Weve tried it. We serve not just because we want to serve but love man has to carry out; that we have a loving Creator, a true genuine Father in every sense of the word. He said, "you cannot serve both God and money.". 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 . Have you ever wondered why we get caught in the same sins over and over? Picture this scenario: people complaining that others were being shown special favor in the distribution. First, the apostles identified their main priority. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. Because the call of God is heaven bound, Satan opposes it with all the weapons in his arsenal. He alone can give us the strength and wisdom we need to endure. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Try. You can count on Gods promise (Joshua 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:6; 1 Chronicles 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). Earlier on we witnessed the addition of new members through baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership. Second, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because Jesus prays for us (Hebrews 10:21). 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. Committed to Loving God and Loving People. After our conversion, our inner person matures and grows, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved. The same thing is true of Life Church. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. 10) 1 Corinthians 15:57 " But thanks be to God! 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. Which way are you turned? He is there right beside you. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7). He knows about every detail of you, and has your best interest at heart. they did not let this issue distract them from their mission. Climbers think theyll go down the wire smoothly, but when the lever is pulled, they face a 20-foot freefall. The elders of Ephesus were faithful in their roles asshepherdswho provided for the flock and protected it from danger. Being full of the Spirit and being wise are evident qualities in a person. God does not willingly make His service hard; it would not be hard if we were not sinful. 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? These feelings can keep us paralyzed from dealing with the obstacles correctly. This requirement is highlighted in the words which Paul spoke in v.19Servingthe Lordwith all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations(v.19). 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. They would rather increase in fame and fortune. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Paul did not say, , If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel . It was a big issue for it could have become racial and had the potential to split the church. 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. Psalm 32:11, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!". Giving up our ways and will isn't easy but that is what moving into a . . 8) Luke 1:37 "For every promise from God shall surely come true.". Serve the Lord with gladness. There an be obstacles in our spiritual walks, too, and sometimes we place them; sometimes we embrace them - addiction to television, busyness, overextending ourselves, video games Identify and address your obstacles. Matthew 22:37. They dream of living in the lap of luxury, and this makes them covet more silver and gold for themselves. 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. Continue to commit to Him doing His will, trust in Him. How do we trust and submit to God? In v.25 we see that Paul was alsopreachingthe kingdom of Godamong them. But it was a problem now. God continued to bless them by bringing more people into the community. Copyright March 4, 2019,Ken Boa, used with permission. The outcome of the apostles decision? Cloaked in humility, taking the form of a servant, our . He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.*. Paul explains to the Philippian church that the evidence of true Christianity is found in humble service to each other. You can place your steadfast trust in Him. Joshua was firmly in control of his actions and had his eyes fixed on the commandments of the Lord. This is probably because of the many struggles and challenges we face as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. Satan could not stop the growth of the church through outside influence. No! Paul did not withhold any teaching of Gods Word from the Ephesians. The devil is always looking out for opportunities to gain a foothold in your heart and make you fall. This doesnt happen automatically. We dont know for sure. First and foremost, you must know that you are a part of Christ. The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back again. "Serve the Lord" Men's hearts are naturally atheistical, they will not endure the thought of God. and its ok. God wants you to be successful and triumphant, and has a great plan for your life. These challenges come to distract us from our mission; they come to make us quit running the race. 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. This is His purpose of why we were created and the reason why we are here on earth. Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. The world tells us, Take charge! You are the master of your own destiny, and God helps those who help themselves. This kind of advice flies in the face of the Bibles urgings to submit to God, trusting and yielding ourselves to Him (cf. Faith is from God and fear is from the enemy. Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.". They were responsible for that. God wants you to open up about your fears, doubts and anxieties so He can help you overcome them. We relish our sin too much to renounce it. Trusting God gives us a better perspective a mindset focused on a higher truth (Isaiah 55:7-9; Proverbs 14:12). That sounds crazy because rejection is not easy. Jesus was able to recognize Satan in Peters words. 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. Fear. He didn't say, "you should not serve both God and money.". 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 arenotinterested in decreasing. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. Sometimes people who begin a ministry die or moved and there is not one else to carry it; they come to an end. Challenges in serving God. Challenges will come and go but we must remain faithful to Christs mission. Is anything too hard for me? When faced with an enormous obstacle, dont focus on how big the problem is. 