What’s Holding You Back?

 

Let’s back up to what has happened before this. Here it goes. King Nebuchadnezzar had attacked Jerusalem, tore down the walls and destroyed the temple. Why? The Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah that if they would not stop idolatry worship he would cause them to be captive for 70 years. After the 70 years (known as the Babylonian Exile) King Cyrus of Persia attacked Babylonia and took control over it. Then King Cyrus of
Persia attacks Babylon and is now in charge. In the first chapter of Ezra we read where God commands King Cyrus to let his people go and for them to build a temple for the Lord.

Ezra 4

 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel,² they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” ³ But Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” ⁴ Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build ⁵ and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

 

What held them back ?                                           

The adversaries – The negative Nancy’s, Debbie Downer’s we all have in our lives.

Who are we letting weaken us in our lives by listening to others?

• We should never take hold of what other people say about us that is negative.

James 3:5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

• Are we letting the criticism stop us from doing what God has called us to do?

 

///Relationship Application\\\

Living for the Lord will not be easy, you will have people that the enemy places along the road for them to make you stop or have doubts living for Him. We must know who we are in Christ in able to stand against the lies of the enemy. Do you have a dream or goal that God has impregnated you with? Let it out, don’t be scared of opposition. We are all going to face it.

 

///Discussions. Questions\\\

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you know who you are in Christ?

Do you know your authority in Christ?