Christs mission must be the churchs main priority. *A.W. sign me up! 1. And since Gods awful judgment on this world is coming soon, you must not delay obeying His command any longer. 1) The Problem of Science Faith vs. Science is the perennial God-problem. This is what Paul declared at Ephesus. 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. Prayer is the best way to communicate one-on-one with God. If you want to remain faithful, you must give sufficient time to the study of Gods Word. The outcome of the apostles decision? But if we withhold our worship, we are saying: We know better than God. Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. 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). Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. 8) Luke 1:37 "For every promise from God shall surely come true.". He is patient toward us, always showing his mercy toward us, always deals with us in his steadfast love. -- James MacDonald #Church #Exclusion #Serving God So you can't lose serving God, and that all things work together for good. They see the ministry of the Word merely as a means to get what theywantinstead of what theyneed. By: Ysrael De la Cruz. But its not that simple. Then look to these promises. 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.". First, the apostles identified their main priority. 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. 1. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. 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. Yes they certainly did. Copyright 2020 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. If we allow fear to take over, then faith gets pushed aside. Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. . Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. The devil is always looking out for opportunities to gain a foothold in your heart and make you fall. God calls His people to serve and love one another with humility. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 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 are not interested in decreasing. 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. What happens when one organ in a persons body is not functioning well? Did the Ephesian elders fulfill their role well? Others struggle to serve the Lord because of illness, a serious disease, or a litany or other reasons. We have already read the first 11 verses of the passage during the responsive reading. 2. Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful 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). But what if they aren't enemies? He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. These challenges come to distract us from our mission; they come to make us quit running the race. No matter how many ministries a church may have, if the preaching and teaching of Gods word is not the main priority then I doubt that true disciples are being developed. Growth is great, but with much growth comes great challenges as well. Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Courses, As we thank God for His faithfulness today, let us be reminded that God requires faithfulness from us. Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. Draw near to him. But he also said that the gates of Hades will not overcome his church. Your browser does not support the audio element. Certain Relationships Hinder Spiritual Growth. Now we shall read what Paul said to them, as recorded in Acts 20:17-35. Nothing like a twisted ankle because you stepped on an uneven surface, rock or twig. We are here to help and encourage you! There are obstacles in our way. But what do we see here? 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. Quote This: 2 Corinthians 2:14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. Reach out and call Gods name. Extrinsic Challenges The church, since the time of Paul, has had to confront philosophies that challenge God's existence, and deny the Christology of Jesus. No! 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). Giving up our ways and will isn't easy but that is what moving into a . 9) 1 John 4:4 "Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them. 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. - Obstacles to Following God's Call The Hoot & Howl What's Stopping You? 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. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.". Remind yourself that you are a child of God and you were put on this earth for a reason. Were to make a choice to make up our mind whether to trust and serve God or not, and then act accordingly. Theres really nowhere else to go, as the apostle Peter said, for true life eternal life is with Him alone. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. The first and biggest obstacle to you and me enjoying all the benefits of God's Grace is you (and me). Obstacles to serving God. And because man is so strategic to the advancement of the kingdom of God, Satan uses all kinds of. 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. You may be diligent in feeding others, but you also need tofeed yourself. Being full of the Spirit and being wise are evident qualities in a person. Climbers think theyll go down the wire smoothly, but when the lever is pulled, they face a 20-foot freefall. Persecution mobilized the church, and the food ministry came to an end. For some people, time crowds out their ability to serve the Lord. 1. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. It is just like eating well-balanced meals that include every kind of food that your body needs to be strong and healthy. 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. 4. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. 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. Serving God means obeying and enjoying our relationship with God as our Heavenly Father. If the work of Gods kingdom depends entirely on our faithfulness what assurance is there that it will succeed? Elijah, God's prophet, had just had an . 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? God detests pride, but humility prompts the gift of His grace. December 10, 2018. 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. The food distribution ministry was just caring for the needs of those in the church. The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back again. John 12:26 says. 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. 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. To be faithful to the Word is to give our attention to thewholecounsel of God. The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus has completely absorbed Gods anger towards us. 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. Paul did not say, I kept back nothing that waspleasantunto you.Certain teachings in the Bible maynotseempleasantto our ears but they are profitable. It can be frustrating to give up control of your life, however to be a follower of Christ it must be done. God made it possible for you to know. Staten Island, NY 10314, http://sichristianchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sept.19.mp3. When it comes to facing challenges as a church, we must learn like the first Christians did. They were responsible for the spiritual health of this new community. Gods people are to be molded or conformed by Gods pattern and not the worlds pattern. 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 (Rom.12:2). Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.". This doesnt happen automatically. It means submitting to Him even when it doesn't make sense and serving others faithfully even when they don't appreciate our efforts. Yes, we are sinners. Life is full of ups and downs. Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shanes The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. Jesus Tells Us to Love the Lord Yes, our pain and our disappointments are real and valid. 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? At a camp in North Carolina, the high ropes course has a trapdoor at the end. Is anything too hard for me? When faced with an enormous obstacle, dont focus on how big the problem is. He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. 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). and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near . Within that time, Paul put in all his efforts to fulfill his role in several ways: Public teaching is mentioned in v.20 , But Paul did not expect the elders of Ephesus to do what he did, because they had a, Did the Ephesian elders fulfill their role well? Answer Jesus talked to those who would follow Him about taking up a cross, counting the cost, and giving up everything ( Luke 14:2533 ). It may just a sprained ankle or a runny nose or a toothache, but it hinders our performance The question we should ask ourselves today is: Are you fulfilling your God-given role in His kingdom? More growth was taking place. 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 . It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. 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 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. DAVID David is a Bible character who is no stranger to hard times. Much of the ministry of Jesus was devoted to correcting bad teaching; see, for example, Matthew 5:21 on murder, 5:27 on adultery, and 5:33 on oaths. It cant. Stephen was murdered, Philip and the rest had to leave. If you do, you won't ever feel alone. Obstacles to God's Will Do you want God's will for your life? Do you know that prayer was the secret of success in Pauls ministry? Warning. These feelings can keep us paralyzed from dealing with the obstacles correctly. The point is that God is behind this. Money Money. 3. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. 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. He will listen to the pain you have filling your heart. Look at your, If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. 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). Your soul needs the nourishment contained in every part of it, and not just from your favorite books or passages of the Bible. Cloaked in humility, taking the form of a servant, our . 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