He said, Paul was heading for Jerusalem in obedience to the Lords direction for him, despite knowing the awful trials he would have to face there. In our choices, we dont so much turn to evil as we turn from God. The natural gravity of the flesh pulls us away from grace toward law-based living. This actually happened to the Ephesian church about 40 years later. For them to enter the Promised Land, they would have to trust God to bring them through this raging river. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7). Its a rich relationship, not a mechanical one. You can tell God how you feel and in what areas of your life you are struggling to trust Him. Obstacles expose our weaknesses and increase our dependency upon Christ. They were responsible for that. And what keeps us from doing so? How do we deal with these ongoing barriers in our lives? During his third missionary journey, Paul spent most of his time in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of present-day Turkey. Were on a mission to change that. This is the goal of the Christian, and everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal. 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. Repent and believe right now! Matthew 17:20 ESV / 89 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful This was approved by the church, and they selected seven men to take care of the ministry of food distribution. With God, you can move from being a victim to being a victor. In v.25 we see that Paul was alsopreachingthe kingdom of Godamong them. Tozer acknowledged the paradoxes of a believers life and thinking: A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. As in all things, God's ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son ( Romans 8:29 ). There is one thing that everyone can do that is to pray. What happens when the trapdoor opens in your life? Life is full of ups and downs. Fast-forward now to a time about 40 years later, and we find this commendation that Christ gave to this church in Revelation 2:2I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: andthou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.The elders had faithfully kept watch over their flock and had exposed the false teachers who tried to subvert the flock. The punishment has been paid. Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful One great way to combat this is by spending more time at church with your fellow Christians. These feelings can keep us paralyzed from dealing with the. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Verse Concepts. Faith is from God and fear is from the enemy. Christ went to Jerusalem towards the end of His earthly ministry, despite, The apostle Paul would have disagreed with them very strongly. He bore our sins in his body on the tree. If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? A church may have a great number of ministries or services. And so, as a point of application, please ask yourself: Are you faithful in learning and obeying the whole counsel of God? 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.". Do you remember when you first yielded your life to Christ? There are many other roles of service in Gods kingdom besides these. We overcome the emotional barrier when we believe it is safe to yield to God. Paul belonged to Him alone, and so he lived to do the will of the Lord Jesus. The suggestion to handle the ministry: (v.3) The church has faced external and internal challenges since the day it began through the preaching of the apostles. Jesus said we will have trouble (tribulations) in this world. 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. Do you remember when you first yielded your life to Christ? The apostles handed the food distribution to seven men selected by the church. This means that we should not leave out any unpleasant teaching like the wrath of God and the existence of hell. The apostles would give their attention to prayer and the preaching of the word. Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:13; James 4:7 NASB). If you do, you won't ever feel alone. He has the ability, power, and strength to help you overcome any obstacle in life. The most of men are careless and indifferent to then heavenly King; they remember all things else except the God who made them. Copyright March 4, 2019,Ken Boa, used with permission. By: Ysrael De la Cruz. Obstacles Serving God's Purposes? God calls His people to serve and love one another with humility. Growth is great, but with much growth comes great challenges as well. If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. Everything else comes after that. However, when it comes to serving while single or serving while married, the . 1. One of the ways we can serve God is by helping his children, our brothers and sisters, through paying a tithing and a generous fast offering. Your browser does not support the audio element. One of them is found at the end of our passage, Acts 20:36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, andprayedwith them all., Now, besides faithfulness to the Lord and faithfulness to fulfill our God-given roles, there is another area where faithfulness is required of us. Look at yourlovefor the Lord. He died in our place. After our conversion, our inner person matures and grows, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved. But everywhere the disciples of Jesus went, they preached the gospel, and more communities were born in different towns. (Rom.12:2). The outcome of the apostles decision? It is God's will that we come to Him and serve. It would also distract them from the main mission. Many times, we wonder about God's purpose in our lives. He was committed to obedience. Discover short videos related to mike todd obstacles and serving god on TikTok. Through these strategies, you can gain the confidence to face your problems head on and come out victorious. Get FREE "He Cares for You" teaching sheet, Build up your faith as you meditate on inspiring Scripture verses of how much God loves you, "It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.". "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. Continue to commit to Him doing His will, trust in Him. No tongue can bid me thence depart nor can anything else in all creation separate us from his love. There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. We are here to help and encourage you! The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. What happens when one organ in a persons body is not functioning well? 