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. As we now enter into our 67thyear, let us resolve to give Him thefirst and central placein all that we do as a church, so that we may be faithful to Him. sign me up! Life is full of ups and downs. You are a Christian and no one can take that away from you unless you let them. Look at yourlovefor the Lord. . More growth and new challenges would come ahead. How do we deal with these ongoing barriers in our lives? There are two glorious ways Jesus abolishes the fears that might keep us from a rich relationship with God. 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. If you want to remain faithful, you must give sufficient time to the study of Gods Word. Its a God-accomplished relationship, not one that we contrive. Hard times expose our pride, because they highlight our need for God and for others. These challenges come to distract us from our mission; they come to make us quit running the race. The death of Jesus and the intercession of Jesus, then, provide the grounds by which we can have a rich relationship with God. Paul belonged to Him alone, and so he lived to do the will of the Lord Jesus. All these things should remind us that God is working in our midst and has enabled us to grow. He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. Fear is the first item listed in Joshua's challenge to the people. 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. Everything else comes after that. Serving God is one of the greatest things we have been given by the Lord to do. 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. But there is still so much more that needs to be done as we move forward as a church into our 67thyear. Verse Concepts. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. But Jesus was the sacrifice for us. As a result of this they become spiritually weak, they fall into sin and become ineffective in their service. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.". So, this distribution of goods took place before and there wasnt a problem. The apostles called the church (the disciples) together. 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. 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. As God reveals His plan to you, you will be able to better understand how to overcome the obstacles in your way, or Gods reasons for putting them there. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation" ( Isaiah 12:2 ). Hebrews 7:25 tells us, Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. He is always praying for us, always fueling the furnace of our faith. The trouble is, many congregations face substantial obstacles that make the daily practice of experiencing God more challenging. The sinless Savior died and he ever lives and pleads for me. It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. Its always telling us, Youd better take charge. So how do we stay yielded to God? Cf. 3. Similarly, repentance is not so much a matter of turning from evil as it is a turning to God. God loved you so dearly that He gave His one and only Son to save you from your sins. Here are 4 ways to find contentment in Christ: #1 Accept rejection. We have already read the first 11 verses of the passage during the responsive reading. In verses 9-21 we, Dont be deceived! It is God's will that we come to Him and serve. Download From the series Evening series 2 Timothy 1 ( Listen) For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.". The church has faced external and internal challenges since the day it began through the preaching of the apostles. He was committed to obedience. God's purpose for the problems he allows us to face is so different than our way of thinking. Sometimes, the key to overcoming your problems is through replacing these negative emotions with Gods love. But God has something to say. 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. An important part of the gospel is that in Jesus Christ we can begin to serve God again with the promise of being able to serve him perfectly and forever in the age to come. Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. 1. If you are united to Jesus by faith, the anger is gone. 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. You may be diligent in feeding others, but you also need to, If you want to remain faithful, you must give sufficient time to the study of Gods Word. Jesus has said, when you are faithful in a few things, God puts you in charge o many more things. 2. Then look to these promises. 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. These are emotional, intellectual, and volitional barriers. His praying is mentioned no less than seven times in the Book of Acts. Were on a mission to change that. 3980 Victory Blvd. See also: Is 40:31, Eph 6:10, and Jas 1:5. Trials and suffering tend to truly reveal who your true friends are. Quote This: 2 Corinthians 2:14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. Do you seek to fulfill God's purpose? Following Jesus as our Lord and Savior not only means that we . Many people will spend a lot of time trying to think and maneuver their way around obstacles . . Right beside the foundation of Jesuss death in our place is this glorious picture of Jesus praying for us. They really piss me off. Growing in Christ won't be without struggles. 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. Seven Barriers to Knowing and Walking with God. This email address is being protected from spambots. As followers of Jesus, we battle against difficulties, obstacles on our way to accomplishing Christs mission in this world. If your love for Him has grown cold, you are unwell and you need to rekindle that love before things get worse. In order for us to get grace we have to surrender ourselves to God and accept His grace as a free gift. What does God say about overcoming obstacles? . These dark moments can leave you feeling frustrated, scared, and broken. Thats why his discourse ends by saying,And now, brethren,I commend you to God(v.32a). As you dig into the Word of God, start with a great study Bible, ( this list has some of the most popular Study Bibles for women.) In v.24 he reveals how willing he was to deny self in serving the Lord. 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. Doing his will, trust in Him on the commandments of the apostles, the! 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