LIMITING GOD
TEXT: Psalm 78:35-42
INTRODUCTION: "They limited the Holy One of Israel."
God had been good to Israel. They were His chosen people. He had lavished His blessings upon them as described in this Psalm. But they willfully rejected Him, refused to believe in Him and to obey Him.
"Jesus could do no mighty works in Nazareth because of their unbelief." (God has all power, but He does not exercise it independent of our faith. We have the power to shut every door against Him.) Chuck Colson
I. SIN LIMITS GOD BECAUSE MAN HAS THE POWER TO CHOOSE.
1. Unsaved are lost not because God wills their damnation. "God willeth the death of no man."
2. Unclean or inconsistent church members hinder God.
II. FAILING TO PRAY LIMITS GOD
1. God conditions His blessings on prayer. "Ye have not because ye ask not." or "You ask amiss." Prayer not only changes things but changes people and moves the immovable.
2. God releases His power in answer to prayer. Pentecost great revivals, "Prayer of faith" saves the sick. World today is in the mess that it is in because of the failure to pray on the part of God's people!
3. Prayers of Daniel made him the ruler of heathen Babylon. Moses' prayers parted the Red Sea. Prayers of Paul opened mission fields. Prayers of the disciples shook Jerusalem. Acts 4:31. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
III. DOUBT OR THE LACK OF FAITH LIMITS GOD Hebrews Chapter 11
1. Doubt, unbelief and ungodliness brought on the flood that destroyed the old world. But Noah's faith saved the human race. One lone man who believed!
2. Death and utter defeat faced Gideon's army. But faith in God enabled him to defeat fifty thousand of the enemy with only 300!
3. David's faith in God put to flight Goliath, the giant, with a stone from the brook.
IV. HOW SHALL WE GIVE GOD UNLIMITED POWER IN OUR LIVES?
1. God says, "Repent, turn to me and ye shall receive the power." Acts 2:37 39 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
2. God places no limitations on faith. "All things are possible to him that believeth."
3. When we limit God, we limit ourselves. "Without me, ye can do nothing," says God. "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13.
Let there be no limit to your faith and there will be no limit to what God can do for us.
