Obstacles to Grace (2022)

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Testimony

2 years summed up with a blank computer screen

My name is Curtis Ward and the title of this talk is Obstacles to Grace.

An obstacle to grace is anything that blocks us from receiving and giving the amazing love and grace of God.

There are many obstacles to grace, but let’s get the ugly out right now….You are the biggest obstacle to God’s grace.

1 Samuel 15:9 “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”

1 Samuel 15:12 “So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.””

1 Samuel 15:13 “Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.””

Sin is putting ourselves before God. Doing what we want rather than what God wants.

Middle letter of sin is I

We are building monuments to ourselves and bowing down to it,

Jonah- ran from God, focused on himself, rather than others,

Jeremiah 17:5- Cursed is the man who trusts in man (the walls we build to protect ourselves eventually become our prison)

Jeremiah 17:9- Heart is deceitful above all else.

Hannah- Your feelings are good, but they aren’t reliable.

Barriers to grace:

People- Many of you have been deeply hurt by what others have done to you. Some of you have had horrible things that no one should have to go through happen.

People will disappoint you, hurt you, use you, talk about you, but you must always remember Ephesians 6:12 which tells us that our enemy is not flesh and blood

Life-

Devil- Ephesians 6:16 “above all, take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the wicked one.”

The devil can’t make you believe lies.

The devil can’t make you get offended

The devil can’t make you try to take control from God.

The devil can’t make you be negative

The devil can’t make you doubt God’s goodness

The devil can’t make you sin.

Man at the pool of Bethesda- John 5 BLAME

Early marriage with Heather- Focused on flaws…blamed her.

2 Kitchen stories (Heather-Caleb)

Moses- Excuses

Jonah- sleeping in the boat- Jesus sleeping in the boat

Jonah was hiding- Storm was rising

Some of you are running

Some of you are sulking in the pit of self-pity

Some of you are mad at God

Some of you are stuck in your feelings and feeding your flesh

Your flesh is:

I think

I feel

I want

Galatians 5:16-17 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

There is only one remedy for the flesh and that is to crucify it.

Galatians 5:24 “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

if you want Jesus to move in area of your life you might need to make sure you aren’t sitting on His throne!

Jesus set the example- Matthew 26:38-39 “Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.””

So how do we get past the barriers? How do we get past what others have done to us? How do we get past our failures and past? How do we get past the fear of the future and our inadequecies? How do we get past addictions, depression, loneliness and rejection? How do we get past ourselves?

We die and leave the old us in the grave. We let Jesus raise us up, transform us and we walk in our new identity in Him!

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Colossians 3:1-3 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Your past shouldn’t define you!

Your failures shouldn’t define you!

What others say or have done or will do shouldn’t define you!

Sickness and disease shouldn’t define you!

Your feelings don’t have to lead you!

There is only One who can define you and He says you are spotless…you are loved…you are amazing…the apple of His eye…a daughter of the Most High…a princess warrior who has the Holy Spirit of God inside of her.

His blood and His name have been given to you to conquer your fear, to set you free from the chains of bondage to the enemy, to be empowered by Holy Spirit to bring the battle to the enemy!

You are not a victim! You are not defeated! You have purpose on the planet! As long as you are breathing God wants to use you to serve, bless, encourage and point others to Jesus! Stop listening to the lies!

Conclusion:

Rest of the story testimony- God provided a big fish for Jonah and then He used him to save an entire city

But before Jonah could be saved, he had to die (thrown over board)

So you are worn down and tired of fighting. Overwhelmed and it seems like you are facing the impossible. Maybe you feel like God has forgotten you. You've messed up. You've lost focus. You haven't done the very things you tell others to do! Just when you think you might catch a break, you look up only to see a barrage of flaming arrows headed your way. It seems hopeless and pointless to keep fighting.

Well...let me tell you something.

That arrow of fear headed your way....that's not the arrow that takes you down!

Those arrows of unworthiness and self-hate...that's not going to work either, because the truth is Jesus has made you worthy!

The arrows of doubt and anxiety...you have shield for that. Use it!

The arrow of temptation… 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God will give you the way out. Take it!

The arrows of anger, irritation and frustration...they will all fall to the ground if you allow the Lord to soften your heart.

That arrow of pride...it's not match for surrender. Submit and rely on God instead of yourself.

insecurity will be replaced with identity

The arrow of offense will only burn if you choose to hold on to unforgiveness, bitterness, and resentment

Repentance

No matter what the arrow is (whether it has penetrated or is on the way), it will not take you down! You are a warrior! You knew the fight would be there. You should know your enemy is relentless. Get back up and be even more determined to move forward. Take back your ground. Don't give up any more ground...not even an inch! Stop believing the lies! Stop giving up on yourself! God hasn't given up on you, so why should you?! Put your armor back on. Stop relying on the armor of other people! Stop forgetting to wear yours!

Your enemy is a bully. He is trying to intimidate you because he knows that he doesn't have the power to overtake you. He knows that if you know who you really are...he's toast! He is actually afraid of the Spirit in you! He is the one that is hoping that you won't step into your true identity in Jesus! Yes, he has a quiver full of lies, but guess what? He can't make you believe any of them! He can't make you get stuck in your failures. He can't make you be afraid.

You have a choice! You have the power to believe God's truth or the enemy's lies. His arrows are flaming, but if we would use the shield of faith, the living water of Holy Spirit would quench every one of them!

These aren't the arrows that are taking you down. Any other arrow he fires your way isn't going to work either. Even if you do go down, you are going to rise up again....out of the ashes...out of the darkness...

isaiah 59:19 “So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

It's time for the Body of Christ to toughen up.

It's time for us to stop whining and start winning!

It's time for us to stop doubting and start defending!

It's time for us to stop rebelling and start rejoicing!

It's time for us to stop cowering and start confronting!

An angel of the Lord told Joshua, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!

Rak Chazak Amats- Be strong and courageous! It's a Biblical Warcry!

Proverbs 24:16 says that a righteous man may fall seven times, but rises again.

You may have come into today on your backside. You may be face down in the mud and wondering what's the point.

Get back up. Instead of giving up…make the enemy regret what he did to you.

Genesis 50:20

Romans 8:27-29 “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The only thing that can block you from God is you.

You are the obstacle.

Something has to give. You have to die. Stop bowing down to the monument to yourself. Tear down your idles! If you are the obstacle…get on the cross and get out of the way.

Decolores