This email address is being protected from spambots. Are we a biblical people, or do we just get our truths from our emotions or non-emotions? The suggestion to handle the ministry: (v.3) God did it. "Listen to advice and accept discipline . Paul did not say, , If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel . ". It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Paul then left Ephesus to visit all the churches he had planted in Macedonia and Achaia during his previous missionary journey. Many times, we wonder about God's purpose in our lives. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Yes, we deserve punishment. And that's hard to do. God rewards faithfulness. Persecution mobilized the church, and the food ministry came to an end. This would take faith that remembered who it was that was telling them to cross the river in the first place. 3. The word of God continued to spread (to be taught and preached); more people were becoming disciples, even some Jewish priests received the gospel of Jesus. In our choices, we dont so much turn to evil as we turn from God. There's three main categories: People, Places and Things. These challenges come to distract us from our mission; they come to make us quit running the race. 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 you are a child of God and you were put on this earth for a reason. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. God created us in his own image and likeness Gen. 1:27-28. By: Ysrael De la Cruz. Below we've briefly outlined these the top ten problems people have with God to help you reach skeptical people in our post-truth world. Many who started out well have not finished well. They really piss me off. Fear is the first item listed in Joshua's challenge to the people. 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? One of the greatest obstacles many Christians have is simply serving the Lord. Tit was through all these works of God that the Ephesians had now grown into a thriving churchwithin three years. To move in. The following five assurances help overcome the emotional barrier to yielding to Him even in your freefall moments: Whereas the emotional barrier says its not safe to trust God, the intellectual barrier says it doesnt make sense to trust God. The sinless Savior died and he ever lives and pleads for me. In the midst of difficulty and temptation, were told to come closer. Paul did not say, I kept back nothing that waspleasantunto you.Certain teachings in the Bible maynotseempleasantto our ears but they are profitable. 3 Obstacles to Living God's Will for Your Life | Forward Progress MichaelKelley.co About Blog Contact Resources Bible Study Church Family Work MichaelKelley.co About Blog Contact Resources Mitragyna Speciosa Kratom guides: learn more Kratom resource: kratom.org Kratom vendors: read kratom reviews Best kratom: top strains for pain relief How can tell if your agenda or actions are from God or Satan? But what do we see here? The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. We see in God's dealings with people, that in almost all cases, God uses the obstacles/difficulties and overcoming them, as a means to inculcate great character in people and to prepare them and use them for great purposes. There are many other roles of service in Gods kingdom besides these. 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. The apostles were the shepherds of the church. Obstacles to Seeking God. Gods people are to be molded or conformed by Gods pattern and not the worlds pattern. Cloaked in humility, taking the form of a servant, our . During the voyage one of the ports that the ship stopped at was Miletus. 1. Look at your, If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. Job had three friends who came to see him when they heard about the misfortune that befell him. This was their main priority: In a Christ-centered church the preaching and teaching of Gods word must be the main priority. First, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because of Jesuss sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1920). Proverbs 8:17 love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. Remind yourself that this is, But having said all this, the question still remains what if Gods people are somehow. Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shanes The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. Stephen: (a man full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas from Antioch a convert to Judaism. -- James MacDonald #Church #Exclusion #Serving God So you can't lose serving God, and that all things work together for good. The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy. Two Obstacles in the Way But it's not that simple. 10) 1 Corinthians 15:57 " But thanks be to God! Picture this scenario: people complaining that others were being shown special favor in the distribution. If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? (Food pantry ministry). . This will not dampen my faith or take me away from knowing Him. This helps you build confidence in faith. God's people cannot be shamed into serving God; they need to be challenged. Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. We can manipulate Him into giving us what we want. Without the proclamation and teaching of Gods words disciples are not developed. Now we shall read what Paul said to them, as recorded in Acts 20:17-35. I'm sure you all could have guessed this one would be on this list. This is probably because of the many struggles and challenges we face as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Your browser does not support the audio element. But God equips us to overcome obstacles . 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. You do. Yes, we have sinned. Earlier on we witnessed the addition of new members through baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership. Perhaps you want to serve the Lord but you face certain challenges that come with age. There are two glorious ways Jesus abolishes the fears that might keep us from a rich relationship with God. We dont have to be afraid of Gods judgment anymore. A very sermon in the current challenge of CIVID-19, which should not deter the preaching of the Word of God. (Rom.12:2). 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. Some ministries exist only for a time. This would enable them to remain faithful to the end and to receive their eternal rewards in heaven. 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.. During his ministry there, a thriving congregation developed and the Gospel was disseminated throughout the western part of Asia Minor. But not all the ministries would last forever in a church. (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. Ask God for strategies to replace a negative habit with a positive, faith-filled habit. As followers of Jesus, we battle against difficulties, obstacles on our way to accomplishing Christ's mission in this world. The apostles remained faithful to the task of preaching and teaching Gods word. Because the call of God is heaven bound, Satan opposes it with all the weapons in his arsenal. The challenges that Nehemiah faced in building the wall are illustrations from God's Word of obstacles and opposition that Christians may face. Remind yourself that this isthe word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.. 