Breaking Through the Obtacles in Your Path
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
But YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Power to tell people about Jesus!
You can’t do this with human ability.
The Holy Spirit will empower YOU!
We are witnesses with an empowered testimony.
The Holy Spirit empowers both our words and the activity of our lives.
The power to overcome sin validates the words we speak.
Satan does not want you to receive Holy Spirit power in your life!
Your enemy wants to limit your effectiveness.
God will not be stopped by the obstacles Satan uses in your life.
Acts 2:17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. (NIV)
1 John 4:4 . . . for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. (MsgB)
Roadblock #1 IGNORANCE
Acts 19:1-6 (NIV)
1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?“
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism," they replied. 4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Roadblock #2 UNBELIEF
Luke 11:9-13 (NIV)
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Roadblock #3 UNCONFESSED SIN
Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. (NIV)
You can’t hold onto your “favorite sins” and expect God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.
What sin are you trying to hide from God?
You are only fooling yourself!
1 John 1:8-9 8If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (NLT)
Confession is to AGREE WITH GOD about our sin. Agreement with God produces REPENTANCE (turning away from sin).
Do you only feel bad “caught with your hand in the cookie jar,” or are you ready to turn from your sin to God?
2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (NIV)
Roadblock #4 CONDEMNATION
Many people feel UNWORTHY and BOUND BY GUILT.
“Why should God fill me with the Holy Spirit?”
If Satan can’t lead you into sin, then he will try to chain you to the sins of your past.
Romans 8:1-2 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (NIV)
BREAK FREE WITH PRAISE!
Don’t stand condemned by Satan. Begin to thank God for His marvelous forgiveness He has given you!
Psalm 103:11-12 11As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. 12And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. (MsgB)
Roadblock #5 SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS
Some people just want to “figure it all out.”
“What if it’s just me?”
“I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”
Self-consciousness is PRIDE.
Isaiah 5:21 Doom to you who think you’re so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves! (MsgB)
Lose self-consciousness in GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS!
BREAK THROUGH WITH CHILDLIKE FAITH!
Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV)
Baptism is literally “to be immersed.” Let God immerse you in His Spirit instead of being immersed in yourself.
Roadblock #6 DEAD FAITH
James 2:26 The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse. (MsgB)
FAITH MUST BE ACTIVE!
The same faith needed for salvation is required to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NIV)
BREAK THROUGH WITH LIVING FAITH!
Open your mouth and speak to God.
Acts 1:14; 2:4 They all joined together constantly in prayer . . . All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (NIV)
Acts 4:24, 31 Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer . . . While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence. (MsgB)
Roadblock #7 IMPATIENCE
Don’t be in a hurry!
Be willing to wait upon the Lord.
Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (NIV)
DON’T BE STOPPED!
ROADBLOCKS BREAKTHROUGH
Ignorance TEACHING
Unbelief ASK GOD
Unconfessed Sin REPENTANCE
Condemnation PRAISE
Self-Consciousness CHILD-LIKE FAITH
Dead Faith LIVING FAITH
Impatience WAIT ON GOD
Be Filled With The Holy Spirit!
