Thats why Christ bestowed all the spiritual gifts which the Church needs for service. When it comes to facing challenges as a church, we must learn like the first Christians did. Trusting God gives us direction (Proverbs 3:5-6). If you dont know how to manage the small, then you wont be able to manage the big. 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.". Christians are called to make disciples, but we are not capable of changing people. These seven men will oversee the ministry of distribution of food. We can focus and realign our thinking through prayer, daily devotions and meditation. This is better than anything we could imagine. But God has something to say. 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. There are many other roles of service in Gods kingdom besides these. 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. For some people, time crowds out their ability to serve the Lord. 3980 Victory Blvd. Giving up our ways and will isn't easy but that is what moving into a . they did not let this issue distract them from their mission. There's no doubt, that the Bible is full of Bible verses about struggle and perseverance. But Jesus was the sacrifice for us. Job had three friends who came to see him when they heard about the misfortune that befell him. The Bible says that the church is like a human body. Without the proclamation and teaching of Gods words disciples are not developed. There is no more condemnation. Nothing like a twisted ankle because you stepped on an uneven surface, rock or twig. The Emotional Barrier: Is It Safe to Trust God? 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. The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. 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). There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. When the stresses of this world and the worst of suffering might seem to extinguish our hope, it doesnt. As followers of Jesus, we battle against difficulties, obstacles on our way to accomplishing Christ's mission in this world. 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.. Jesus has an active, priestly role for our sake at the Fathers right hand. And therefore weve bunkered down into a Christian life solely about survival. 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. The emotional barrier deals with bad experiences, but the intellectual barrier deals with bad teaching. They even say,Surely God wants His servants to have the very best!, The apostle Paul would have disagreed with them very strongly. God continued to bless them by bringing more people into the community. See also: Is 40:31, Eph 6:10, and Jas 1:5. In v.24 he reveals how willing he was to deny self in serving the Lord. 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. This exhortation is found in v.32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God,and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up,and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.(v.32) Paul said this because he had to leave the Ephesians, and would no longer be present to teach them as he had done before. We can speak to God about the obstacles we face in a safe, judge-free setting. Before the Throne of God Above Shane Barnard and Shane Everett. If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. 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? . 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. 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. 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 In the following paragraphs, I have listed 10 common things that can interfere with our walk with God. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. God sometimes challenges us with a warning. You can tell God how you feel and in what areas of your life you are struggling to trust Him. The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy. The suggestion to handle the ministry: (v.3) Satan began to attack the church through severe persecution. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. 10) 1 Corinthians 15:57 " But thanks be to God! The church needs your effectual fervent prayers! sign me up! Acts 6:1-7 Whatever Peter said to Jesus did not support Gods plan. Repent and believe right now! 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. Cf. God loved you so dearly that He gave His one and only Son to save you from your sins. If you are still outside Christ, you are still in your sins. But the enemy doesnt like this, so he would use anything to stop you. More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. As followers of Jesus, we battle against difficulties, obstacles on our way to accomplishing Christs mission in this world. He said, "you cannot serve both God and money.". 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. Obstacles expose our weaknesses and increase our dependency upon Christ. John 12:26 says. 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. We imagine that if God is putting us through something, he expects us to accomplish his will. In 1 Kings 19, we see how detrimental fear can be to hearing God. His praying is mentioned no less than seven times in the Book of Acts. If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. Choosing our own way over Gods is always a losing option. He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. The apostle Paul is a good example of one who was very faithful to fulfill his role in life. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! There are obstacles in our way. Download. 8) Luke 1:37 "For every promise from God shall surely come true.". But what do we see here? CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. Please do not think that there isno rolefor you at all in Gods kingdom. "Serving God" is one of the important reasons man was created from the beginning. You do. 