an acorn him on the head and he said I'm glad it wasn't a watermelon. Now, friend, let me tell you, God, God knows what he's doing, God knows what he's about. I am telling you friend, there is no promise that God cannot keep. There is no prayer that God cannot here. I want to tell you there is no problem that God cannot solve, I want to tell you there is no person that God cannot save. God will save anybody. The same Lord overall is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Friend, you cannot be a vile, such a vile sinner that the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cannot cleanse you and save you. I remember back in Fort Pierce, Florida one time I met with a group of men every morning for prayer and we would meet and pray and we decided one time that we would do something that we heard would be a thing to do and that would be to find the meanest man in the community and pray for him to get saved. And so, we talked about it, we caucused a little bit and then we held an election. There was a man who run without a runoff. As a matter of fact, he, he, he, he got all of the votes. We decided this particular man was the meanest man in our community and he wasn't. He was a bound and a rounder, he was a drunkard, he was a moonshiner, he was a gambler, he was a thief, he was a uh, womanizer, uh, he was a gun fighter. As a matter of fact, at this particular time he had a gun slug in him that a jealous woman had put in him. This woman had shot him because he was spending too much time with his own wife and she was jealous that this man was spending so much time with his wife and so she shot him and uh, he had so much brass, he had stolen a hog out of the back of the game warden's truck, that's the kind of a guy he was and we began to pray for this man and prayed for him and prayed f him and I cannot tell you the whole story because time prohi I want to tell you when I finally went to talk to that man about that Lord Jesus Christ, almost with fear and trembling because I had heard so many terror tales about this man, when I told him about the Lord of God and after he'd been soaked and saturated in prayer, folks, it was like picking a ripe apple, he just fell off in my hands. I don't believe I've had a sweeter or an easier time leading a man to Jesus Christ and God showed me one more time, folks, there's no person that God cannot save, no person God cannot save. Listen, no prayer God cannot hear, no problem God can't solve, no promise God can't keep, our Lord God is there anything too hard for thee. With god all things are possible. Alright, if that is so and it is so, that God is a god of might and a God of miracle then that brings us to another question, why do we have so many problems? If there is no prayer that God cannot answer why are my prayers not answered? If there is no problem that God cannot solve, why are my problems not solve. If there is no person that God cannot save, why are not my friends and neighbors saved? Folks, why, why does it seem like the promises of God are not kept in my heart and in my life? Well, that brings me to the second thing I want to talk to you about. First of all, I want to talk to you about the majesty of God's limitless power, now, secondly, I want you to think with me about what I'm going to call the mystery, the mystery of man's limiting power, the mystery of man's limiting power. Did you know that puny man can limit God? Did you know that sinful man can stultify and harness the work of sovereign God? You say, Adrian, that sounds like blasphemy to me. Well, it would be to me to if I did not know the scripture, but I want you to look in the scripture with me and I want you to look a very interesting passage of scripture in Psalms chapter seventy eight and verse forty one. It speaks of God's people there in the wilderness and God is trying to lead them out of the lard of bondage, through the wilderness, into a land that flows with milk and honey. Oh, God wanted to bless them, God wanted to pour out upon them lavish blessings, but God remonstrates with them and this is what god said to them. Yea, they turned back and tempted God, now listen to this next phrase and limited the holy one of Israel. That's an amazing thing. They limited the holy one of Israel. Is there anything too hard for God? Our Lord God, there's nothing too hard for thee and yet they limited the holy one of Israel. To limit means to set boundaries, to hinder, you say how could that be? Well, let me give you an illustration, perhaps you can understand. In Matthew chapter twenty seven in verses one and two is the story of how the Lord Jesus Christ was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane by the chief priests, the scribes, the rulers, the soldiers, how the Lord Jesus was taken there to be judged and in Matthew chapter twenty seven and verse two it says this, that they bound Jesus, they bound Jesus, they tied him up, I mean, they put fetters on him. I don't know whether they used chains, ropes, handcuffs, I don't know what they did, but someway they took those holy hands, the hands of the Lord Jesus and they tied him up, they bound him. Now, you think about it. He was the one who created the universe. Without him was not anything made that was made, universes dripped from his fingertips, worlds came from his words, he spoke and it was so, he spoke and it stood fast, all things were made by him and for him and without him was not anything made that was made. He was the one who said all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. He was- the one who scooped out the seas and heaped up the mountains, and flung out the sun, the moon and the stars, he's the one who regulates the universe, for the bible says, for by him all things consist and they tied him up, they bound him and he allowed him to do