1. Hindrances are inevitable!
a. Luke 17:1 “It is impossible that no offences (obstacles, stumbling blocks) should come”. These obstacles hinder lost people from coming to Christ and saved people from following Christ.
Acts 15:1 “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised ....you cannot be saved”.
b. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 “we wanted to come to you...time and again, but Satan hindered us”. Satan seeks to hinder Christians in their ministry to others.
Romans 16:22- 28 “I have been much hindered from coming to you...but now...having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you....but now
I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints....when I have performed this...I shall go by way of you to Spain”. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and spent two years in prison awaiting trial
(Acts 21:27-33; 24:27). As a Roman citizen he asked to be tried in Rome and went to Rome as a prisoner for two more years.
2. God overrules hindrances and brings good out of them if we remain faithful.
a. The Jews trying to hinder Gentiles by forcing them to become Jews led to the church council which settled for all time the issue of salvation by faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross
(Galatians 5:1-2).
b. Had Paul not been hindered from going to Rome we would not have the letter to the church in Rome. Had he not been hindered from going to Thessalonica we would not have1 Thessalonians and the details concerning the rapture of the church. Had he not gone to Rome as a prisoner we would not have Ephesians, Philippians and Collosians.
3. Hindrances give God an opportunity to demonstrate Romans 8:28.