So often in life, when confronted with hurtful or confusing or emotionally damaging situations, we do the ‘human thing’—build walls up around us to protect us, to keep us from getting hurt again. And, some of you are already thinking to yourselves: “Yes, AND…” … as if that’s the most logical thing we can do in these situations…
The problem is … what seems the most logical thing to do … is not always what’s best for us; sometimes we need the supernatural to intervene in our lives. Why? Because the very walls that we put up around us, to protect us … can also keep us from growing in our relationship with God. They can keep us from ‘coming to Jesus,’ so to speak. And these ‘walls’ or ‘roadblocks’ in our lives are varied. Just watch this, would you?
Relational roadblocks—or ‘walls’—come in all sizes, shapes, and kinds… And again, they can keep us from coming to Jesus—keep us from the relationship he wants to have with each and every one of us who he calls … ‘child!’ Listen to today’s scripture:
The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. 14 The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. 15 Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” 16 Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them. – Mark 10:13-16 (MSG)
On Wednesday night, as we began this series, Jesus was up at Caesarea Philippi with the disciples, walking amongst the pagan shrines and asking his disciples who they really believed him to be. Today, our scripture tells us that ‘he went to the area of Judea across the Jordan.’ He was on his way to Jerusalem—again, his destination in life, the culmination of God’s will for his life. And it was in Judea, East of the Jordan, that Jesus encountered the kids. And that statement of his absolutely goes right to my heart as he said: “Don’t ever get between them and me.” And yet … we allow that to happen, don’t we? Things are allowed to get in between us—as God’s children—and Jesus; people are allowed to get between us and Jesus… But, according to Jesus himself, we shouldn’t let that be happening! Folks, here’s the truth, today:
Sometimes BAD THINGS get between us and our relationship with Christ! SIN, of course, is a major cause of relational breakdown between us and God. And one thing that can lead us to sin (a separation from God) are … HARMFUL relationships!
If anyone is familiar with this type of ‘harmful relationship’ or ‘roadblock,’ it’s our teenagers! It’s called ‘peer pressure’ … and it leads us to allow a variety of things and/or relationships to get right smack in the middle—between us and our relationship with God!
There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. Three lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But 9 of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. One student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. (C. Swindoll, 3-27-84)
What would some harmful relationships be in this category? We may not be in the worst of it, but don’t kid yourself—these aren’t that far away…
Those who push drugs…
Those who insist that everyone in the party drink alcohol (no longer a personal choice)…
Those who promote ‘gang activity’ (no longer allowed to think for oneself)…
And other harmful relationships…
Peer pressure, the pressure of those around us to do what they think we should be doing with our lives, is incredibly powerful and persuasive … and it doesn’t just affect teenagers; I’m shocked at how often adults will allow others to manipulate their lives … and that can be terribly destructive! Folks, in a heartbeat, we can allow ‘roadblocks’ to be built between us and Jesus. But, folks, Jesus says: “Don’t ever get between them and me.” [The them is us—the children of God!) And yet we encounter ‘roadblocks’ on our journey with Jesus every single day … if we allow them!
Well, harmful relationships or other ‘bad things’ we tend to understand. The things that we generally struggle with most in life—things that can get in between us and Jesus—are these…
Sometimes GOOD THINGS get between us and our relationship with Christ! The answer to these GOOD THINGS that get in the way, or ‘roadblocks,’ is obedience to Christ—keeping him first in our lives! In other words, OBEDIENCE in our relationship with Christ … is the real key to avoiding roadblocks that can get between us and Christ!
St. Augustine, in his famous work called The Confessions of St. Augustine, says:
Sin arises when things that are a minor good are pursued as though they were the most important goals in life. If money or affection or power are sought in disproportionate, obsessive ways, then sin occurs. And that sin is magnified when, for these lesser goals, we fail to pursue the highest good and the finest goals. So when we ask ourselves why, in a given situation, we committed a sin, the answer is usually one of two things. Either we wanted to obtain something we didn’t have, or we feared losing something we had. Augustine in The Confessions of St. Augustine (Christian Classics in Modern English), Reflections, November 23, 1992, p. 41
So, what is it in your life that in the overall eternal scheme of things is really minor—though GOOD, yet you’ve elevated that thing or that relationship to a status that actually interferes with your relationship with God?
Again, OBEDIENCE is the real key to avoiding roadblocks that can get between us and Christ—even when they are GOOD THINGS! Disobedience happens in our relationship when we allow things that Jesus said didn’t really matter eternally … to get in between us and him. Some examples of these GOOD THINGS that can actually get in between us and Jesus would be:
MARITAL relationships… This is especially the case when one is a non-believer; scripture speaks clearly about being ‘unevenly yoked’ in marriage; and, thankfully, those sections of scripture also talk about our responsibility to Christ in such circumstances…
PARENTAL relationships… Sometimes we allow our relationships with our parents—as adult children—to get in between us and Jesus, especially if they are skeptical of church &/or religion…
FRIENDSHIPS… Now, don’t get me wrong; we are supposed to be ‘friends’ even with unbelievers in this world, but the truth is sometimes our unbelieving friends—who don’t go to church—can influence us to use our time differently, ultimately getting in the way of the most important friendship of all—with Christ…
WORK (COLLEAGUE) relationships… Again, those who are not believers and have nothing else to live for besides work, would sometimes rather see us work … than take time for devotion and worship in our lives … and the list could go on…
So, folks, let’s recap this part of our journey: On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus encountered some kids … and took this teachable moment to teach ALL OF US as God’s children, to never let anything get between us and our relationship with God! It was that important then … and it’s that important NOW!
As we close this time today, let me ask some very important questions…
What keeps you from being a child of God?
What’s keeping you from coming to Jesus with your whole life today?
And, since we’re on this journey with him together, let me ask this question too: Who’s your traveling companion for the journey?
We need to be choosing friends who will hold us up and support us in LIFE…
We need to be choosing friends who will support us in our relationship with Christ—even if its not their thing or they’re not where we are spiritually right now, they still respect our faith and are not fighting against the faith we hold so dear and getting in between us and Jesus…
We need to be choosing friends who will not have any other agenda in our lives … than to love us, being a true friend—respecting God’s involvement in our lives!
Are there any ‘roadblocks’ in your life today? Remember Jesus’ words; don’t ever let anything or anybody come between you and him…