so. Now, don't think, don't think that he could have not stopped them if he'd wanted to. He said no man taketh my life from me, I lay it down of myself. If you go back to the twenty sixth chapter of the book of Matthew when you go home and read it, you'll find out that when they came to the Garden of Gethsemane to take Jesus, Simon Peter drew out his sword and he was going to defend Jesus, do you remember, he cut that man's ear off, he didn't mean to cut his ear off, he meant to cut his head off, but he cut that man's ear off, and Jesus said look Simon, put your sword back, you don't have to defend me, he said if I wanted to I could call twelve legions of angels. We sing he could have called ten thousand angels, actually a hundred and forty four thousand angels, actually one angel, if you'll read back in the bible, one angel, one angel, killed a hundred and eighty five thousand Assyrians in one night, one angel. Now, what did a hundred and forty four thousand do? Run that out on a calculator, that's thirteen billion, seven hundred and fifty million people, twelve legions of angels, there weren't that many people around in the Garden of Gethsemane that night. The Lord said look Peter; you don't have to protect me. You don't have to protect me. I am allowing these people to bind me, I am allowing them to carry me away Our Lord allowed it, our Lord allowed himself to be limited. There's nothing too hard for God. Why doesn't God work. I'll tell you why God doesn't work, because we have handcuffed the Lord. We have fettered God. We have bound the bands that want to bless. Those hands that they tied were hands that were healing hands and blessing hands and giving hands and loving hands and soothing hands, those were the very hands, those hands that were to bless them were the very hands that they bound. Now, listen, today I want to help you. I want to help you to take the bonds from the hands of Jesus to free him to work. There's nothing he cannot do, but it is absolutely important today that you learn how to unfetter the Lord. Let me tell you some things that will bind the hands of the Lord Jesus in your life and in your home and in your family and in your business. For example, unwillingness will bind the hands of Jesus. Let me give you a verse. In Matthew chapter twenty three and verse thirty seven Jesus with those hands outstretched is weeping great, salty tears for the city of Jerusalem and here's what Jesus says. Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sin unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together even as the hen gathereth her chicks. Now, listen to this, but ye would not. I would have but you weren't willing, I wanted to bless you. It's not because I'm limited, I could have blessed you. I could have gathered you, I could have fed you like a mother feeds her chickens. I could have protected you like a mother hen protects her biddies, I could have cared for you and warmed you and done all of the things that need to be done. I would have but you would not. Now, dear friend, they limited the Lord by their unwillingness. God wants to bless you today. God wants to pour out love, grace, peace, happiness, joy, fulfillment, purpose, forgiveness, God wants you to give you all of this today, but dear friend, he will never force it on you. I would he said but ye would not and our Lord with his hands bound by your unwillingness will weep over you today just as he wept over Jerusalem so long ago, I was walking down the street, I saw a young lady a while back and uh, she was with another girl and I stopped to witness and I just struck up a conversation and I began to tell them about the Lord Jesus, one girl was very much under conviction, I could tell she was very much under conviction so I shared how to be saved and how to know the Lord Jesus and then I asked this young lady, I said, oh, she started to weep, I mean she was under deep conviction. I said to her, would you like today. Would you give your heart to Jesus? Would you like to be saved. Well, she said I really want to be saved. I said do you believe that Christ died for you? Yes sir. Do you believe he has saved you if trust him? Yes sir. I said very well then, will you right now let me pray with you and help you to receive Christ. She said oh, I can't do it now. I said why not? She said I just can't, she said it's just, I can't make that decision now. I said but now is the accepted time and you know I'm not an arm twister, but I could tell this girl was under such deep conviction and God had given me the opportunity to share the gospel with her. I began to press a little bit. She said no, I'm not going to say yes today. I said well, don't you realize if you don't say yes you'll be saying no. She said well, I don't want to gay no. I said well, then you must say yes. She said well, I can't do that either. I just, I just don't want to do anything right now. I said very well. I said are you mad at me. She said oh no, I'm not mad at you. I said well, then would you shake hands with me before we go? She said certainly. I said wonderful, I said if you will decide for Christ and eternal life and heaven, I want you to shake my right hand but I said if you'll decide for the devil and bell and refuse Jesus, I want you to shake my left hand. She put her hands behind her back. She said no, I said you said you'd shake hands with me, didn't you? She said yes. I said alright, if you'll take Christ, give me your right hand, if you take the devil and hell give me your left hand. She said I, I, I can't do that, I'm not going to take either one. Then I told her what I'm going to tell you dear friend, that Jesus Christ said he that is not with me is against me. You can't just deny Christ without honoring the devil. He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. There is no way that you can be neutral. She left refusing to shake my hand, but dear friend, in heaven whether she knew it or not she had refused, repudiated the Lord God of heaven, not to be for him is to be against him. It is unwillingness, just sheer unwillingness that keeps God from blessing some people. I tell you what ties the hands of the Lord Jesus, not only willingness, but also unconcern will tie, the hands of the Lord Jesus. Over there in Revelation chapter twenty, here's what our Lord says. He's speaking to the church at Laodecia. Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me. The most intimate fellowship is it dinner? Is Jesus Christ real to you? I mean, is he real to you? Last night Bob and I went out to dinner. We took wives, didn't we Bob? Boy, I mean, we're the last of the big spenders. We had what? Nachos, yeah, look, we uh, we went out to dinner and we sat there and we had a wonderful time just talking, sharing in the Lord the things of God what a wonderful me. Some of the most intimate times of fellowship in the bible are where our Lord met with his disciples over breaking of bread and what our Lord says to this church at Laodecia, look, you say you're rich and increase with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor and blind and wretched and miserable. I would that you are hot or cold but you're neither hot nor cold, you're lukewarm and therefore will I spew you out of my mouth. Here was a church so lukewarm, so unconcerned, so lackadaisical that it was actually nauseous to God. God says you make me want to regurgitate, that's what he said, you read it, I'll spew you out of my mouth, I'll vomit you up and yet to that same church our Lord is standing there knocking at the door, behold, he's talking to Laodecia, an unconcerned church I stand at the door and knock. Now, dear friend, why didn't he walk right on in? Because they limited him by their unconcern, by their lukewarmness. He's out therein the rain, the cold, the snow, the ice, the heat, whatever it is, standing there patiently knocking, wanting to come in. Can he come in? Yes. Could he of break that door down? Absolutely. Will he? No. Holman Hunt painted that painting, I think all of us have seen that painting of Christ at the door, do you remember there's that old door and the vines have grown over the door, the big hinges are on the door, uh, Christ is there with a lantern in his hand and he's knocking on the door, someone looked at t hat painting and said the artist overlooked something. There's no doorknob on the door. Listen folks, you want God in your life? You've got to open the door. If you don't you limit the holy one of Israel. Let me tell you how else they, you can limit the holy one of Israel. You can limit him by not only uh, unwillingness or even unconcern, but you can limit the Lord by unreasonableness. So many of us limit God by our unreasonableness. You know he says this to sin laden people, he says in Isaiah chapter one and verse eighteen, come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow, though, they be red like crimson they shall be as wool. Now, that's an amazing thing, that the Lord of glory would say hey folks, be reasonable. He says the same thing there in Romans chapter twelve, I beseech you, God is praying to us, it's almost as though our Lord is on his knees praying to us. I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy , acceptable unto god which is your reasonable service. Why would the Lord ask them to do that? Because he can't force them to. OH, he could but he will not. He allows himself to be bound. He allows himself to be limited by unreasonableness. You'd be one of many people in this auditorium and in the world and hopefully who are listening by television who will listen lateriby tape, if many of you by your own unreasonableness have actually fettered Jesus, have bound the hands of the Lord Jesus. He wants to forgive but you are so unreasonable. People have such silly ideas for not getting saved. I have an evangelist friend. He asked a man, he said would you come tonight and hear me preach. The man said no. He said why not? He said I don't go to church anymore. He said why not? He said when I was a child my mother made me go to church, she forced that on me. I made up my mind when I got to be a man I wouldn't go. My evangelist friend just smiled and said ok, now, tell me the reason you won't come. He said what do you mean the real reason, do you think I'm lying. He said no, I don't think you're lying, I know you're lying. He said I said it with a grin on my face, but he said I know you're lying. He said how do you know I'm lying? He said I'll tell you how. He said I want to ask you a question. When you were a little boy, did fu mama make you take baths? When you were a little boy, did your mama make you go to school? When you were a little boy did you mama make you pick up your clothes and comb your hair? Do you still take baths, do you still study, do you still comb your hair? Of course you do. He said that's, that's not your reason, you've got some other reason. The man just hung his head and he said now preacher, you're talking too much, I've got to go get ready for church tonight and he came that night and he got saved. Now friend, let me tell you something. An excuse is just the skin Of a reason stuffed with a lie, that's all it is, come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. There are people who say well, I don't want to be a Christian because of the hypocrites in the church. That's unreasonable and you know it. There are hypocrites in every realm of life. One of the twelve disciples was a hypocrite, the other eleven didn't quit because of him. We bought some eggs a while back, one of them was a hypocrite. Some money is counterfeit. I was reading over here in Jackson, Tennessee, just this past week, they uncovered a counterfeit ring. Do you know what I did when I read about that? I said that's the last thing I'm ever going to have to do with money. Joyce and I went and got all of the money we had in the bank, we carried it to the house, put it in the fireplace and burned it, I mean, man, we're finished with money, I mean, that counterfeit, that turned me off. Some of you are going to go to hell over the PTL thing and everything else just because you're unreasonable, dear friend, you're just unreasonable, you know good and well that that doesn't make sense. Some doctors may be quacks, some schiesters may be lawyers, some preachers may be hypocrites, some Christians may not live it, but I'll tell you, you'll find no flaw in the Lord Jesus Christ. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. Thought your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool, but God says to unreasonable -people, I'm sorry, I'd want to bless you but you have fettered me, you've handcuffed me, you've kept me from blessing you. I'll tell you something else that will keep our Lord from blessing. I'll tell you something else that will fetter the Lord and handcuff the Lord and it's uncleanness, uncleanness. Listen to this verse. Isaiah fifty nine, verses one and two, behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear, but your sins have separated between you and your God and your iniquities have hid his face from you that he will not hear. You see, dear friend, it is not that God cannot save, It is not that God cannot hear, but uncleanness, uncleanness, unconfessed or unrepented of sin just ties the hands of Jesus. There's no sin that he cannot forgive but he will not forgive any sin that you will not relinquish, that you will not confess, that you'll not turn from. I read about a little girl who put her hand down in a very expensive vase, very expensive. It was so expensive, I suppose we'd call it a vas and she put her down in that vase, an heirloom and couldn't get it out. They did all of, all of Eliosea hits, they uh, they uh, put the soap, the lubricant there, they did everything they could do to get the hand out ,they couldn't extract it, she was caught, she was trapped. Finally, they took the extreme measure and broke the vase and there was her little fist clenched up. They said honey, have you had your fist like that the whole time. She said uh huh. They said why didn't you open your hand? She said I'd drop my penny. She had reached in there and put her hands around a penny that she'd found in that vase and would not drop her penny to let her hand get out. I wonder if some of you are not just clinging to something like that. God wants to bless you and there's some sin in your life and you just won't let go and you do everything else but you just won't let go, you're just holding it, you say God, why don't you answer my prayer? Oh God, there's nothing too hard for you? Oh God, you can do anything. Yes he can, but you've limited the holy one of Israel. The Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear but your sins have separated between you and your God and your iniquities have hid his face from you that he will not hear. Let me just mention the last thing because time has gone. Let me tell you one more way that you need to free our Lord to work in our life, let me tell you one more thing that can limit our Lord. Not only uncleanness, but here is the mother sin, the father sin, the sin out of which all of these other sins grow, it is unbelief. Nothing, nothing limits our Lord like unbelief. In Matthew chapter thirteen and verse fifty eight the bible says this of our Lord and his own hometown where he was raised, where he grew up in the city of Nazareth, the bible says, and he could do no mighty work there, why? Do you know? Because of their unbelief. Now, can Jesus do anything? Yes, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, with God all things are possible, our Lord God, there's nothing too hard for thee. He could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief. Is that a contradiction? Not at all. They limited, they limited, they limited the holy one of Israel. Friend, I want to tell you that, that faith is the channel through which the risen Lord pours his life into the soul and when you block that channel of unbelief you limit the Lord. My, how God wants to bless, God will work miracles in your life if you get the sin out of your life. Don't limit the Lord by your unbelief. Jesus right now is reaching down his hands of grace and mercy to you, don't tie them up by your unreasonableness, don't tie them up by your unwillingness, don't tie them up by your unconcern, don't tie them up by your uncleanness, don't tie them up by your unbelief, three are the hands that want to bless you, don't bind those hands, let him bless, let him bless. Those are the hands dear friend, that need to be set free in your life. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Our Lord, there's nothing too hard for thee. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Heads are bowed, eyes are closed, no one stirring, no one looking around, father, I pray today in the name of Jesus, for men, women, boys and girls today that they will be saved, that they will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and as their savior, oh God, during the invitation, don't let anyone leave without giving his or her heart to Jesus. Now, Lord, we know that they can limit you, we know Lord unbelief, unwillingness, unreasonableness, and oh Lord, we know that unconcern can limit you, but oh God, today, oh God, today, we pray that we'll not see the hands of Jesus bound in this service, but oh God, the power of God set free and loosed in the hearts and lives of those who will obey you, in Jesus name, Amen.

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Notes:

Sermon:

LIMITING GOD IN OUR LIFE

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.” Psalms 78:40-41 (NKJV)

Can man limit Almighty God? Psalm 78:41 says "Yes!" Using the Bible as our only reference source, let us take a serious look at the ways man can limit God.

I. OUR LACK OF FAITH LIMITS GOD:

The Bible provides numerous examples where lack of faith on the part of some negatively impacted many. Some of these Bible examples are:

1. Ten of the Twelve Israelites Sent to Spy Out the Land of Canaan.

The faith that these ten had in the power of God to give Israel victory over the inhabitants of Canaan was virtually non-existent. We read in Numbers 13:30-33 (NKJV)

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."

"But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’ And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

The lack of faith on the part of the ten unbelieving spies brought frightening consequences to the Israelites. Consider:

’But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. ’And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. ’According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection."

"I the LORD have spoken this; I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die."

"Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD."

"But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.” Numbers 14:32-38 (NKJV)

2. Lack of Faith Limited the Miracle-Working Power of Jesus in Nazareth.

Mark 6:5-6 tells us: "Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief." (NKJV)

The account in Matthew 13:58 tells us "Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (NKJV)

Both gospel accounts witness to the fact that the unbelief that prevailed in the hearts of the people of Nazareth hindered the miracle working power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both texts leave the impression that because of their unbelief many returned to their homes sick, lame, blind and demon-possessed. How tragic!

When we limit God in our lives, we are not the only ones who suffer loss. Those who would

have been blessed had we manifested great faith will be deprived of the subsequent blessings they would have otherwise received.

3. Lack of Faith Limits the Extent of God’s Work through Us. Consider:

“And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:18-20 (NKJV)

4. When Lack of Faith is Overcome, the Power of God is Manifested: Consider:

“Then one of the crowd answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."

"He answered him and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

"Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, ’How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood’. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

"Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’ Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead."

"But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:17-29 (NKJV)

II. OUR SINS LIMIT GOD:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and God and your sins have hidden His face from you that He will not hear." Isaiah 59:2

“Your sins have withheld good things from you." Jeremiah 5:25

Few would doubt this fact! God will fill and empower with His Holy Spirit a small vessel, a large vessel, a twisted vessel, a young vessel, an old vessel, an educated vessel, an uneducated vessel…but never a dirty vessel!

To be used by God we must forsake the sin in our life, ask His forgiveness, and pray to be empowered for great service. We need to remember that even a broken vessel will stay full if it is kept under the fountain!

III. OUR INEFFECTUAL PRAYERS LIMIT GOD:

The Bible emphasizes the great value of prayer. No stronger case for prayer can be made than that set forth by James 5:13-18 (NKJV).

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the

church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

But our prayers will be powerless if it they uttered for less than righteous motives. Although there are a number of things that can render our prayers powerless, three clearly stand out.

1. Selfish prayers:

“Ye ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you might consume it upon your lusts. " James 4:3

2. Prayers that magnify man:

Parable of the Pharisee and the publican is one example:

"Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ’God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ’I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ’’I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14 (NKJV)

3. Insincere prayers:

’And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer...nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth and they lied unto Him with their tongues.” Psalm 78:36

IV. THE SIN OF LIMITING GOD:

The hindrances to the outpouring of the power of God is our lives are grievous sins. What makes them grievous is that they thwart God’s will for our lives and deny Him the glory that is rightly His. Let us see how and in what way.

1. We bring the Creator down to the standard of the created when we exhibit lack of faith in His power, love and ability to meet our every need.

2. We doubt His holy word simply because we lack that high level of trusting faith. Consider: “Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. " Ephesians 3:20.

3. Lack of faith ungratefully reflects on His past mercies. How grievous to ignore His past blessings as though they had never happened.

4. Both the lack of faith and an ineffectual prayer life closes the hand of God. Consider:

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord " James 1: 6-7.