What is Stopping You?

Introduction:

My family back home is Mexican and there was always one sport that would bring everyone together. That sport was boxing and usually it had to do with someone of the Hispanic descent. The men would watch the sport and the women would be in the house conversating or they would just stay home. I remember my stepdad would have the TV outside of his room on the front porch and we would sit in the front yard to watch it. There was always plenty of food and drinks.

One of the boxers that a lot of people know and that I have watched at these events is Manny Pacquiao. His boxing record is 62 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws. This is a man who is known as a fighter and is paid to fight. Always exchanging words and eventually hands when they were inside of the ring. He started his career when he was just 16 and still plans to fight at age 41. Along with being a boxer, he is also a Senator of the Philippines.

Pacquiao had grown up Roman Catholic but converted to Christianity as an adult. In 2011, his faith grew even stronger. After victories against Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez, he was set up for a fight against Floyd Mayweather. During those days, he would have a lot of sleepless nights and would often cry himself to sleep. He mentioned that he felt ‘empty inside’. This coming from a man who would have been on top of the world. Money would not have been an issue but this goes to prove that all the money in the world cannot make you happy or feel full inside.

Pacquiao goes on to say that one night in a dream, God had spoke to him. This was the same night that he received a letter from his mother, saying that his sister could not go to school because he stopped sending money. Pacquiao realized that the money he wasted on drinking, gambling and partying could have been used for his family. “‘I heard the voice of God in my dream. His voice was ten times louder than thunder. He said to me, ‘My child, my child, why have you gone astray?’’” (Ellis, 2015) He says “‘I felt I was melting when I heard the voice of God. It was the turning point in my life. God spoke to me and he told me what He wanted me to do and I had to follow Him.’” (Ellis, 2015)

Manny Pacquiao heard God speak to him in a dream and this changed his life. How much then could God change your life?

The Bible verse for today comes from the book of James, James 4:1-12 (NIV). We will be looking further into these verses to see what was told to the Jewish believers during this time and what it says to us now.

James 4:1-3 reads:

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t thy come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

1. Desires, Wants or Needs.

There are a couple of things that jumped out from these verses and they are:

· You desire, you don’t have, you kill.

o You were saving money for repairs that you needed on your vehicle but then you see a nice shirt, a bobblehead or purse that you want. So, you kill the money saved for something that you want.

· You covet, you don’t get, you fight.

o You see something that someone else has and instead of saving for it, you fight with them to get it. Whether that is with consistent begging or using words to manipulate them to get it for you. There are probably a couple of parents that could recall their children trying to manipulate them into buying something. I know that my kids have done that and I may have done this a couple times before.

· You don’t have because you didn’t ask God.

o You ask your mom, dad, brother, sister, kids, grandma or anybody who might be able to get something for you but you fail to ask God for the things that you need.

· You ask God and don’t receive due to wrong motives.

o You finally ask God in prayer for something that you need, like the money to fix your vehicle but God knows what your intentions would be for the money and so you do not get the money needed.

There are many of things that we will desire in this world. These things can be money, cars, houses, clothes, drinking, drugs, partying, gambling and so on. We need to realize that those things will bring temporary happiness and glory. Our time on Earth is short compared to the time that we will spend in eternity. This starts by turning our desires to those of God. There are times in my past that I needed a friend, brother, sister, or stranger to love, care for, and listened to. I have also needed to be loved, cared for, and listened to. God is always there for us. We just need to call on His name.

The next portion James 4:4-9 reads:

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come hear to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

2. For God or Against God?

James calls out the people by saying that they are ‘adulterous people’. After he poses two questions that are more rhetorical as he answers them as well:

· Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?

o Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

· Do you think Scriptures says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

o God gives us more grace.

We have a choice in the things in this world that we choose to follow. Three men that had to make a tough choice in the Bible are Joseph, Paul, and Abraham.