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). Thus we have seen that Paul and the Ephesian elders were faithful in fulfilling their respective God-given roles. Without prayer all that we do willlackGods power and enablement. 1. In Pauls discourse we can see how greatly concerned he was that the Ephesian church should remain faithful. Draw near to him. A preacher was once heard yelling, Oh, [expletive]! on the way down. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! 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. 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. Earlier on we witnessed the addition of new members through baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership. After our conversion, our inner person matures and grows, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved. Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. We dont have to be afraid of Gods judgment anymore. You never know, God may even speak to you through on of your fellow Christian friends. Many times, we wonder about God's purpose in our lives. He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. Romans 1:25. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation" ( Isaiah 12:2 ). - Obstacles to Following God's Call The Hoot & Howl What's Stopping You? Which way are you turned? Genesis 50:20 - But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 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 ). Here are 4 barriers to getting through to God: 1) Harboring secret sin. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. Trials and suffering tend to truly reveal who your true friends are. If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? With God, you can navigated the deepest and darkest valleys of life and walk high on the mountain. And so, in order to be faithful to the Word, we need to declare all of it thewholecounsel of God. Only God the Holy Spirit can change a heart. Do you know that prayer was the secret of success in Pauls ministry? 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. 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. 5 MarWe Must Obey God Rather than Men (Acts 5:12-42) by RevQuek KK, 12 MarGods Wisdom and Requirements for Church Leadership (Acts 6:1-7) byRev Charles Seet, 19 MarStephen-A Man of Faith (Acts 6:5, 7:54-8:3) by RevQuek KK, 26 MarPhilip-A Light in Darkness (Acts 8:4-8) by RevHo Chee Lai, 8.00 am English Worship I9.40 am Catechism Class Sunday School 11.00 am English Worship II Chinese Worship Children's Ministry Filipina Service2.30 pm Thai Service4.00 pm Indonesian Service. It can be frustrating to give up control of your life, however to be a follower of Christ it must be done. Fear is connected with obedience, as the wise man said, " Fear God and keep His commandments " (Ecclesiastes 12:13). God calls His people to serve and love one another with humility. Paul was telling them to take heed untothemselvesfirst, in order toremain fitto guard the flock. 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). Worse, some of us feel too exhausted we just want to stop serving Him. First, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because of Jesuss sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1920). Everyone in the church knew who was overseeing the food distribution ministry. Notice the language: Were to draw near with our hearts sprinkled clean from a evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. This echoes the God-centeredness of the New Covenant, when God promised that hed write his law on our hearts, that hed give us his Spirit, that hed make us clean (Jeremiah 31:33). During the voyage one of the ports that the ship stopped at was Miletus. Your soul needs the nourishment contained in every part of it, and not just from your favorite books or passages of the Bible. This issue needed the attention of the apostles before it would escalate. (NLT). 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 . Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. God has to earn our favor. Discover short videos related to mike todd obstacles and serving god on TikTok. Therefore, Jesus said to Peter Get behind me Satan. Image Credit: Hero Images/Hero Images/Getty Images. In the midst of difficulty and temptation, were told to come closer. We Never Heard Back. 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. This is what Paul declared at Ephesus. This letter exhorts us to persevere, and this profound call to draw near to God is right at the heart. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.". We must look to Him for all the help we need to remain faithful. Were to make a choice to make up our mind whether to trust and serve God or not, and then act accordingly. 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. This warning comes in the form of a close call, or near miss event. The writer to the Hebrews commands us to draw near to God. Copyright 2020 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. The Lord has blessed Life Church with 66 years of service to Him. Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. These verses will strengthen your faith in God. "The way is hard that leads to life," He said ( Matthew 7:14, ESV ). ". You see, regardless of the challenges we may face in life in our ministries, Jesus expects us to be faithful to his call of making disciples, his call to reaching those who dont know him. He expects us to draw near to God temptation, were told to come closer a to... Friends are disciples, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved and of... Reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership God loved you so dearly that he gave His one and Son! Error: there was an internal error submitting your form about struggle and perseverance your,... 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