From past few weeks we are doing a series on Under Construction. We saw how God works in our lives when we need to take a detour , another route. We saw How God works in our lives when there are rough pavements , troubles. Today we are going to look at What happens when we experience road blocks in our lives? Are road blocks cues that we need to stop so that God can do His work in our lives?
WHAT IS A ROADBLOCK?
A road block is an obstruction in a path or course which prevents passing through.
Something that stands in the way of achievement.
A block can be something solid that is used to hinder, impede, obstruct a common action, goal, plan, or purpose.
Well, in God’s plan there is a way around every road block!
Every hinderance, every interference, every obstacle has a way of escape.
Progress is possible.
Your dream does not have to be killed because there is a road block.
Look at the map, enquire of someone familiar to the area.
But don’t quit.
It is always too soon to quit!
We make 3 choices when we experience road block
1) Forward
2) Backward
3) Stop
Forward :
Acts 16 :1-10
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Now remember that Paul and Silas, along with young Timothy, are on a missionary journey. When they originally set out, Paul’s plan was to visit all the churches he and Barnabas planted on their first missionary journey, and then continue to preach the gospel to new cities and villages throughout Asia Minor. As we just read, their trip basically goes according to plan for the first several weeks, but listen to what happens next in Acts 16, beginning with vs. 6: And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
Paul wants to go south, but he is blocked by the Holy Spirit. Paul wants to go north, but he is blocked by the Spirit of Christ.
Thus Paul and his team have no other choice: they either turn around and go home because their plan fell apart, or they keep walking down a road that leads to an unknown, un-sought-after destination. …which apparently is not at all where Paul WANTED to go.
One of the ways that God gets us to where He wants us to go is by throwing up “loving roadblocks.” Think back over your life…what are some of the loving roadblocks God has used in your life? What are some of the ways that God has said “no” to your plans? We didn’t get the job we were applying for; we didn’t get into the stream/college we wanted to attend; we didn’t get the promotion; we were struck down with sickness or had a career-ending injury; an important person left; or some other unexpected interruption, right?
It takes faith to see these “roadblocks” as God’s loving way of directing our steps, but that is how it works, and we see that right here in Acts 16.
It would have been easier right when Paul is planning for all these trips, he just sees a vision and God gives him a map and a google location to follow.
But that’s not how God operates…and we all know this. we usually have to run up against something that hurts, we have to trip over something that humiliates…we have to run out of our energy or out of time or out of resources before we’ll finally admit that’s simply not God’s will for my life.
So Paul and his team moved forward and saw great results.
2) Backward
There is one more way we can respond to roadblocks in our lives.
John 6:53-60,66-68
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
These disciples were following Jesus along with the 12 disciples but over the period of time , they saw following Jesus was not easy, his teachings were not easy. And they decided to move back. And we don’t hear about them anywhere later.
It so happens with us, when we experience road blocks, when we are not able to achieve what we want. We may just give up and move backward from our plans, and thereby leading to a place where God wants us to be. It can be because of discouragement, failures, our desires, we may move backward.
Luke 9:62 ESV
Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
3) Stop
There is one more way we can respond to road blocks. We can neither move forward or backward but just be in that place sulking on things and not able to overcome.
We are familiar with the story of Lot and his wife
Genesis 19:24-26
24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Imagine this, when Lot’s wife was running away, she was not able to take this. They may have well settled in that place with friends, families, wealth, security. God kept a roadblock and asked them to move so it was a very difficult decision for her. Even though she agreed and followed that decision she was not able to accept it and she looked back, and she lost her life.
I was just thinking why God has to say don’t look back. So, for saving your life you just need to move out of the city what difference does it make, whether you look back or look in the front.
I felt that it was difficult for Lot’s wife to leave everything and move forward the direction which God asked them to go. Even though she was running away from the city, she was present in the city. Her heart was in the city, and she was sulking in that roadblock and was not able to overcome that decision. Actually, she paused / halted in that place.
Are we in such a place, where our heart is somewhere, and we have been dragged by someone? And we are just sulking and not able to overcome.
God puts roadblock in our lives for some reason. He applies the breaks. God is very much interested the choice / decision we make when we experience roadblocks. Whether we are moving forward, whether we are moving backward, or we have just halted. What is our decision today?
2 Corinthians 4:18
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
1) Hold your plans loosely, be faithful to the mission God has given us, and seek God’s vision for your life. His vision will always lead you to places you haven’t been to help people He has arranged for you to help.
2) Wherever you are today, trust that God is directing your steps. You may feel like you backed into where you are now…but God has always been at work to bring you to this place.
3) When God says “no” to your desired destination, it’s not time to quit or get angry; keep walking in faith. God can be trusted, and His plans are perfect.
4) Look for the Divine appointments wherever God leads you …there is always a plan for wherever we are.
5) We often have to trust God in the “not knowing” before we receive the clear vision of where we are going.
6) When the vision is clear, pursue it immediately.
Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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