He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. Obstacles expose our weaknesses and increase our dependency upon Christ. Paul was faithful in his role as a, In the earlier chapters of Acts we had seen that s. ome are called to serve as deacons, some as evangelists, and some as teachers. Here Paul begins his discourse to the church elders in about the same way that he begins every epistle by drawing attention to the Lord whom he served: the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many things, in fact, that might deter you from a rich relationship with God, but two in particular are worth mentioning: 1) the fear of judgment and 2) the fear of disappointment. Notice how verse 19 begins, Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. He means that we have access to God now because Jesus died in our place. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! Because the call of God is heaven bound, Satan opposes it with all the weapons in his arsenal. (Hebrews 10:1922). Let these closing words of Paul to the Church of Thessalonica be our constant source of encouragement:And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be willing to say yes to whatever God wants you to do. Please do not think that there isno rolefor you at all in Gods kingdom. Challenges in serving God. You might start to lose some of your faith in God. This actually happened to the Ephesian church about 40 years later. Christians are called to make disciples, but we are not capable of changing people. Its a rich relationship, not a mechanical one. Jesus has an active, priestly role for our sake at the Fathers right hand. It is just like eating well-balanced meals that include every kind of food that your body needs to be strong and healthy. Do you seek to fulfill God's purpose? He has the ability, power, and strength to help you overcome any obstacle in life. Only God the Holy Spirit can change a heart. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. He was committed to obedience. At a camp in North Carolina, the high ropes course has a trapdoor at the end. God was Pauls confidence that the Ephesian church would remain faithful. The enemy does not want you to discover or understand who you are in Christ, and will try to take away your spiritual identity. God was Pauls confidence that the Ephesian church would remain faithful. So, this distribution of goods took place before and there wasnt a problem. These feelings can keep us paralyzed from dealing with the obstacles correctly. Christ went to Jerusalem towards the end of His earthly ministry, despiteknowingthat He would be betrayed, condemned to death, humiliated and crucified there (Matthew 20:18,19). The point is that God is behind this. God made it possible for you to know. They were responsible for that. God detests pride, but humility prompts the gift of His grace. With God, you can navigated the deepest and darkest valleys of life and walk high on the mountain. But its not that simple. Thats why his discourse ends by saying, If Christ has purchased His Church at such great cost to Himself, do you think He will leave its fate to be determined by the changing hearts of men? Job eventually repents and is humbled before God. As you travel to Allah, you will inadvertently face obstacles. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes - the hope of the world hangs on it (Rom 1:16). Image Credit: Hero Images/Hero Images/Getty Images. Those who stayed in Jerusalem were arrested (Acts 8). How do we deal with these ongoing barriers in our lives? Did you laugh or cry tears of joy? For the past 66 years, we have seen how faithful God is to provide, preserve and protect us so marvelously despite all our weaknesses, faults and our little faith. And therefore weve bunkered down into a Christian life solely about survival. Tozer acknowledged the paradoxes of a believers life and thinking: A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near . When we study Scripture and see what God asks us to do to fulfill His purpose, eventually we find there are obstacles to God's will. Be bold. The emotional barrier deals with bad experiences, but the intellectual barrier deals with bad teaching. Look at what he said in v.33,34, When this question has been settled, we should then go on to another area that requires faithfulness , Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of, Three years was actually the longest time that Paul served in one city throughout all his missionary journeys This was because of its strategic location in reaching out to the whole province of Asia. They really piss me off. They wept, Gods pattern for his people! Our Christian life comprises of many obstacles we meet. And if praying is the only role that you can fulfill in Gods kingdom, then please make sure that you are a faithful prayer warrior pleading before Gods throne everyday. The writer tells us . Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. This letter exhorts us to persevere, and this profound call to draw near to God is right at the heart. Much as we have faith in God and promise to maintain closeness to God at all times, there are few things that will give friction to us in the way of our Christian life to love God at all times. While he was there, Paul sent a messenger to Ephesus (which is about 40 km away) to call the elders of the church to come for a conference with him, as he believed that he would never see them again. Three obstacles keep us from coming to Christ, and these are the same barriers that keep us from yielding to, trusting in, and submitting to Him on an ongoing basis. Two Obstacles in the Way But it's not that simple. The same thing happens if one member is not fulfilling his or her role faithfully The whole church suffers! He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. The food distribution ministry was just caring for the needs of those in the church. Paul explains to the Philippian church that the evidence of true Christianity is found in humble service to each other. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. Without prayer all that we do willlackGods power and enablement. You do. More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Faithfulness to the Lord demands this attitude in our service:He must increase, and we must decrease., It is sad that many who serve today arenotinterested in decreasing. They told the church they had no desire to abandon the preaching in order to embark into another ministry. Verse Concepts. The Bible says that the church is like a human body. Right when the church experienced such growth (a problem arose). Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. Repent and believe right now! We can manipulate Him into giving us what we want. . He said,neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received ofthe Lord JesusIn v.22,23 Paul says,And now, behold,I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying thatbonds and afflictions abide me., Paul was heading for Jerusalem in obedience to the Lords direction for him, despite knowing the awful trials he would have to face there. Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. You may be diligent in feeding others, but you also need tofeed yourself. For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.". Many people will spend a lot of time trying to think and maneuver their way around obstacles . This can be seen in the call which He gave to the church of Smyrna in Revelation 2:10Be thoufaithfulunto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.It is also seen in the commendation which the servants received from the Lord in Matthew 25:21Well done, thou good andfaithfulservant: thou hast beenfaithfulover a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.. - 2 Timothy 1:1-18 By Pastor Mark Thomas on 10 April 2016 at the evening service. Materialism. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels the worst. There are many other roles of service in Gods kingdom besides these. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. These dark moments can leave you feeling frustrated, scared, and broken. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. Christian author A.W. Did the Ephesian elders fulfill their role well? There are many things, in fact, that might deter you from a rich relationship with God, but two in particular are worth mentioning: 1) the fear of judgment and 2) the fear of disappointment. He said, "you cannot serve both God and money.". Choose seven men from among you: men of good reputation (Good testimony) (known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7). To be faithful to the Word is to give our attention to thewholecounsel of God. In addition to natural gravity, Satan uses the same methods repeatedly and they work much of the time. The apostles handed the food distribution to seven men selected by the church. Gods plan may seem confusing, unconventional, or mysterious at times, and especially when you are facing difficulty. Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. However you can always count on God to support you. We are here to help and encourage you! Living the Christian life is a journey. The apostles called the church (the disciples) together. The trouble is, many congregations face substantial obstacles that make the daily practice of experiencing God more challenging. In 1 Kings 19, we see how detrimental fear can be to hearing God. You can place your steadfast trust in Him. Some even got so bold as to cursing the virus and sending it to hell., My Miracle by Arleen McNamara Brahn Walters March 2021 I dont think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains. He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. In Romans 12 Paul reminded the church not to be conformed or fashioned by the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of the mind. The church needs your effectual fervent prayers! If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. Sometimes, the key to overcoming your problems is through replacing these negative emotions with Gods love. The most important requirement is to befaithful to the Lord. Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Thus we have seen our need to be faithful to the Lord, faithful to fulfill our respective God-given roles, and faithful to the whole counsel of God. This will not dampen my faith or take me away from knowing Him. This helps you build confidence in faith. It is fascinating to study these spiritual gifts, but that is not within the scope of this sermon. Hebrews 7:25 tells us, Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. He is always praying for us, always fueling the furnace of our faith. Elijah, God's prophet, had just had an . If you want to remain faithful, you must give sufficient time to the study of Gods Word. More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. (It is not right that we give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. (ESV) We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. The apostle Paul is a good example of one who was very faithful to fulfill his role in life. You may not enjoy having to eat more high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt meals regularly, but the long term benefits do make it all worthwhile. Prayer helps you to build a solid relationship with Christ, which increases your ability to trust in Him and feel confident about His plan for you. They must be placed well above our own personal pursuits and interests. The most of men are careless and indifferent to then heavenly King; they remember all things else except the God who made them. As followers of Jesus, we will struggle with trials and tribulations. There is no way that you can escape from the fires of hell, unless yourepentof your sins andtrust onlyin Jesus Christ to save you, submitting fully to His Lordship in your life. When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful. This is mentioned in vv.26,27 where Paul said,Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. But what needs to be impressed on us is that, Now, besides faithfulness to the Lord and faithfulness to fulfill our God-given roles, there is