ATTITUDES THAT LIMIT GOD.

Luke 5:36-38

36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. 37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

Jesus told them this story:

•No person takes cloth off a new coat to cover a hole on an old coat. Why?

Because he ruins the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth.

•People never pour new wine into old wine bags. Why?

Because the new wine will break the bags, and the wine will spill out and the wine bags will be ruined. People always put new wine into new wine bags."

Key Thought

Jesus' point is clear. Don't try to limit God's new life in Christ.

•Don't try to contain it with your old religious categories.
•Don't try to dilute it with your old religious practices.

Jesus brings something new.

•Celebrate it.
•Enjoy its blessings.
•Be challenged by its demands and rejoice in its promises.

But don't ever try to simply attach it to what you had before.
The call of Christ is new, fresh, and all encompassing.

Begin each day with fresh eyes and new ears with the expectation that the Lord will do something you have never seen or expected.

You won't feel safe. It won't be predictable. But, it will be marvelous!
Unbelief limits God,

We all need a miracle at times, but there can be hindrances to receiving it.

The Lord tells us not to have hardened hearts of unbelief, as they did in the wilderness. Because they did He said:

Hebrews 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
.Because of unbelief they could not enter the promised land (vs.19).

He warns us not to do the same thing. Limiting Him grieves the Spirit of God. We must guard against it.

Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Psalm 78:40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert 41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel

They are an example to us to learn from so we will not make the same mistake. If you are in unbelief, the Word will not profit you.

When Jesus was in his hometown it says

Mark 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

That boggles the mind of some. This did not say Jesus would not do it, but it says he could not .

Why ?

•Because he cannot work in an atmosphere of unbelief or doubt . Unbelief limits God. Jesus went to pray for the damsel who died.

Mark 5:40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

He put them out of the house as to not hinder the power of God.
It may seem that is impossible but He chose in His sovereignty to give us a choice,

a free will.

•He responds to our faith rather than need.

If He responded to need then every need in the world would be met and it would be heaven on earth right now.

Holding on to the past limits God.

In Luke 9:62 Jesus said, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back to the things behind is fit for the kingdom of God.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

•God only works through our faith in to the degree we allow Him to.

Being self willed limits God
•Not giving Him liberty to move in our lives.

Wrong thinking can limit God in our life.
•What we think gets in our heart.

Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

How we think and speak does affect our lives.

Although God said in Numbers 13:2 He gave the land to the children of Israel, they said they could not possess it, and they didn’t.

But Caleb and Joshua said they could. And they did.
David prayed the words of his mouth and meditations of his heart would be acceptable to the Lord.

Don’t limit God through your words.

Proverbs 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Don’t allow religious ideas and people to limit you.

Mark 7:13 (KJV)
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Jesus told the Pharisees they were “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition..
“because they were teaching man’s doctrine and calling it God’s teachings ( Mark 7:13 ).

•Much of the preaching in churches is religious thinking and is not scriptural.

If we put man’s traditions and doctrines above what God says, then His word will be ineffective in our life.

Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

•He is the God of more than enough, the God of the impossible!
•Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

When we know it is impossible with man and only God can bring it to pass, then He gets all the glory!

Nothing is too hard for God. Believe for the impossible!

Luke 1:31 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Don't Try to Limit God's Newness IN YOU.

Pastor George H O Ochieng.