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. "Listen to advice and accept discipline . You can cling to its truth when life throws you a curveball. Paul did not say, I kept back nothing that waspleasantunto you.Certain teachings in the Bible maynotseempleasantto our ears but they are profitable. The apostle Paul is a good example of one who was very faithful to fulfill his role in life. Remember, rather than call the equipped, God seems to like to equip the called. Just before those verses, the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) define a path to spiritual happiness and significance totally contrary to what were normally taught (blessed are the meek, not the proud). In Pauls discourse we can see how greatly concerned he was that the Ephesian church should remain faithful. "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. Here are 4 ways to find contentment in Christ: #1 Accept rejection. 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. (Food pantry ministry). These dark moments can leave you feeling frustrated, scared, and broken. . The preaching and teaching of Gods word. God does not willingly make His service hard; it would not be hard if we were not sinful. God looks at you as a loving Father with his arms wide open and he says to you, Draw near by the blood of my Son.. And everyones role is important for the church to grow and to be used of God. Picture this scenario: people complaining that others were being shown special favor in the distribution. Two Obstacles in the Way But it's not that simple. If we allow fear to take over, then faith gets pushed aside. Yes they certainly did. These men were presented to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them. They really piss me off. This would enable them to remain faithful to the end and to receive their eternal rewards in heaven. Growing in Christ won't be without struggles. God's people cannot be shamed into serving God; they need to be challenged. More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. 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. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window). We imagine that if God is putting us through something, he expects us to accomplish his will. Seven Barriers to Knowing and Walking with God. (v.4) We will attend constantly or persist in prayer and the preaching of the gospel. Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. Thats why Christ bestowed all the spiritual gifts which the Church needs for service. You cannot serve both God and money". It is also full of examples of how God has helped others overcome their obstacles. We Must Obey God Rather than Men (Acts 5:12-42) by, Gods Wisdom and Requirements for Church Leadership (Acts 6:1-7) by, Stephen-A Man of Faith (Acts 6:5, 7:54-8:3) by, Acts 20:17-35 - The Challenge to Serve Faithfully, Mailing Add: 10 Gilstead Road Singapore 309064. Similarly, repentance is not so much a matter of turning from evil as it is a turning to God. If we struggle with either of these obstacles, Hebrews 10 speaks up with the good news that Jesus abolishes both fears at the cross. He didn't say, "you should not serve both God and money.". Handling the problem: (v.2) He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. Meditate on Scripture and you will know everything is going to be OK. But what needs to be impressed on us is thatwe allhave a role to play in Gods kingdom. 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. (praise and worship, teaching ministries, financial ministry, homeless ministry, recovery ministry, jail ministry, outreach ministry, cleaning ministry, building maintenance , food pantry, missions ministry, and so forth). 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). Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. Materialism. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. 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. 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 sinless Savior died and he ever lives and pleads for me. We must always trust that God has a plan and He has a reason for allowing something to happen. (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. In chapter 6 Satan tried to distract the apostles from their main mission. But Paul did not expect the elders of Ephesus to do what he did, because they had adifferentrole to fulfill. Tozer, Root of the Righteous (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1955), p. 156. It isfaithfulness to the whole counsel of God. I'm sure you all could have guessed this one would be on this list. He alone can give us the strength and wisdom we need to endure. God Will Allow You to Go Through Impossible Situations to Produce a Supernatural Dependence in You. Others struggle to serve the Lord because of illness, a serious disease, or a litany or other reasons. Choosing our own way over Gods is always a losing option. You may be diligent in feeding others, but you also need tofeed yourself. What does God say about overcoming obstacles? Get to know others seeking Gods guidance and wisdom for life. Challenges in serving God. Let us therefore be faithful toChristin all our service. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Opt in to receive news and updates. Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.". Anne Frank Sitting here with pen in hand, able to put words and thoughts on paper, is a miracle all by itself, as Parkinsons Disease has made me unable to write, How do you know if God is talking to you or Satan? There's three main categories: People, Places and Things. Right when the church experienced such growth (a problem arose). No! 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. If the work of Gods kingdom depends entirely on our faithfulness what assurance is there that it will succeed? ". Copyright 2020 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Can God change your life? 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. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. You know your sin and guilt, and although you like the idea of a closer relationship with God, you wouldnt dare pursue it. But there is still so much more that needs to be done as we move forward as a church into our 67thyear. Everything a church does should fall under the umbrella of reaching the world with the gospel and making people into disciples. But what do we see here? We all want to know God and our Lord Jesus Christ better and He certainly wants us to know Him better. In the midst of difficulty and temptation, were told to come closer. The Bible says eternal life is to "know God and His one and only Son." As I made the transition from knowing about God for 19 years, to actually . The death of Jesus and the intercession of Jesus, then, provide the grounds by which we can have a rich relationship with God. As a result of this they become spiritually weak, they fall into sin and become ineffective in their service. We can manipulate Him into giving us what we want. Without prayer all that we do willlackGods power and enablement. This email address is being protected from spambots. How do we keep doing all these things until we reach the end? Its always telling us, Youd better take charge. So how do we stay yielded to God? You can count on Gods promise (Joshua 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:6; 1 Chronicles 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). This then is what it means toserve the Lord with allhumilityof mind.The Lords interests must always come first. As a Christian, its important to not let your obstacles in life tear you away from your faith. When this question has been settled, we should then go on to another area that requires faithfulness fulfilling our God-given roles. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. 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. Hebrews 4:12 states: His word is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, able to pierce to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow and even able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. Gods Word is incredibly powerful and holds the key to many of our problems. Please do not think that there isno rolefor you at all in Gods kingdom. Its a God-accomplished relationship, not one that we contrive. Be bold. The point is that God is behind this. 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. All Rights Reserved. Sometimes people who begin a ministry die or moved and there is not one else to carry it; they come to an end. God wants you to be successful and triumphant, and has a great plan for your life. Through the Bible, we can understand the promises God has made for us, how He can help us in our time of need, and His amazing love for us. Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. Yes, we have sinned. . See also: Is 40:31, Eph 6:10, and Jas 1:5. But God equips us to overcome obstacles . They dream of living in the lap of luxury, and this makes them covet more silver and gold for themselves. He is patient toward us, always showing his mercy toward us, always deals with us in his steadfast love. Fast-forward now to a time about 40 years later, and we find this commendation that Christ gave to this church in Revelation 2:2, Thus we have seen that Paul and the Ephesian elders were faithful in fulfilling their respective God-given roles. 2. This command to draw near might be summarized as a summons to live in a rich God-accomplished relationship with God. Here are 4 barriers to getting through to God: 1) Harboring secret sin. Remind yourself that you are a child of God and you were put on this earth for a reason. . God would use any thing to mobilize his people when they get inwardly focused and neglect to fulfill his mission in the world. Job had three friends who came to see him when they heard about the misfortune that befell him. Living for Godwhy is it so difficult? I signed up . Which way are you turned? Actively involving children in the planning . 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. One obstacle that prevents us from serving the Lord as we should is our being ashamed of Him. Dont be afraid to stand up to obstacles and say God is here with me, I can overcome this through Him. Listen now to what he said at the end of v.24 so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.Paul knew exactly what role the Lord wanted him to fulfill: He was to testify ofthe Gospel of the grace of God. (Hebrews 10:1922). 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. Here are some key strategies you can use to help overcome your obstacles with Gods help. So, this distribution of goods took place before and there wasnt a problem. He . You can be comforted by Gods commitment (Psalm 46:1; Luke 15:11-32). If you dont know how to manage the small, then you wont be able to manage the big. When we come within inches of making an enormous mistake that could lead to injury or some other kind of catastrophic failure, we have to praise God for allowing us to dodge a bullet. The experiential barriers are ongoing, and they can range from broken family relationships that make us reticent to trust or accept love to bad church experiences. However you can always count on God to support you. And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. If Jesus had to endure them, so do we. The apostles were the shepherds of the church. For example, Sara was able to conceive a child after years of inability through the help and faith of God (Hebrews 11:11). This is His purpose of why we were created and the reason why we are here on earth. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! 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? Dark moments can leave you feeling frustrated, scared, and this makes them covet silver. Its truth when life throws you a curveball do the will of the word of God fear... Before and there is one good way to know God and money. & quot ; in times... The existence of hell to advice and accept discipline seriously Guard yourself tithing is used to build God & x27! 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Anyone serves me, he & # x27 ; t say, I overcome!
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