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. Download. Galatians 5:16 (NASB) calls us to walk in the Spirit. The Greek word for walk, peripateo, means to walk around, to conduct oneself. Walking is a step-by-step process, a sequencing process of behaving habitually. God's purpose for the problems he allows us to face is so different than our way of thinking. We Never Heard Back. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. This is His purpose of why we were created and the reason why we are here on earth. The punishment has been paid. Growth is great, but with much growth comes great challenges as well. Will we be able to do these things well? But it was a problem now. - Watch past sessions at https://mcceastbay.org/obstaclesEvery Muslim is on a journey to Allah. The apostles recognized the severity of the issue. Tozer, Root of the Righteous (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1955), p. 156. The first and biggest obstacle to you and me enjoying all the benefits of God's Grace is you (and me). 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. 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. Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:13; James 4:7 NASB). Jeremiah 32:27 states I am the Lord, the God of all mainkind. We're God's creation, and that means we were created to serve Him. Do you remember when you first yielded your life to Christ? Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful He said, "you cannot serve both God and money.". As a Christian, its important to not let your obstacles in life tear you away from your faith. We just cant do it. Did you feel released and free? Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. (NLT). The problem: a complaint from the Grecian Jews (Hellenistic Jews). It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. He is much more powerful than any obstacle you will ever face! Climbers think theyll go down the wire smoothly, but when the lever is pulled, they face a 20-foot freefall. The river was flooded and nearly impossible to cross. The spiritual obstacle. The apostles would give their attention to prayer and the preaching of the word. Then look to these promises. This doesnt happen automatically. What happens when the trapdoor opens in your life? It is fascinating to study these spiritual gifts, but that is not within the scope of this sermon. Required fields are marked *. Fear and faith cannot co-exist, and they battle for space within us. One great way to combat this is by spending more time at church with your fellow Christians. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. God continued to bless them by bringing more people into the community. Our Christian life comprises of many obstacles we meet. And what keeps us from doing so? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Serving God is what we were made to do as his creatures, but our service has been corrupted by our sin and rebellion which has rendered us unable to please him. Satan began to attack the church through severe persecution. This is what Paul declared at Ephesus. Everything else comes after that. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Weve tried it. Sometimes people who begin a ministry die or moved and there is not one else to carry it; they come to an end. This letter exhorts us to persevere, and this profound call to draw near to God is right at the heart. Discover short videos related to mike todd obstacles and serving god on TikTok. The Bible says that the church is like a human body. If you handle the small things, God brings you big things to handle. Michael Chriswell. He gave us a once-for-all sacrifice and he gives us never-ceasing intercession. 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? Which way are you turned? During his third missionary journey, Paul spent most of his time in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of present-day Turkey. 9) 1 John 4:4 "Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them. Rejection and betrayal are part of life and help us grow closer to God when we realize our weaknesses are actually strengths. 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). They wept, Gods pattern for his people! Jesus said in Luke 16:13 (NLT) "No one can serve two masters. Challenges will come and go but we must remain faithful to Christs mission. Copyright 2023 Staten Island Christian Church. As a result of this they become spiritually weak, they fall into sin and become ineffective in their service. This relationship were called to is not our building a tower, or our climbing stairs, or our somehow trying to maneuver our way to get close to him. Preached at Life BPC 66th Anniversary service, 2016-10-16, As we thank God for His faithfulness today, let us be reminded that God requires faithfulness from us. By: Ysrael De la Cruz At the beginning of the pandemic, I was able to witness many so called prophets come out to predict what the Lord was telling American through the worldwide epidemic of Covid 19. He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. We can certainly learn how to handle any challenge or difficulty when we examine how the first century church handled her own challenges. The point is that God is behind this. John 12:26 says. December 10, 2018. This issue needed the attention of the apostles before it would escalate. Jesus isnt appealing to the irrational, but to a higher truth. But in serving God, there will always be obstructions and hindrances. How could you draw near to him? Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. We all need it to live in this world, but we must not be owned by it if we are to be not of this world. The second part of verse 21 gives us another reason to draw near to God: Jesus prays for us. According to 2 Timothy 3:16All scriptureis given by inspiration of God, and isprofitablefor doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.All scripture is profitable not just some of it or most of it, but All of it. And so, in order to be faithful to the Word, we need to declare all of it thewholecounsel of God. The preaching and teaching of Gods word. With this obstacle, we ask, Is it possible to trust God? You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Psalm 32:11, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!". (Hebrews 10:1922). 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.". The confused are those who have health, know Self-Realization is the purpose of life, have food, clothing and shelter, but find excuses to run after other things endlessly. One obstacle that prevents us from serving the Lord as we should is our being ashamed of Him. Continue to commit to Him doing His will, trust in Him. 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. Job eventually repents and is humbled before God. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement.
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