another area where faithfulness is required of us. During his third missionary journey, Paul spent most of his time in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of present-day Turkey. Serve the Lord with gladness. What does God say about overcoming obstacles? You can cling to its truth when life throws you a curveball. Yes, we have sinned. (Food pantry ministry). Instead, these are the moments where you need faith the most. It means submitting to Him even when it doesn't make sense and serving others faithfully even when they don't appreciate our efforts. This doesnt happen automatically. Satan could not stop the growth of the church through outside influence. It requires a true heart in full assurance of faith. This is a full and rich and satisfying relationship one that is more real to us than anything else. And so, as a point of application, please ask yourself: Are you faithful in learning and obeying the whole counsel of God? These are emotional, intellectual, and volitional barriers. Here are four reasons it makes sense to trust God, as the holder of this higher reason and truth: If you overcome the emotional and intellectual barriers, one barrier remains: the volitional barrier. With this obstacle, we ask, Is it possible to trust God? God did it. We overcome the emotional barrier when we believe it is safe to yield to God. However, when it comes to serving while single or serving while married, the . May this occasion also be a time for each of us to search our own hearts with this question: Are you more faithful to the Lord or to yourself? Then Satans strategy changed; he began to attack the church from the inside. This is a spiritual thermometer. . Right beside the foundation of Jesuss death in our place is this glorious picture of Jesus praying for us. Let us therefore be faithful toChristin all our service. But God equips us to overcome obstacles . Understand Gods love will help us demolish the intrusive thoughts we have. (Job 10:1-4) The moral of Job's story is: It's okay to question God or the reasons for why something is happening, but there's no need for us to stay there. Committed to Loving God and Loving People. Psalm 32:11, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!". The role of these church elders is basically to look after the flock of God as shepherds by providing them with spiritual food and protecting them from spiritual predators. We can focus and realign our thinking through prayer, daily devotions and meditation. But not all the ministries would last forever in a church. Answer Jesus talked to those who would follow Him about taking up a cross, counting the cost, and giving up everything ( Luke 14:2533 ). To move in. Handling the problem: (v.2) As a result of this they become spiritually weak, they fall into sin and become ineffective in their service. The writer to the Hebrews commands us to draw near to God. Jesus has said, when you are faithful in a few things, God puts you in charge o many more things. Reach out and call Gods name. He gave us the tool or prayer so that we would never feel alone. Discover short videos related to mike todd obstacles and serving god on TikTok. Growing in Christ won't be without struggles. Giving up our ways and will isn't easy but that is what moving into a . In those days when the number of disciples was increasing. Audio Version. Warning. The spiritual obstacle. Gods people are to be molded or conformed by Gods pattern and not the worlds pattern. Fear is connected with obedience, as the wise man said, " Fear God and keep His commandments " (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Through his faithful teaching, and testifying to Jews and Greeks, and preaching the kingdom of God, and warning the Christians against false teaching, the Ephesian church was firmly established on a strong foundation. For example, if you are struggling to cope with a bad breakup, you can replace your sadness by focusing on the love God has for you. If the work of Gods kingdom depends entirely on our faithfulness what assurance is there that it will succeed? And so as Proverbs4:23says, you mustKeep [your] heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life., Unfortunately not everyone in Ephesus heeded Pauls exhortation to guard themselves. How can tell if your agenda or actions are from God or Satan? It isfaithfulness to the whole counsel of God. . He alone can give us the strength and wisdom we need to endure. They made pledges and promises which they had every intention to keep at the beginning, but sadly they did not keep them in the end. 1. Actively involving children in the planning . It is difficult while we have evil habits and affections lingering about us, and it is impossible so long as we cling to these voluntarily. Money Money. If we want to befaithfulto the Word we cannot pick and choose only what we love to hear from it, or what we love to think about all the time. God rewards faithfulness. We must always trust that God has a plan and He has a reason for allowing something to happen. Tit was through all these works of God that the Ephesians had now grown into a thriving church, But there is still so much more that needs to be done as we move forward as a church into our 67, build a united church family that is committed to making disciples through Salvation, Sanctification and Service to the glory of God. Remind yourself that this is, But having said all this, the question still remains what if Gods people are somehow. But everywhere the disciples of Jesus went, they preached the gospel, and more communities were born in different towns. As we now enter into our 67thyear, let us resolve to give Him thefirst and central placein all that we do as a church, so that we may be faithful to Him. God does not willingly make His service hard; it would not be hard if we were not sinful. The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus has completely absorbed Gods anger towards us. And that's hard to do. If you are stuck in a pit of despair, dont let yourself give up. 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