Throw Off Hindrances

Throw off Hindrances, Hebrews 12:1-3

Introduction:

Some of us are waiting for this Lent. This season helps us to come closer to the WORD, rectify some of our DEEDs and help grow in Christ. We hope to celebrate the resurrection day (Commonly called Easter) to bring new life, energy, grace along with the memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many things are hindrances to our life, spiritual growth, and focus. Unless we throw off hindrances, we are not going to hit the final goal. Usually many start a good start but never ended joyfully. We have seen people lose their hope and give up many things.

Le this LENT help all of us to understand there is a Spiritual Highway, there are spiritual hindrances on the way, But the remover of the obstacles goes before you your eyes upon him and throw off the Hindrances.

1. Spiritual High Way

Life is a gift from God, it’s short-lived on the earth. God has designed for all of us to complete on the earth with spiritual qualities.

There is a highway for all of us. The road is laid and reaches eternal Zion (Proverbs 16:17). The highway is called the Highway of Holiness, unclean and wicked can’t walk on it (Isaiah 35:8). Even though, that way goes through the desert but alongside found the streams of life which is an excellent design of God (Isaiah 43:19). God has built walls on either side of the roads and removed the stones on the way (Isaiah 62:10). He urges us to set up road signs, put up guideposts, for everyone to reach the destiny, and to take note of the highway (Jeremiah 31:21).

There is a call by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah to remove the obstacles out of the way of His people (Isaiah 57:14). The obstacles, hindrances are caused by lack of teaching and by wrong teachers (Malachi 2:8, Matthew 23:13). It could be removed through the teaching of the Word of God. So let this lent bring you near to the Bible and its teaching.

There are ways and paths of righteousness (Isaiah 26:7), There are narrow and wide gates leading to eternal darkness or life (Matthew 7:13-14). The voice of God is heard by everyone who listens to God and to the cries of people. “This is the way walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). The way is Jesus (John 14:6).

2. Spiritual Hindrances

Most of the people and for that matter, anybody on the earth is having a depressed mind, a discouraged spirit lost interest in life and so much dissatisfaction. It has become a hindrance not to grow in the Lord.

This current scenario leads to dismay, (Isaiah 28:16,23-29), to get into sluggishness, (Proverbs 6:6-11), pulled by weariness, (Matthew 11:28-30), tortured by worldly cares, (Matthew 13:18-23), and tempted to follow wrong role models (Jude 1:11-13), and go away from spiritual Highway, the Highway of Holiness.

Wife of Lot was allured by the pleasures of the World and became a salt pillar (Genesis 19:26). She looked back on the high of holiness and grace. The love for the world’s possessions held back a young man from following Christ. His countenance became sad and he returned to life without true life (Matthew 19:22). Yes, Sins and impediments halt the progress of spirituality (Hebrews 12:1).

Today, we are entangled with the sin of laziness, sin of entertainment, the sin of excuses, the sin of unaccountability, sin of loathsome complacency, the sin of fear.

So, the Lord proclaims his message of hope through prophet Isaiah and says ‘Arise and shine thy light has come.’ Paul wrote that every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Master your life to receive the prize. So, Paul decided to keep his body and all its desires into subjection. He was careful that he should not lose the crown, be rejected, and cast away (1 Corinthians 9:24-26).

3. Throw off Hindrances and fix your eyes on Jesus

The author of the Epistle to Hebrews says ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders’. Lay aside every weight and set aside every Sin. Some sins are admirable, some are ensnared, and some are dangerous. Yet throw them off (Enduring Bible Commentary)

Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins (The Message). ‘The encumbrance, impediment may be good for your body but not for your spiritual race. Sin is an ever-present threat to the Christian's ability to run the race’ (ref: abideinchrist.com).

So, throw off all the hindrances but fix your eyes on Jesus (NIV). Looking away from all that will distract. Look to Jesus. He brings it to maturity and perfection (Amplified). It is understood that Jesus despised the confusion (Wycliff).

Throw off means ‘lay aside every weight’(ASV), ‘stripping off every unnecessary weight (AMP), drop any extra baggage (CEB), put aside every impediment (CJB), get rid of every burden, (EXB), cast away everything (GNV), let us drop every extra weight (Voice). Keep away from all the diversions in life. We should not give ourselves to things of this world.