10/18/22 DON'T HINDER GOD'S WORK

10/18/22 DON'T HINDER GOD'S WORK

THEIR LACK OF FAITH PRECLUDED CHRIST'S MIGHTY WORKS AND LEFT THEM WITH ONLY HIS TEACHING. WOW!

Their disbelief robbed them of Christ's miraculous presence. Nonetheless, He taught them. When lack of faith precluded the miraculous work of Christ, He mercifully and graciously gave them His teaching, which allowed some folks to finally grasp His nature, power, plan.

What a shame to miss God's mighty intervention, protection and provision because of small mindedness, pride and absence of faith. It happened in the life and times of Jesus and it happens today.

During the earthly ministry of Jesus, His family members, Childhood friends and neighbors did not believe He was the Son of God and therefore they were not people of faith. 

John 7:3-6 (5)
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

Notice, Jesus pointed out that His time, His schedule to be crucified was not yet. However, it is always time for people to believe on Christ. We hear people say, in reference to another person's conversion or faith, "at the right time," or "in their time," they will believe. NO, their time, the right time is always. "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." Don't delay your faith in Jesus, your obedience to Jesus for any reason. Don't allow the devil to rob you of the mighty works of God because you can't accept God's anointing of a friend or loved one. If their life is consistent with the calling of God, then don't allow your prejudice to rob you of God's blessings.

Their lack of faith separated them from Jesus and His miraculous power, but it also stood as a barrier between Christ and other people. The miraculous works of Jesus (healing, deliverance, enlightenment, restoration) cannot be done when disbelief, blasphemy, criticism takes the place of faith. Again, let me say, WOW! Please read this passage.

Mark 6:1-6
1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

We read in other parts of the Gospels that Jesus MARVELED, was amazed at the faith some people had, but in this disturbing passage we read that Jesus MARVELED, was amazed at the lack of faith of this community of people and He could do no mighty deeds.

But the mercy of God was still bestowed on such an unbelieving crowd. Though He COULD NOT DO mighty works, He taught them. The things He taught them would either produce faith in the future or would be used as a witness against them at the judgment for having denied Christ and His grace.

What a shame that God was in their midst and God would have done mighty works for them, but they missed it. Actually, they did not know that they missed the presence and power of God. They were blinded to their own meanness, their own darkness, their own limitations. But the teaching of Jesus would eventually break through the barrier of faithlessness for some. One example is the half brother of Jesus, who did not accept Christ as Messiah during the earthly ministry of Christ, but eventually James became a believer, after seeing Jesus resurrected from the dead.

It looks like James, the "brother" of Jesus, was a skeptic during the earthly life of Christ (in spite of the miracles he witnessed and heard about), but he heard the teachings of Christ, and eventually became a believer. Paul addressed this principle by saying, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Still, the tragedy is that smallness, doubt, rejection robbed James and others from the mighty works of God. Even more tragic, the disbelief robbed other people of eternal life

My observation is that family and family friends are less likely to believe in the Divine work of Christ through a family member who is a minister of the gospel. Don't miss the glory and power of God, don't hinder or hamper the work of God because of negative familiarity with the chosen minister of God and His gospel. It could cost you the spiritual adventure of a lifetime, it could cost you the presence and power of God, it could cost you or other folks around you, eternal life.