· Joseph – Had to make the decision to either shame Mary as she was pregnant and they were not married, or to stay with her and raise the child as his own.

o Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV) tells us:

§ “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he saves his people from their sins’”

o His decision was then made easier. Matthew 1:24 tells us that:

§ “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”

· Paul – Probably the biggest conversion in the Bible. A man who persecuted and murdered followers of Christ. We find his conversion story in the book of Acts.

o Acts 9:1-6 reads:

§ “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’”

o The men that were with Saul, helped him up to his feet. They then took him into the city of Damascus as his eyes were blinded by the light. He fasted for three days from both food and drink. The Lord spoke to a man named Ananias and directed him to go to Saul in Damascus. Later in Acts 9:17-19, we see the choice that Saul made.

§ “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.”

· Abraham – Had a choice to either obey or disobey God by following the order to sacrifice his son Isaac. We find this story in the book of Genesis.

o Genesis 22:1-2

§ “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’

o I would have said… you want me to do what? Um… are you sure? But Abraham being a man of God got up the next day, loaded the supplies, took his son and servants, and went to the mountain. Abraham and Isaac took the supplies, left the servants and started the trek up the mountain. Genesis 22:7-8 says:

§ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, ‘Father?’ ‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied. ‘The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together.

o Once they got to the place, they set up the altar and then Abraham tied up Isaac and placed him on the altar. My guess is that he would have put up a fight but then would have listened to his father. As Abraham was about to slay his son. Genesis 22:11-12 says:

§ But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’

Three men with almost impossible decisions had to choose to marry a woman who was not pregnant with his baby, choose to follow God and disciple those who he had previously persecuted, and had to almost sacrifice his son. These three men could have chosen to be with God or be against God.

What things would you have to give up to follow God? Would you need to quit drinking? Would you need to stop with unnecessary purchases? Would you need to do less talking and more listening? Would you need to love the unlovable?

We move to the last portion of the scripture, James 4:10-12 reads:

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you–who are you to judge your neighbor?”

3. Mouthguard Needed!

I heard a sermon that had asked a question, ‘do you need a mouthguard for your mouth?’ There are times that in order to humble ourselves, we need to stop talking. A boxer uses a mouthguard to protect the inside of his mouth. The mouthguard would also help with not misrepresenting someone or smearing their name. He also says that we should not speak ill will against one another. This goes with talking about a persons speech, clothes, smells, or job. Speaking against and judging a person can go together.

My family back home will often talk about a way another family dresses or talks but it all said with love. There are times that what is said can hurt a person and we have had to be the bigger person to apologize. I think that sometimes it is harder to apologize to a family member, friend or someone that you know well. It seems like they will never forget what was said.

When we sin, we can ask God for forgiveness. There are times where that is the easiest part but we also need to be able to forgive ourselves. That is an area that I struggle with at times and I am still working on this.

James lets the people know that there is only one Lawgiver and Judge. He is the one who can save and destroy. His name is God, Yahweh, Lord, Father, Emmanuel, Friend of Sinners, Alpha and Omega!

He closes this portion with a question, “But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?” Such a great question and there is not an answer that will suffice as we are all subject to the same Judge.

Conclusion and Final Application

Therefore, we should love one another as God has loved us. Matthew 22:39 tells us to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

1 John 4:7-8 says:

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Manny Pacquiao went to church on Sundays but partied with the world Monday through Saturday until God stepped in and told him to stop. First by the letter from his mother about his sister and then through the dream.

Joseph wanted to leave Mary quietly after finding out she was pregnant until God stepped in through a dream to tell to stop.

Paul wanted to keep persecuting followers of Christ until God stepped and told him to go to the town to pray and fast.

Abraham was going to sacrifice his son Isaac until God stepped in and told him to stop and sacrifice the ram instead.

Where in your life has God been trying to step in and tell you to stop? In a dream? In your mother’s voice? In your child’s eyes? In the liquor bottle? In the pill bottle? On that web site? God will stop at nothing to get to you. He is fighting every day for your soul.

If you have not asked God into your heart and want to you. Come to the right if you would like to talk to God alone or to the left if you would like one of us to pray with you. If you are unable to go to the altar and would like someone to pray with you, raise your hand and we will have someone come to you and pray. I ask that you not leave this place if you don’t have God in your heart.