BARRIERS TO BLESSING
Mark 2:1-5
INTRO: All of us have read the story about the dykes of Holland According to the story, one day one of the dykes sprang a leak and the water began pouring in through that hole. But a heroic boy thrust his arm into the hole and held the waters back and saved the city from possible destruction. I am afraid that you and I have held back some waters too — the waters of blessing. God has wanted to bless us, but our lives have not been what they should have been and we have held back the blessing. He has wanted to bless other lives through us and we have held back His blessing from them.
In the text we see Jesus preaching in a certain house. A crowd had gathered, a crowd filled the whole house and overflowed into the courtyard. Every door was blocked by a mass of people Down the street lay a sick man. Although he was not able to go to Jesus, he had four friends who wanted to bring him to Jesus. They could not get to Jesus for the crowd. You remember how the friends took him up on the roof and let him down into the healing, forgiving presence of the Savior. We, too, have been barriers to blessing. If we are not living as we ought to live, if our hearts are not right in God’s sight, we erect barriers that keep blessings from us and from others.
The Christian life is a thing of the spirit. It is the spirit that you have that really counts. If we have the wrong spirit, blessings can never flow to us or through us. Let us look as some of these spirits.
I. A COVETOUS SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
Achan is an illustration of this spirit. He coveted the forbidden things in the city of Jericho, and because of this covetousness he brought defeat to Joshua’s army and death to himself and his family. God would have blessed Achan and his family, but Achan cut off the blessing by his covetousness.
In Malachi 3:8, God tells how the blessings are cut off because of our covetousness. When God commands anything He attaches a promise every time.
He commands us to tithe and then says, “I will open up....” (Malachi 3:10). There is a real blessing for the tither. If you love money and keep it and spend it for yourself, if you keep that from God which belongs to Him, you are surely erecting a barrier.
II. A REBELLIOUS SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
Take the case of Jonah. God wanted to bless him and make him a blessing to the people of Nineveh. To this preacher He said one word, “GO.” That is a small word, but it carries a big blessing with it. But the preacher said to God, “NO.” That is a small word, too, but it cuts off the blessing. There came a time when God conquered Jonah’s rebellious spirit, but the Lord had to send Jonah through much trouble before the preacher learned his lesson.
I have seen people rebel against God. A loved one dies; they do not think it is right, and they cry out, “He shouldn’t have been taken away from me!” Or they have a hard time and say, “Why has this happened to me?” God is blamed for all of their trouble. With their rebellious spirit they build a wall, and no blessings can get over it. God has a plan for your life, but if you rebel against that plan you cannot expect the blessings of God.
III. A WORLDLY SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
Demas is an illustration of this point. He was a young man who heard Paul preach one day. He was charmed by the personality of the preacher. Every word was a challenge to his heart. In a great moment of spiritual ecstasy he cried out, “I will leave everything and go with this man in the service of Jesus Christ.” Wasn’t that fine. There is nothing greater than a young man committing himself to serving God. He was right by Paul’s side. He was a joy and help to him. But they journeyed to the great city, and the bright lights of the world blinded the eyes of Demas (2 Timothy 4:10). Thus Demas cut off every blessing for himself and for others whom he might have served.
There are so many like Demas in the world! They start out for Christ in a wonderful way, and then one day they world calls to them. They listen; they follow. From that moment Christ and the Church have no room in their lives. The blessings cease to come to them and through them. Many of you in your social lives have friends whom you could help toward Christ and the Church and heaven, but you do the worldly things which they do and you have no influence over them. God wants you to be a channel through which His blessings go flowing to these friends, but instead you have become a barrier because of your worldly spirit.
IV. A PRAYERLESS SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
James says, “You do not have, because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2). He is telling us that God wants us to have the blessings, but that we choke the channels when we neglect to pray. John Knox of Scotland invited some friends to his house to meet a group of people. After a time they missed their host. After a search they found him in the garden, his face was buried in his hands and in deep agony he was crying, “O God, give me Scotland or I die!” God did something through him. Scotland never lost the definite spiritual impact that came to her through John Knox. God can use us, too, if we will but pray.
V. AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
Jesus had the right spirit. When he was taken to Calvary there were two crucified with Him. The crowd was taunting and jeering these men. From the center cross a voice speaks. It that Man condemning? Is He cursing? No, He is praying. Listen to Him, “Father forgive...” (Luke 23:34). He had the right spirit. Though they were killing Him, He asked forgiveness for them. If you do not have this same spirit, you are not following Jesus, and the blessings of God cannel flow to you nor through you.
VI. A CRITICAL SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
A learned man said to D. L. Moody one day, “You made 38 grammatical errors in your sermon today.” Moody replied, “I am quiet sure that I must have made even more than that. I have not had the educational advantages that you have had, but I am trying to use all that I have for the glory of God, are you?” How much did the man get out of Moody’s sermon? The man who looks for only the mistakes of others finds little in life with which to enrich himself.
In our critical way we often judge men by what we have seen, when really and truly we do not know their hearts. We throw our self-righteous robes around us, we flash our critical eyes upon them and say, “Thank God, I am not like these other men.” And yet we do not know the things that are deep down in their hearts. A critical spirit is a barrier to blessing.
VII. AN INDIFFERENT SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
Gallio is our illustration here. He was deputy at Corinth, and he had a chance to hear a great man deliver a great message when Paul was brought before him (Acts 18:17).
This is true of so many people today. God blesses the church in a wonderful way: souls are saved, and a good fellowship is enjoyed. We ask someone why they weren’t at church and listen to a long list of excuses. But the sum total of all that is said is: “I care for none of these things.”
VIII. A DISOBEDIENT SPIRIT IS A BARRIER TO BLESSING.
Look at King Saul. He was chosen by God for a mighty work. He had a great future as a leader. But there came a time when he disobeyed God’s voice and God rejected him as King. Contrast him to Paul who was willing to do everything God asked him to do.
CONC: Is God telling you that a certain course is right? In your obedience there is blessing for you and for others. In disobedience you erect a barrier and cut off blessings. Do you have any of these wrong spirits in your heart?
