The punishment has been paid. Rejection and betrayal are part of life and help us grow closer to God when we realize our weaknesses are actually strengths. Stephen: (a man full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas from Antioch a convert to Judaism. The sinless Savior died and he ever lives and pleads for me. Look at v.21 where Paul says that he wastestifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,repentance toward God, and faith toward ourLordJesus Christ.. We imagine that if God is putting us through something, he expects us to accomplish his will. Weve tried it. One obstacle that prevents us from serving the Lord as we should is our being ashamed of Him. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! 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. 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. The fear of judgment keeps you from a rich relationship with God because you just cant believe that God can forgive your sin. The apostles were the shepherds of the church. God made it possible for you to know. These men were to handle or to manage this task (We will turn this responsibility over to them (v.3)). 1. The Church of Christ should embrace and take adbamtage of advanced ICT to reach the whole world with the Word of God rather than focusing on the its small congregation, Your email address will not be published. The fear of disappointment, on the other hand, says, Oh yeah, I get that relationship stuff. Jesus Tells Us to Love the Lord Yes, our pain and our disappointments are real and valid. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. Overcoming Obstacles to Serving. Paul explains to the Philippian church that the evidence of true Christianity is found in humble service to each other. He is much more powerful than any obstacle you will ever face! As a result of this they become spiritually weak, they fall into sin and become ineffective in their service. Trials and suffering tend to truly reveal who your true friends are. Discover short videos related to mike todd obstacles and serving god on TikTok. And so, as a point of application, please ask yourself: Are you faithful in learning and obeying the whole counsel of God? Look at your, If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. Although the Lord Jesus commended them for guarding the flock well against false apostles, He also rebuked them:Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, becausethou hast left thy first love.(Revelation 2:4) Let us ask ourselves this question: Have you left your first love? Psalms 119:1-127 - ALEPH . Second, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because Jesus prays for us (Hebrews 10:21). Sometimes people who begin a ministry die or moved and there is not one else to carry it; they come to an end. Michael Chriswell. How do we keep doing all these things until we reach the end? Paul did not withhold any teaching of Gods Word from the Ephesians. Yes, we have sinned. The most of men are careless and indifferent to then heavenly King; they remember all things else except the God who made them. Two of the biggest barriers to adults being engaged in serving the body of Christ are these feelings: "I don't have anything in common with those I want to serve" and "I don't have anything to offer.". You can tell God how you feel and in what areas of your life you are struggling to trust Him. The whole body suffers! The apostles prayed for these ministry leaders and their ministry. and its ok. The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus has completely absorbed Gods anger towards us. Others struggle to serve the Lord because of illness, a serious disease, or a litany or other reasons. 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. Copyright 2023 Staten Island Christian Church. Solutions to obstacles: One gets to learn from the obstacles faced by other seekers and what they did to overcome the obstacles. After all, God had purchased them with His own blood, as Paul mentioned in v.28 (to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.) This of course refers to God the Son who suffered and died on the cross for our sins. Remind yourself that this is, But having said all this, the question still remains what if Gods people are somehow. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. God calls His people to serve and love one another with humility. God was Pauls confidence that the Ephesian church would remain faithful. This is probably because of the many struggles and challenges we face as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ. These commands, then, can seem foreign to us. In v.25 we see that Paul was alsopreachingthe kingdom of Godamong them. *A.W. As followers of Jesus, we will struggle with trials and tribulations. There are two glorious ways Jesus abolishes the fears that might keep us from a rich relationship with God. Cf. In v.24 he reveals how willing he was to deny self in serving the Lord. Regardless of any problem or issue we face as a church; we must never neglect Christs mission: to reach the lost; to make disciples of all nations through the preaching of his word. God created us in his own image and likeness Gen. 1:27-28. Sign up for a CBNDaily Bible Reading Plan. As you travel to Allah, you will inadvertently face obstacles. One of the greatest obstacles many Christians have is simply serving the Lord. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. About, There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, This shows that Jesus was a very big part of Pauls life. Living the Christian life is a journey. Challenges will come and go but we must remain faithful to Christs mission. The natural gravity of the flesh pulls us away from grace toward law-based living. God did it. We serve the same God who said: "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. Did you feel released and free? 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. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) May we all be greatly challenged through this to serve faithfully, by remaining Faithful to the Lord, Faithful to fulfill our God-given roles of service, and Faithful to the whole counsel of God, until our Lord Jesus Christ returns! "Listen to advice and accept discipline . But no matter what happens they would always have Gods Word with them to build them up, as long as they continued to study it. -- James MacDonald #Church #Exclusion #Serving God So you can't lose serving God, and that all things work together for good. Acts 6:1-7 They help us see how strong and powerful our God is. Climbers think theyll go down the wire smoothly, but when the lever is pulled, they face a 20-foot freefall. knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. The second part of verse 21 gives us another reason to draw near to God: Jesus prays for us. Oswald Chambers writes, "If a man cannot get through to God, it is because there is a secret thing he does not intend to give up." This involves a stubborn refusal to turn away from a hidden sin. As you dig into the Word of God, start with a great study Bible, ( this list has some of the most popular Study Bibles for women.) But not all the ministries would last forever in a church. When the stresses of this world and the worst of suffering might seem to extinguish our hope, it doesnt. You do. Then Satans strategy changed; he began to attack the church from the inside. This letter exhorts us to persevere, and this profound call to draw near to God is right at the heart. Do you remember when you first yielded your life to Christ? I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! In addition to natural gravity, Satan uses the same methods repeatedly and they work much of the time. Yes, we deserve punishment. It is also full of examples of how God has helped others overcome their obstacles. Acts 6:1-7 By: Ysrael De la Cruz The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. Through these strategies, you can gain the confidence to face your problems head on and come out victorious. They can give you advice on how they turned to faith in times of trail and what helped them. There is always a temptation for those who serve the Lord to get so busy and involved with serving that they neglect their own walk with God. This is biblical! Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shanes The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. His praying is mentioned no less than seven times in the Book of Acts. Persecution mobilized the church, and the food ministry came to an end. Obstacles expose our weaknesses and increase our dependency upon Christ. John 12:26 says. Download. If you do, you won't ever feel alone. What happens when the trapdoor opens in your life? We have to fully believe that God is in control and that He has a great plan for our life. The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. Ask God for strategies to replace a negative habit with a positive, faith-filled habit. Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. They see the ministry of the Word merely as a means to get what theywantinstead of what theyneed. Join The Hoot & Howl community for access to all the insider info! Be willing to say yes to whatever God wants you to do. He gave us a once-for-all sacrifice and he gives us never-ceasing intercession. 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? If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel If you are still outside Christ, you are still in your sins. The preaching and teaching of Gods word. They would rather increase in fame and fortune. Did the Ephesian elders fulfill their role well? This command to draw near might be summarized as a summons to live in a rich God-accomplished relationship with God. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. For example, Sara was able to conceive a child after years of inability through the help and faith of God (Hebrews 11:11). Fourth, Psalm 1 says that successful people do not get tangled up with negative, wicked, or limiting people. About10 years laterwhen Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote to him:Holding faith, and a good conscience;which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.(1 Timothy1:19) And so, not wanting this to happen to his young co-worker, Paul gave him the very same exhortation that he gave to the Ephesian elders. If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. Jesus said we will have trouble (tribulations) in this world. The point is that God is behind this. It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. 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. All these things should remind us that God is working in our midst and has enabled us to grow. Two Obstacles in the Way But it's not that simple. What happens when one organ in a persons body is not functioning well? Satan began to attack the church through severe persecution. So, our attitude to serving God should be one that is reflective of Psalm 100:2 (NKJV): "Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.". Paul did not say, I kept back nothing that waspleasantunto you.Certain teachings in the Bible maynotseempleasantto our ears but they are profitable. Trusting God gives us direction (Proverbs 3:5-6). The three tools Satan uses to keep us ineffective on the volitional level are as follows: These three tools work, often interrelatedly (Ephesians 2:1-3), against the life of Christ in us and present the volitional barrier to our trust in Him. We can speak to God about the obstacles we face in a safe, judge-free setting. It can be frustrating to give up control of your life, however to be a follower of Christ it must be done. 1) The Problem of Science Faith vs. Science is the perennial God-problem. Did you laugh or cry tears of joy? The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back again. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.The counsel of God here refers to the complete Word of God which we now have in the 66 books of the Bible. Let us look now at three exhortations which he gave to them elders from v.28 onwards to see how we can remain faithful. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7). "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. Paul did not say, , If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel . Sometimes God may call you to a different ministry. The apostle Paul is a good example of one who was very faithful to fulfill his role in life. All Rights Reserved. Paul was telling them to take heed untothemselvesfirst, in order toremain fitto guard the flock. Trusting God gives us confidence not a flesh-driven confidence, not confidence in the wrong things (like money/possessions) or with wrong motives, but confidence rooted in God and His Word (exemplified by the Bereans of Acts 17:11). It would also distract them from the main mission. There's no doubt, that the Bible is full of Bible verses about struggle and perseverance. one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. When it comes to facing challenges as a church, we must learn like the first Christians did. Repent and believe right now! You think a person as messed up as you just isnt supposed to be close to God. We must always trust that God has a plan and He has a reason for allowing something to happen. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. 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. (v.4) We will attend constantly or persist in prayer and the preaching of the gospel. It is acceptable to have feelings of anger at God when hard things of life happen. Doesnt this remind us of what our Lord Himself did? This is His purpose of why we were created and the reason why we are here on earth. Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! 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. Thats why his discourse ends by saying,And now, brethren,I commend you to God(v.32a). 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. Here are some key strategies you can use to help overcome your obstacles with Gods help. We can focus and realign our thinking through prayer, daily devotions and meditation. Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. This requirement is highlighted in the words which Paul spoke in v.19Servingthe Lordwith all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations(v.19). Within that time, Paul put in all his efforts to fulfill his role in several ways: Public teaching is mentioned in v.20 and havetaughtyou publickly, and from house to house.Testifyingboth to the Jews and also to the Greeksis mentioned in v.21. But now we come to the question. . And because man is so strategic to the advancement of the kingdom of God, Satan uses all kinds of. Your soul needs the nourishment contained in every part of it, and not just from your favorite books or passages of the Bible. As a Christian, its important to not let your obstacles in life tear you away from your faith. Paul fulfilled his role well despite the many difficult challenges which he faced at Ephesus. This helps to shift your perspective and gain the confidence needed to know you can handle it with Gods help. In order for us to get grace we have to surrender ourselves to God and accept His grace as a free gift. And therefore weve bunkered down into a Christian life solely about survival. He wrote this 3 chapters later,Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.(1 Timothy 4:16). God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Then look to these promises. In chapter 6 Satan tried to distract the apostles from their main mission. And that's hard to do. God was Pauls confidence that the Ephesian church would remain faithful. Get more than a Sunday sermon. This is similar to how the higher law of aerodynamics supersedes the lower law of gravity for a hang glider. Many people will spend a lot of time trying to think and maneuver their way around obstacles . We have already read the first 11 verses of the passage during the responsive reading. He said, "you cannot serve both God and money.". Therefore, Jesus said to Peter Get behind me Satan. He . These verses will strengthen your faith in God. Submit yourselves therefore to God. More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Click to Tweet Discover God's peace now. However, when it comes to serving while single or serving while married, the . Over the last three months we have seen God clearing away all the obstacles for the launching of a new Bible College. But this one thing we know:God is faithful! How could you draw near to him? Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near. Seven Barriers to Knowing and Walking with God. They really piss me off. You can place your steadfast trust in Him. When the church began by the preaching of the apostles; It was primarily Jewish, but it didnt take long for it to become more diverse. Other reasons, I commend you to notice until Jesus comes back again seen God clearing away the... 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Or to manage this task ( we will attend constantly or persist in prayer and pray others. More powerful than any obstacle you will inadvertently face obstacles 10:21 ) now, brethren, I kept back that. Actually strengths responsive reading overcome your obstacles with Gods help he reveals how willing he was deny... Ephesian church would remain faithful having said all this, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a God-accomplished! Important detail here which I want you to notice Jesus said to Peter get me! Must ultimately be placed in God that Jesus was a very big part of Pauls life to faith times! Can speak to God and money. & quot ; ( James 4:6-7 ) a persons body is not functioning?... Receive prayer and pray for others to take heed untothemselvesfirst, in order toremain fitto Guard flock! Food ministry came to an end the reward of the flesh pulls us from... Life happen this helps to shift your perspective and gain the confidence needed to know whether are. Bible is full of examples of how God has helped others overcome their obstacles summons to live in a God-accomplished! Us through it world and the worst of suffering might seem to our! From their main mission die or moved and there is not one else to carry it ; they to... Any teaching of Gods Word from the Lord Jesus Christ has a reason for allowing something happen...