ANALYSING MATT 14:15-21
DEFINITION OF LIMIT/LIMITATION
TYPES OF LIMITATIONS
WHY WE PLACE LIMITATIONS ON OURSELVES
HOW TO BREAK OUT OF LIMITATION
} Matt 14:15-21 :The Story is recorded in all the four gospels in the NT
} Jesus did not break the five loaves, He actually broke the limitation on the Bread.
} A peg, hindrance or barrier that defines restriction. e.g. speed limit restricts the car to a certain speed.
} Restraint, control, check, clampdown, obstrcution
} Act of controlling the size or extent of something
} Spiritual Limitation: Isaiah 6 vs1. The Prophet’s vision of God has been limited until the year that King Uzziah died
} Fear: Fear can limit a Christian from achieving or maximizing his potential..2 Tim 1 vs 7. Fear is a spirit.NIV calls it spirit of Timidity
} Limitation of the Mind (Thinking): Num 13..10 out of the 12 spies were limited in their thoughts & perceived themselves as grasshoppers
} Joshua and Caleb were however positive and not limited in their thinking.
Free your thoughts from Limitation: Your chance in life and Journey to greatness begins with a change in your thinking….Phil 4 vs 8
The Only Limits we have are those we place on ourselves
}Decision: 2 Kings 1-7
}Sons of the prophet discovered they had been limited for years
}We need to desire enlargement without limitations
}Decision: 2 Kings 1-7
• God wants to enlarge all of your territories but until you desire it & take a decision towards achieving your enlargement, it will not happen
}Determination: 2 Kings 1-7• The devil only attacks people who carry supernatural grace and favour. The extent to which you know God is directly dependent on the level to which God will reveal himself to you
}Determination: 2 Kings 1-7• Never Allow repeated failures and defeats to prevent you from progressing in life.. Micah 7:8
• God is never limited by time, space or circumstance
}Determination: 2 Kings 1-7• Understand that God will never deny you of his blessings. He makes all things beautiful in his time
• Be Obedient to the lord, he has the blue print to everyone’s life
}Deal with Distractions: 2 Kings 1-7
• As they were cutting the trees, the axe head fell into the river, meaning an end to their godly ambition & pursuit
}Deal with Distractions: 2 Kings 1-7
• Axe was borrowed and meant to be returned after use. This has brought shame, confusion, discouragement on their way to progress & enlargement
}Deal with Distractions: 2 Kings 1-7
• Devil is all out to oppose our move of breaking off limitations and to distract us from our focus, vision and goals
}Deal with Distractions: 2 Kings 1-7
• Axe head was recovered from the water;
} lost hope restored, lost goal recovered, lost ambition realized only because they called on God
• Passage teaches us the glorious truth that, God has a plan for our problem
• Just as God took care of his prophets, he will take care of his children as well
• Often God will use trials, heartaches & burdens of life to bring us to the place where we can honestly see our need & own inability to meet it.
• To break off limitations, you need to take a decision, you need a determination to succeed and you need to refuse satanic distractions designed to prevent you from reaching your destinations by trusting God for divine interventions
}The Jabez Example: 1 Chro 4 vs 10- By Prayer..Jabez had a spiritual limitation. He was honorable, well behaved but had a bad label.
}Checking his prayer, you discover the problems he had;
} Bless Me Indeed: • He was not a blessed man• Lack of material means, no money, living in debts, no job, suffering etc.
• A life that is not blessed by God will be experiencing hardship, strife etc.
ØEnlarge My Coast:
◦He was limited in everything
◦No advancement in life
◦Working like an Elephant and eating like an ant
ØThine Hand Be With Me◦ Jabez could not see the hand of God on his life and what he was doing
◦Was probably experiencing failure in business, taking wrong decisions, always losing money
◦ lack of favor because when the hand of God is on you, you will have direction and open doors
ØKeep Me from Evil:
◦ Jabez must have had some evil experiences
◦Same way some of us have or are presently experiencing a lot of evil and unfavorable occurrences in life
ØNot Grieve Me◦ Jabez was unhappy about his life
◦Many people have genuine reasons making them unhappy but we can copy Jabez by crying out loud to God for breakthrough.
◦ Don’t give up and say what will be will be
◦ Jabez stood out not because of a major feat he accomplished, but because of A PRAYER REQUEST HE MADE .
ØThe woman with the issue of Blood: Lk8 vs 43-48..Bible says she had the condition for 12 years & spent all her money on medical bills.
ØShe reached out and Touched Jesus and was healed
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11His Limitations;• Illegitimate Child
•Mother desperately Poor- Prostitute•• Abandoned- given up by mother
• Rejected by Family
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11His Limitations;• Thrown Out of Home- bitter resentment
• Injustice over lost inheritance
• Rejected by Authorities
• Limited education opportunities
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11His Limitations;• Economic Recession
• Spiritual Darkness, oppression, Idolatory
• Rejected fron the House of God Deut23:2-3
• Living under curse of Rejection
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
•Don’t Look for someone or something to blame for where you are at
•When you blame, you become a Victim
•When you blame, you become Bitter
•When you blame, you become limited•
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
• Your Limitations do not define you
• Judg 11:1 – Jephthah was a mighty man of valour
• Jephthah- means He will Open. He will breakthrough. He will loose him
•
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
His name was prophetic describing who God saw him to be.
God sees you according to Faith-what he designed you to be
His name was given to him by his father
•
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
Mighty Man of Valour;
• His nature, character was the result of what he chose to do
•Mighty- Hero, one who behaves boldly, a warrior
• Valour- force, strength, courage
• He refused to become bitter or to blame
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
Breaking Out of Your limitation- It’s a choice
• To break out, you must face your limitations- Face your Goliath
◦When you approach any wall/obstacle;
Climb over, break it or ignore it.
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
Jephthah made several choices which caused him to become;
◦Man of Prayer (Faith). Heb 11:32 – H.S describes him as a man of Faith. Jud 11:11
He entrusted his life to Christ i.e. he chose to believe in God.
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
• Man of Peace (Reconciled)
Jud 11:12-14: He sent messengers to King Ammon Seeking reconciliation.
He had resolved personal injustice by forgiveness and blessing
His heart was free from injustice & anger
ØStory of Jephthah- Judges 11
• Man of Power (Stand Up)
Jud 11: 29. H.S came mightily upon him to battle
He was willing to stand up & to fight big battles because he had stood up & fought small battles unseen- developed character & skill
ØWhen you call on Jesus, you must have faith in your heart.
ØFaith is the Currency that you need to receive blessings from God
ØMatt 11 vs 28- Jesus says come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
ØIsaiah 59 vs 20—The redeemer shall…
ØPsalm 3 vs 3: But thou Oh Lord art a shield for me, my glory and lifter of my head
ØPsalm 24 vs 7- Every gate of Limitation in my life should be lifted
ØIsaiah 43 v 19- God would make a way in the wilderness
Ø1 Peter 2:14- He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree