Download Gal 5:7-8 KJV - Outlaw Bible Church

Gal 5:7-8 KJV
(7) Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
(8) This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
We learned last week that a Christians cannot lose their salvation but they can “fall from grace” in
their daily walk with the Lord. This happens when they do not allow the grace of God to to guide
them in their choices and actions of life.
The Christian life is like a race that has hurdles. In order to run and jump hurdles, you have to
develop a consistent pace and rhythm while at a full sprint. The athlete counts to himself as he is
running – such as (1,2,3, jump, 1,2,3, jump) he has learned to trust his pace and rhythm to take him
over the hurdle. He doesn’t even look at the hurdle, he anticipates it and simply jumps when it is time
to do so. (This obviously takes practice) If he starts focusing on the hurdles instead of his count he
will do what is called a “stutter step” which will throw him off pace and cause him to trip over a
hurdle and fall behind in the race.
I.
The Christian life is a race just like this.
A. The reason many people fail and struggle in this race is because they constantly have
their eyes on the hurdles instead of looking unto Jesus Christ for their pace and
rhythm.
Heb 12:1-3 KJV
(1) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the
race that is set before us,
(2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.
(3) For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be
wearied and faint in your minds.
B. They allow the cares of life to choke their walk with the Lord.
Luk 8:4-16 KJV
(4) And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he
spake by a parable:
(5) A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was
trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
(6) And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it
lacked moisture.
(7) And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
(8) And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when
he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(9) And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
(10) And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to
others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
(11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
(12) Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the
word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
(13) They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these
have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
(14) And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and
are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
(15) But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard
the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
(16) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed;
but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
C. The one thing that has hindered believers in Christ more than anything else has been
the inconsistency of their walk. The majority of us are “driven with the wind and
tossed here and there”.
Eph 4:1-16 KJV
(1) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called,
(2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
(3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(4) There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
(5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
(6) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
(7) But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
(8) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts
unto men.
(9) (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the
earth?
(10) He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might
fill all things.)
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ:
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive;
(15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ:
(16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of
the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Jas 1:2-8 KJV
(2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
(3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
(4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
(5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
(7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
(8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Sadly this represents the majority of Christianity. These are individuals that after God brings them
from wherever they were at to the freedom and grace of Jesus Christ they gradually slack off from
the race.
The majority of Christians have never learned how to run “hurdles”. They have not developed the
ability to anticipate the obstacles of life without focusing directly on them. They “stutter step”
through their Christian life and wonder why they are so beat up, scratched, bruised and so far behind
in the race.
Of course we know that life is a lot harder in many ways than a lap around a track, but the idea here
is that many of the “hurdles” in our life are indeed predictable and consistent. We have to realize that
as a believer in Christ you will receive opposition from the world, your flesh, Satan, and other
people. Guranteed!
In our walk with God we must learn how to jump these hurdles while we run this race we call life.
D. Satan’s plan is to tempt you to disobey the truth of God. The Bible is clear that Satan
is the one that hinders us whether it is directly or indirectly. He is our adversary and
he will stop at nothing to oppose your walk with God. He will pull out every trick in
the bag to cause you to trip over a hurdle so that you will give up the race in
frustration and shame.
1Pe 5:6-10 KJV
(6) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time:
(7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
(8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:
(9) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in
your brethren that are in the world.
(10) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Eph 6:11-20 KJV
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in
the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(19) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to
make known the mystery of the gospel,
(20) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to
speak.
2Co 2:10-11 KJV
(10) To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave
it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
(11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Satan has many types of “hurdles” such as money, fame, success, etc…Some are easy to spot as
something bad but others are not. Even though certain things may not be bad in themselves Satan has a
way of getting you to put them between you and God.
Conclusion
We need to learn to stop focusing so much on the pressures of this life and start focusing on the
relationship we have with Jesus Christ and the promises he has given. If we really believe the Bible to be
the final authority of God then why is it always the very last thing we go to for answers and guidance in
our lives. We need to learn to anticipate the “hurdles” in our lives and develop a consistent lifestyle of
walking with God that will make it natural for us to jump right over these as they arise in our path. The
only other option is to ignore God and get wiped out by these “hurdles” which leads to injury after injury
and a crippled spiritual walk.