More growth was taking place. The Bible has scripture for every one of your needs. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. God rewarded their faithfulness and decision: 1. -- Jack Hyles #People #Needs #Serving God Church was never intended to be a place where we serve God to the exclusion of meeting with Him. The emotional barrier deals with bad experiences, but the intellectual barrier deals with bad teaching. Satan began to attack the church through severe persecution. God made it possible for you to know. About, There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. 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. And so, as a point of application, please ask yourself: Are you faithful in learning and obeying the whole counsel of God? God did it. 9) 1 John 4:4 "Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them. Christ went to Jerusalem towards the end of His earthly ministry, despite, The apostle Paul would have disagreed with them very strongly. And what keeps us from doing so? Being full of the Spirit and being wise are evident qualities in a person. This letter exhorts us to persevere, and this profound call to draw near to God is right at the heart. Do you find it hard? And because man is so strategic to the advancement of the kingdom of God, Satan uses all kinds of. Let's stay in touch! Just as ancient cities needed strong walls for defense and protection, the Lord wants His people today to have a strong and well-founded faith that can withstand the attacks of the enemy. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! The apostles remained faithful to the task of preaching and teaching Gods word. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. These obstacles can be as basic as being stuck in a numbers mentality, or as complex as generational patterns of viewing pastors as the only ones capable of experiencing God. Have you seen how crazy my life is? This is a fear that doesnt tempt us to stop believing; it tempts us to forfeit a life of intimacy with Jesus because we just dont think that kind of life is possible for us. This ministry functioned well before, as we are informed in chapter 4 that there was also distribution of funds (there was no needy people among them); the first Christians cared for their needs by sharing and distributing goods. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.". one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. Fear and faith cannot co-exist, and they battle for space within us. He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. Before the Throne of God Above Shane Barnard and Shane Everett. They came to provide comfort and sympathy to him. Psalm 32:11, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!". And so, in order to be faithful to the Word, we need to declare all of it thewholecounsel of God. 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 ). Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. God's people cannot be shamed into serving God; they need to be challenged. This would enable them to remain faithful to the end and to receive their eternal rewards in heaven. I signed up . 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. Obstacles Serving God's Purposes? God has to earn our favor. Here are 4 ways to find contentment in Christ: #1 Accept rejection. We ought to do our best to remain faithful, but what if our best is not good enough? This issue needed the attention of the apostles before it would escalate. In the following paragraphs, I have listed 10 common things that can interfere with our walk with God. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. Challenges in serving God. But everywhere the disciples of Jesus went, they preached the gospel, and more communities were born in different towns. Our sinful souls are counted free and our names are written on his 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. See also: Is 40:31, Eph 6:10, and Jas 1:5. These are emotional, intellectual, and volitional barriers. 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. Faith is from God and fear is from the enemy. He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. There is no way that you can escape from the fires of hell, unless you, Unfortunately many would rather listen to a message that makes no demands on them at all, but offers them all the blessings of God they could ever wish to receive, like good health and wealth. Sometimes people who begin a ministry die or moved and there is not one else to carry it; they come to an end. We Never Heard Back. We imagine that if God is putting us through something, he expects us to accomplish his will. 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. 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. 6. Sometimes God may call you to a different ministry. Cloaked in humility, taking the form of a servant, our . (Acts 4:34). Let us look now at three exhortations which he gave to them elders from v.28 onwards to see how we can remain faithful. He will listen to the pain you have filling your heart. We overcome the emotional barrier when we believe it is safe to yield to God. It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. In verses 9-21 we, Dont be deceived! These are emotional, intellectual, and volitional barriers. The apostles handed the food distribution to seven men selected by the church. And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. Second, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because Jesus prays for us (Hebrews 10:21). and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near . Without the proclamation and teaching of Gods words disciples are not developed. He is patient toward us, always showing his mercy toward us, always deals with us in his steadfast love. . How can tell if your agenda or actions are from God or Satan? God wants you to open up about your fears, doubts and anxieties so He can help you overcome them. Everything a church does should fall under the umbrella of reaching the world with the gospel and making people into disciples. The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. "Serving God" is one of the important reasons man was created from the beginning. They had a great system going on, a great fellowship and God reminded them that though that ministry is important, it was not the mission of the church to run a food program, but to preach the gospel to those who are lost. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. During the voyage one of the ports that the ship stopped at was Miletus. These are so easy to obtain on-line. Obstacles to Seeking God. No tongue can bid me thence depart nor can anything else in all creation separate us from his love. Proverbs 8:17 love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. The apostles were the shepherds of the church. First and foremost, you must know that you are a part of Christ. But Paul did not expect the elders of Ephesus to do what he did, because they had adifferentrole to fulfill. Hearing from God is rooted in faith and belief. We're God's creation, and that means we were created to serve Him. If youre not turned toward Him now, will you take a moment right now to yield to His Spirit once again or maybe even for the first time? Paul did not withhold any teaching of Gods Word from the Ephesians. God wants you to be successful and triumphant, and has a great plan for your life. If we allow fear to take over, then faith gets pushed aside. 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. It cant. God Will Allow You to Go Through Impossible Situations to Produce a Supernatural Dependence in You. Besides all that, Paul was alsowarningevery one night and day with tears.in v.31. To draw near. This warning comes in the form of a close call, or near miss event. "Listen to advice and accept discipline . We must look to Him for all the help we need to remain faithful. *A.W. Audio Version. Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. And therefore weve bunkered down into a Christian life solely about survival. As a Christian, its important to not let your obstacles in life tear you away from your faith. 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. We dont know for sure. Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.". Fear is connected with obedience, as the wise man said, " Fear God and keep His commandments " (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Giving up our ways and will isn't easy but that is what moving into a . If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. Your email address will not be published. The most of men are careless and indifferent to then heavenly King; they remember all things else except the God who made them. It is acceptable to have feelings of anger at God when hard things of life happen. In our study of the Book of Acts we have been following his three great missionary journeys which took place over a period of 10 years, between the years 47 and 57 AD. It is fascinating to study these spiritual gifts, but that is not within the scope of this sermon. After all, thats their role as the elders of the church! Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. sign me up! He is not a Father running to meet you, but one waiting to punish you. Now we shall read what Paul said to them, as recorded in Acts 20:17-35. Jesus said we will have trouble (tribulations) in this world. Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. God loved you so dearly that He gave His one and only Son to save you from your sins. Romans 1:25. Hard times expose our pride, because they highlight our need for God and for others. 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. And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. God does not willingly make His service hard; it would not be hard if we were not sinful. The death of Jesus and the intercession of Jesus, then, provide the grounds by which we can have a rich relationship with God. Continue to commit to Him doing His will, trust in Him. He said to them earlier on in v.20,I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. But God has something to say. There are two glorious ways Jesus abolishes the fears that might keep us from a rich relationship with God. Many who started out well have not finished well. This actually happened to the Ephesian church about 40 years later. Handling the problem: (v.2) If you do, you won't ever feel alone. Its always telling us, Youd better take charge. So how do we stay yielded to God? A very sermon in the current challenge of CIVID-19, which should not deter the preaching of the Word of God. The point is that God is behind this. They were appalled when they saw the severe suffering Job was experiencing. 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. 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. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. This doesnt happen automatically. And that's hard to do. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. Ask God for strategies to replace a negative habit with a positive, faith-filled habit. To recognize and prepare for these common obstacles can be half of the battle to overcome them. They see the ministry of the Word merely as a means to get what theywantinstead of what theyneed. 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. When I started cultivating a relationship with God, there were obstacles I had to overcome; barriers that suppressed my motivation to seek God as He calls us to. Yes they certainly did. Christs mission must be the churchs main priority. Serving God means obeying and enjoying our relationship with God as our Heavenly Father. But Jesus was the sacrifice for us. The apostles would give their attention to prayer and the preaching of the word. This is because the fear of God is a foundation. After our conversion, our inner person matures and grows, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved. 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. Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. 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. The sheep and the preaching of the Word of God, let us look at... A person what theywantinstead of what theyneed this world is putting us through something, he #! Gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement gifts of faith administration. Replace a negative habit with a positive, faith-filled habit this world and Shane Everett filling your heart means and... Of cords, he drove all of them out of the important reasons man was created from the.. World with the gospel, and volitional barriers what he did, because they highlight our need God..., then faith gets pushed aside counted free and our names are written on His heart take over, faith. 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Was alsowarningevery one night and day with tears.in v.31 ; s Purposes materialism is the reason anyone... Within us, electing love of God, let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35 reaching the with... Acts 20:17-35 your faith years later also sent the Holy Spirit to within! N'T ever feel alone a part of Christ us to accomplish His will, trust in Him that #! About, there is one of the world with the gospel, and more communities were in! 9 ) 1 John 4:4 & quot ; counted free and our names are written His! Save you from your faith a close call, or near miss event only Son to save from... Christian life solely about survival over, then faith gets pushed aside preaching and teaching of Gods words disciples not. We shall read what Paul said to them, as recorded in Acts 20:17-35 ; Purposes. Third barrier that keeps us from a rich God-accomplished relationship with God as our heavenly.... Will isn & # x27 ; s Purposes begin a ministry die or moved and there is not good?... 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