Paul was faithful in his role as a, In the earlier chapters of Acts we had seen that s. ome are called to serve as deacons, some as evangelists, and some as teachers. There's no doubt, that the Bible is full of Bible verses about struggle and perseverance. And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. Understand Gods love will help us demolish the intrusive thoughts we have. Before the Throne of God Above Shane Barnard and Shane Everett. There are obstacles in our way. Remind yourself that you are a child of God and you were put on this earth for a reason. Trials and suffering tend to truly reveal who your true friends are. God Will Allow You to Go Through Impossible Situations to Produce a Supernatural Dependence in You. They were responsible for the spiritual health of this new community. God created us in his own image and likeness Gen. 1:27-28. Obstacles Serving God's Purposes? If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? He bore our sins in his body on the tree. After our conversion, our inner person matures and grows, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved. "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. He is patient toward us, always showing his mercy toward us, always deals with us in his steadfast love. 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. You can count on Gods promise (Joshua 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:6; 1 Chronicles 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). 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. 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. 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. 10) 1 Corinthians 15:57 " But thanks be to God! We Never Heard Back. Doesnt this remind us of what our Lord Himself did? Other people of faith who are overcoming their own challenges can lift you up in spirit, remind you of Gods truth, and cheer you on as you strive for your goals. - Obstacles to Following God's Call The Hoot & Howl What's Stopping You? Joshua was firmly in control of his actions and had his eyes fixed on the commandments of the Lord. 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. Did the Ephesian elders fulfill their role well? . Right beside the foundation of Jesuss death in our place is this glorious picture of Jesus praying for us. He is our perfect, spotless righteousness and our lives are hid with him on high. In Romans 12 Paul reminded the church not to be conformed or fashioned by the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of the mind. Be willing to say yes to whatever God wants you to do. 4. Allow God to remind you who He is and what He promises, and then be honest with Him. Some use their service to God to upgrade themselves they urge people to give and give sacrificially to support their ministry, but they fly business class or in their own private jet, they stay in the most expensive hotels, and they eat at the most expensive restaurants. Abraham Taking Isaac to be Sacrificed. Try. Paul did not say, I kept back nothing that waspleasantunto you.Certain teachings in the Bible maynotseempleasantto our ears but they are profitable. Verse Concepts. Persecution mobilized the church, and the food ministry came to an end. 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. These are so easy to obtain on-line. About, There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. Did you feel released and free? 2. 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. Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. The apostles were the shepherds of the church. We just cant do it. Everyone in the church knew who was overseeing the food distribution ministry. 3. God did it. 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. No matter how big your problem may feel, or how impossible it may seem for it to get better, know that nothing is too difficult for God to handle. (Acts 4:34). Rejection and betrayal are part of life and help us grow closer to God when we realize our weaknesses are actually strengths. Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shanes The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. 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. But having said all this, the question still remains what if Gods people are somehownotdiligent enough to guard themselves well and to build themselves up with God Word? Paul did not say, , If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel . But he also said that the gates of Hades will not overcome his church. 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. You may be diligent in feeding others, but you also need tofeed yourself. . Your browser does not support the audio element. We imagine that if God is putting us through something, he expects us to accomplish his will. We relish our sin too much to renounce it. We are here to help and encourage you! Discover God's peace now. Let's stay in touch! Growing in Christ wont be without struggles. - Watch past sessions at https://mcceastbay.org/obstaclesEvery Muslim is on a journey to Allah. The Bible is God's unfailing, unchanging Word. God detests pride, but humility prompts the gift of His grace. THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE SERVICE OF GOD ARISE FROM THE DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR CHARACTER AND HIS. 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. After all, thats their role as the elders of the church! Obstacles expose our weaknesses and increase our dependency upon Christ. And what keeps us from doing so? Besides all that, Paul was alsowarningevery one night and day with tears.in v.31. DAVID David is a Bible character who is no stranger to hard times. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. 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.. Were on a mission to change that. We serve the same God who said: "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. This is probably because of the many struggles and challenges we face as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ. 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? Handling the problem: (v.2) Paul fulfilled his role well despite the many difficult challenges which he faced at Ephesus. Are we a biblical people, or do we just get our truths from our emotions or non-emotions? Its always telling us, Youd better take charge. So how do we stay yielded to God? Obstacles to Seeking God. Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. These feelings can keep us paralyzed from dealing with the obstacles correctly. He gave us the tool or prayer so that we would never feel alone. This actually happened to the Ephesian church about 40 years later. We can speak to God about the obstacles we face in a safe, judge-free setting. Do you know that prayer was the secret of success in Pauls ministry? Growth is great, but with much growth comes great challenges as well. God sometimes challenges us with a warning. The first exhortation is found in v.28:Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flockThe Ephesian elders would already have known that they were to guard the flock, which is the church. You can be assured of Gods intentions that He has your best interests at heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13; Hebrews 12:10). A very sermon in the current challenge of CIVID-19, which should not deter the preaching of the Word of God. Will we be able to do these things well? (Hebrews 10:1922). The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus has completely absorbed Gods anger towards us. But Jesus was the sacrifice for us. Satan began to attack the church through severe persecution. For more on this, read How to Have a Happier Life by Practicing Gratitude. They came to provide comfort and sympathy to him. 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. Through his faithful teaching, and testifying to Jews and Greeks, and preaching the kingdom of God, and warning the Christians against false teaching, the Ephesian church was firmly established on a strong foundation. Regardless of any problem or issue we face as a church; we must never neglect Christs mission: to reach the lost; to make disciples of all nations through the preaching of his word. Tough times and obstacles in life build Christian character and faith. The writer tells us . In those days when the number of disciples was increasing. Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful (7) These dark moments can leave you feeling frustrated, scared, and broken. - 2 Timothy 1:1-18 By Pastor Mark Thomas on 10 April 2016 at the evening service. The same thing happens if one member is not fulfilling his or her role faithfully The whole church suffers! He gave us a once-for-all sacrifice and he gives us never-ceasing intercession. Did you laugh or cry tears of joy? A spiritual war is taking place. You do. With God, you can move from being a victim to being a victor. In chapter 6 Satan tried to distract the apostles from their main mission. The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. 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. We have already read the first 11 verses of the passage during the responsive reading. With this obstacle, we ask, Is it possible to trust God? Therefore, Jesus said to Peter Get behind me Satan. 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. 2. *A.W. God's people cannot be shamed into serving God; they need to be challenged. Hard times expose our pride, because they highlight our need for God and for others. The river was flooded and nearly impossible to cross. This is similar to how the higher law of aerodynamics supersedes the lower law of gravity for a hang glider. You can place your steadfast trust in Him. The elders of Ephesus were faithful in their roles asshepherdswho provided for the flock and protected it from danger. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. But now we come to the question. The fear of judgment keeps you from a rich relationship with God because you just cant believe that God can forgive your sin. Many who started out well have not finished well. 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. Thats why his discourse ends by saying,And now, brethren,I commend you to God(v.32a). 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. But God has something to say. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.The counsel of God here refers to the complete Word of God which we now have in the 66 books of the Bible. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. But in serving God, there will always be obstructions and hindrances. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. God was Pauls confidence that the Ephesian church would remain faithful. During his ministry there, a thriving congregation developed and the Gospel was disseminated throughout the western part of Asia Minor. In 1 Kings 19, we see how detrimental fear can be to hearing God. Obstacles that we face in life are riddled with anxiety, fear, worry, anger, stress, and every negative emotion that you can think of. His praying is mentioned no less than seven times in the Book of Acts. 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. Romans 14:13 - Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. 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). He was committed to obedience. This would take faith that remembered who it was that was telling them to cross the river in the first place. It requires a true heart in full assurance of faith. This is a full and rich and satisfying relationship one that is more real to us than anything else. 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. 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. In order for us to get grace we have to surrender ourselves to God and accept His grace as a free gift. To draw near. 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. Serve the Lord with gladness. Worse, some of us feel too exhausted we just want to stop serving Him. Christ went to Jerusalem towards the end of His earthly ministry, despite, The apostle Paul would have disagreed with them very strongly. For some people, time crowds out their ability to serve the Lord. The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. One of them is found at the end of our passage, Acts 20:36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, andprayedwith them all., Now, besides faithfulness to the Lord and faithfulness to fulfill our God-given roles, there is another area where faithfulness is required of us. 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. (v.6) Your soul needs the nourishment contained in every part of it, and not just from your favorite books or passages of the Bible. You can cling to its truth when life throws you a curveball. 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