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Book: Micah
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Micah 2:7 Is The Spirit of The Lord Straitened?
Intro. "O thou who are named the house of Jacob." There is a bit of irony
in his address to them. You have the name, but you are not playing the
game. There father Jacob had a genuine faith and a true relationship with
God. They were far removed from God. They still referred to themselves as
the house of Jacob however. The term Christian means to be Christ like.
There are many who have the name Christian but they are not at all like
Christ. The United States has been called a Christian nation, that may
have been true at one time, but today any similarity is purely
coincidental. To the church in Sardis Jesus said, "You have a name that
you are alive, but you are dead."
I. The prophet is speaking to the people who were seeking to control the
Spirit of God. "Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?"
A. In verse 6 he speaks of the them commanding certain of the
prophets not to prophesy to them.
1. They did want to hear the things that the Spirit was
saying.
a. The prophets were telling them that they needed
to change their life styles.
b. The path they were on was leading them to
destruction.
c. God was not pleased with their lying, cheating,
stealing, drinking ways.
d. They were being told that a nation that has
lost it moral roots will surely fall prey to
their enemies.
2. They wanted to control the messages that the Spirit was
speaking to them.
B. They did not want to be shamed for their actions.
1. They wanted to sin without feeling guilt.
2. They wanted people to accept their horrible practices
and not shame them for what they were doing.
3. They wanted to parade in the streets, to show their
pride for their chosen life styles which were
unspeakably vile.
a. If a prophet of God should come to them they
will retaliate.
b. Their desire is to straiten the Spirit of God,
to silence His voice.
4. They wanted evil to be called good, and good to be
called evil.
a. To accept their filthy practices is good, you
are liberal.
b. To condemn their filth was to be narrow and
bigoted.
5. If you want to teach your children good moral values in
school like the ten commandments, you are trying to
impose your value system on others which is evil. Yet
they are seeking to drag you into the sewer and force
you to accept them and you are bad to resist.
C. They would also control what is said to them.
1. Verse 11 If a man walking in the spirit of falsehood
lies and says that he would prophesy to them of wine
and strong drink, they will set him up as their
prophet.
2. They would like to dictate to the Spirit, rather than
allow the Spirit to dictate to them. They would
straiten the Spirit.
3. If a man would put a Reverend in front of his name and
tell them that their practices are not ed, he
will be hailed as a true man of God.
4. You are not a drunkard, you have a sickness, a physical
inability to metabolize alcohol.
5. You cannot help what you do, God made you a little
different from others, it is really God's
responsibility for what you are.
6. They want to hear of a God that is so loving and weak
that He would allow anyone to destroy themselves and
not lift a finger to warn them or stop them. What kind
of parent would not seek to teach his child the danger
of running into the street, or playing with fire?
D. In certain churches you are not considered qualified to speak
in God's name unless you have graduated from seminary and been
ordained by a body of men. The Spirit of God can only speak
through the ordained, but not by others.
1. I treasure the right of the Spirit to speak through
anyone that He desires.
2. God can speak through the poor and illiterate as well
as the highly intellectual. Sometimes more clearly.
3. My blood boils when I hear men with their religious
degrees demeaning the Word of God. Claiming to know
better than Jesus on the historicity of the Old
Testament. They would straiten out the Lord. They would
straiten the Spirit who inspired the writing of the
scriptures.
II. Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? Are these His doings?
A. Is the Spirit to be blamed for what is happening?
1. The weakness of the church in spiritual gifts today,
the lack of the power of the Holy Spirit, is this the
fault of the Spirit of God?
2. Can we say with scriptural authority, that God has
ceased to pour out the gifts of His Spirit upon the
church? That it is no longer His desire to heal the
sick in the name of Jesus? He no longer desires to
encourage and edify His church through the gift of
prophesy.
3. Can we now substitute education for the gifting's of
the Spirit?
4. Is the Church that was begun in the Spirit to be made
perfect in the flesh?
5. Could it be that we are to blame for the lack of power
rather than God?
6. The lack of power in the church today, is this His
doing?
B. Look at the condition of the world today. After 2,000 years the
majority of men are still in darkness, captives to sin,
destroying themselves with wars, and killings, lying and
cheating. Is this His doing?
1. Has the preaching of the gospel lost its effect? Or
could it be that the drama has replaced the preaching
of the word.
2. We seek to be heard of the people so that we have
sought to alter the message so that it might be more
palatable by the world.
3. In desiring to get the ear of the world have we sought
to be prophets that will tickle the itching ear, by
watering down the preaching of repentance from sin,
and the necessity of true conversion.
4. Have we ceased warning men of an eternal hell of
torment that awaits the sinner because that is not a
popular subject and it brings ridicule from the enemy?
5. Is this the Spirit's doing, or is it our doing?
C. I agree with Charles Spurgeon who declared to his congregation,
"Let us return to the Lord. Let us seek again to be baptized
into the Holy Spirit and into the fire, and we shall yet again
behold the wonderful works of the Lord."
1. God has set before us an open door, if we do not enter,
He is not to be blamed.
2. Instead of our praying, "Awake, awake O arm of the
Lord." We should be hearing the Spirit saying, "Awake,
awake O Zion, shake off the dust and put on your
beautiful garments."
III. The Spirit of God is not straitened.
A. He is still able to help our infirmities.
1. How often we are conscious of our inabilities to deal
with all of the situations that arise from this vast
ministry.
2. We as Paul often feel, "And who is sufficient for such
things?" It is then that we rejoice that the Spirit is
not straitened, and He is able to cause us to triumph
through Jesus our Lord.
B. When I look at the deteriorating condition of our society. I
see the increased drug and gang problems. I see the social
chaos, and I feel so inept and incompetent to effect any
change. What can be done to change the filth that comes out of
Hollywood? the corruption in government? The breakdown of the
family and subsequent amoral nature of the children today? How
thankful I am the Spirit is not straitened.
1. Though I am weak and ineffectual, He is not, and I can
do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
2. It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit
saith the Lord.
3. I may be baffled but the Spirit is not.
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