Stubbornness Series

HINDRANCES TO PRAYER

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LESSON #2: STUBBORNNESS

TEXT: ZECH. 7:11-13

REVIEW:

What was our lesson last week?

Disobedience

What is disobedience towards God?

Sin

What does sin do?

It separates us from God

What is the danger of allowing sin into our hearts?

We will be left to fight our battles on our own.

The danger is that many times the crisis hits so far down the line we forgot what the issue was that has separated us from God to begin with.

READ TEXT:

Zech 7:11-13

11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

(KJV)

This is a story in the old testament of a people who would not listen to God.

- Would not follow His will

- Would not take His direction

- His advice

They refused to listen to Him

They refused to listen to His prophets

They thought they had a better way

It is a picture of a people who would not go near a prophet

- Tried to stay out of ear shot

- Tried to stay out of their neighborhood

If they did hear or if they were told,

they purposed in their heart not to do it

- They refused to harken

- They looked the other way

- They would act as if they could not hear

Looks a lot like our society today

Reminds me of some of the outreaches I have been on

- They ignore me

- They act as if I am not there

Ever had that happen to you?

- They see you from a distance

- They know what you are about

(Backsliders notorious for this)

- So they take the long way around

- They do not want to hear what you have to say

We have all seen this and come to expect it from the world.

But I want to bring it a little closer to home.

It may not be as obvious.

But the same thing happens in church all the time.

- They sit in their favorite chair

- The sermon starts

- Soon as you hit some hot licks

- Soon as the Holy Spirit lays one in their lap

- They try to turn you off

All of a sudden

- They have to clip their nails

- They need to re-lace their shoes

- Check on their kid in nursery

- Write a letter

This is a spirit of stubbornness

When you close your ears to a message of truth and refuse to change, that is stubbornness.

You are saying I don’t want to hear this

- I don’t receive that pastor

- I am not listening so I am not responsible

- That’s not for me

You sit in church week after week.

Developing bad attitudes towards God and the church.

They hold on to this stubborn spirit.

Then they want to know why God hasn’t answered their prayers

Sometimes you want to slap them upside the head and say, duuuu,

or grab them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them.

Maybe you need to try to listen to God first.

Then we have another group of people who say they want to do the right thing but never actually do it.

- Their mouth says one thing

- Their actions say something else

- They look like they are listening

- They respond to the altar

- They cry

- They say “yes” Lord

They sit across the desk from me in counseling and nod there head yes pastor we agree.

- They will even repeat it back to you

But the moment they are out the church door, they some how forget everything.

They refuse to change/ They refuse to repent

There will come a day when you will reap the whirlwind

- You will cry out to God

- You will raise your hands

- Fall on your face

- Beg for mercy

And He will not hear you

Prov 1:24-28

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.