Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! This issue needed the attention of the apostles before it would escalate. It is God's will that we come to Him and serve. Certain Relationships Hinder Spiritual Growth. Our Christian life comprises of many obstacles we meet. Here are 4 barriers to getting through to God: 1) Harboring secret sin. The challenges that Nehemiah faced in building the wall are illustrations from God's Word of obstacles and opposition that Christians may face. It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. 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. 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. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.". In chapter 6 Satan tried to distract the apostles from their main mission. (Rom.12:2). Giving up our ways and will isn't easy but that is what moving into a . The suggestion to handle the ministry: (v.3) We relish our sin too much to renounce it. 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. The most of men are careless and indifferent to then heavenly King; they remember all things else except the God who made them. Meditate on Scripture and you will know everything is going to be OK. Worse, some of us feel too exhausted we just want to stop serving Him. He said, Paul was heading for Jerusalem in obedience to the Lords direction for him, despite knowing the awful trials he would have to face there. His praying is mentioned no less than seven times in the Book of Acts. 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. Get to know others seeking Gods guidance and wisdom for life. Get more than a Sunday sermon. Discover God's peace now. God wants you to open up about your fears, doubts and anxieties so He can help you overcome them. The apostles called the church (the disciples) together. Jesus said in Luke 16:13 (NLT) "No one can serve two masters. (NLT). Please take time to read your Bible each day, and let God speak to you through His Word. When it comes to facing challenges as a church, we must learn like the first Christians did. As followers of Jesus, we battle against difficulties, obstacles on our way to accomplishing Christ's mission in this world. If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel If you are still outside Christ, you are still in your sins. The enemy does not want you to discover or understand who you are in Christ, and will try to take away your spiritual identity. 3. In those days when the number of disciples was increasing. We are here to help and encourage you! 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. "Serve the Lord" Men's hearts are naturally atheistical, they will not endure the thought of God. God made it possible for you to know. 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). How do we keep doing all these things until we reach the end? Will we be able to do these things well? He didn't say, "you should not serve both God and money.". There's three main categories: People, Places and Things. Copyright March 4, 2019,Ken Boa, used with permission. 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. Please do not think that there isno rolefor you at all in Gods kingdom. Without the proclamation and teaching of Gods words disciples are not developed. And because man is so strategic to the advancement of the kingdom of God, Satan uses all kinds of. And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. We serve the same God who said: "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. In order for us to get grace we have to surrender ourselves to God and accept His grace as a free gift. 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. John 12:26 says. Quote This: 2 Corinthians 2:14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. Anne Frank Sitting here with pen in hand, able to put words and thoughts on paper, is a miracle all by itself, as Parkinsons Disease has made me unable to write, How do you know if God is talking to you or Satan? . These are emotional, intellectual, and volitional barriers. Solutions to obstacles: One gets to learn from the obstacles faced by other seekers and what they did to overcome the obstacles. 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. Fear is the first item listed in Joshua's challenge to the people. 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. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Many people will spend a lot of time trying to think and maneuver their way around obstacles . Their widows were being overlooked or neglected in the daily distribution of food. Tough times and obstacles in life build Christian character and faith. I hope that everyone who is serving in any ministry of Life Church will take this exhortation seriously Guard yourself! Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Jesus has said, when you are faithful in a few things, God puts you in charge o many more things. More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Reach out and call Gods name. Look at v.21 where Paul says that he wastestifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,repentance toward God, and faith toward ourLordJesus Christ.. Michael Chriswell. Thats why his discourse ends by saying,And now, brethren,I commend you to God(v.32a). However with God, your biggest setbacks can become your biggest comebacks. Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shanes The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back again. He will listen to the pain you have filling your heart. But what needs to be impressed on us is thatwe allhave a role to play in Gods kingdom. Second, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because Jesus prays for us (Hebrews 10:21). Materialism. We dont have to be afraid of Gods judgment anymore. Climbers think theyll go down the wire smoothly, but when the lever is pulled, they face a 20-foot freefall. Copyright 2023 Staten Island Christian Church. Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. As church leaders, they needed to move into action to resolve this conflict. But he also said that the gates of Hades will not overcome his church. The writer tells us . We can focus and realign our thinking through prayer, daily devotions and meditation. The Third Sunday in Lent Sermon starts at 14:15 in recording Service Booklet All Readings Gospel: John 2:13-22 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Overcoming Obstacles to Serving. Remember, rather than call the equipped, God seems to like to equip the called. 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. Doesnt this remind us of what our Lord Himself did? One obstacle that prevents us from serving the Lord as we should is our being ashamed of Him. Trusting God gives us true success (Psalm 27:3-7; Proverbs 15:22). and its ok. So, this distribution of goods took place before and there wasnt a problem. In addition to natural gravity, Satan uses the same methods repeatedly and they work much of the time. Understand Gods love will help us demolish the intrusive thoughts we have. They must be placed well above our own personal pursuits and interests. If you want to remain faithful, you must give sufficient time to the study of Gods Word. 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. We all want to know God and our Lord Jesus Christ better and He certainly wants us to know Him better. 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.. In fact, faithfulness is the most important quality needed in serving the Lord. This would enable them to remain faithful to the end and to receive their eternal rewards in heaven. Let's stay in touch! one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. Here are seven ways you can rely on God to help you break down and overcome the challenging obstacles that are standing in your way: Focus on God's power rather than on the size of your problem . We overcome the emotional barrier when we believe it is safe to yield to God. Obstacles Serving God's Purposes? They really piss me off. . Besides all that, Paul was alsowarningevery one night and day with tears.in v.31. The apostles were the shepherds of the church. Joshua was firmly in control of his actions and had his eyes fixed on the commandments of the Lord. (Job 10:1-4) The moral of Job's story is: It's okay to question God or the reasons for why something is happening, but there's no need for us to stay there. During his ministry there, a thriving congregation developed and the Gospel was disseminated throughout the western part of Asia Minor. This was their main priority: In a Christ-centered church the preaching and teaching of Gods word must be the main priority. December 10, 2018. Cloaked in humility, taking the form of a servant, our . After our conversion, our inner person matures and grows, but our flesh is neither removed nor improved. God loved you so dearly that He gave His one and only Son to save you from your sins. God continued to bless them by bringing more people into the community. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. When the Israelites, out of a desire to be like all the nations, insisted on an earthly king, they turned from the will and warning of the One who knew what was best for them and they got what they asked for, though the results werent pleasant (1 Samuel 8:9-20 NASB). You know your sin and guilt, and although you like the idea of a closer relationship with God, you wouldnt dare pursue it. 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. Serving God is what we were made to do as his creatures, but our service has been corrupted by our sin and rebellion which has rendered us unable to please him. In v.24 he reveals how willing he was to deny self in serving the Lord. But there is still so much more that needs to be done as we move forward as a church into our 67thyear. Did the Ephesian elders fulfill their role well? Obstacles to Seeking God. Earlier on we witnessed the addition of new members through baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership. We asked a few members of our staff at Deep Spirituality for their favorite biblical characters who trusted God in the midst of difficulty and came up with 10 examples in the Bible of trusting God in difficult times to inspire you. The same thing is true of Life Church. Sometimes people who begin a ministry die or moved and there is not one else to carry it; they come to an end. Reduces Ego: When seekers realise that serving God happens very nicely after praying and not taking doership of the act, it helps in reducing ego. 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.. 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. 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. If you dont know how to manage the small, then you wont be able to manage the big. 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. But what needs to be impressed on us is that, Now, besides faithfulness to the Lord and faithfulness to fulfill our God-given roles, there is another area where faithfulness is required of us. Colossians 3:24. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7). As you travel to Allah, you will inadvertently face obstacles. If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. As a result of this they become spiritually weak, they fall into sin and become ineffective in their service. A very sermon in the current challenge of CIVID-19, which should not deter the preaching of the Word of God. And so, as a point of application, please ask yourself: Are you faithful in learning and obeying the whole counsel of God? 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. This command to draw near might be summarized as a summons to live in a rich God-accomplished relationship with God. Many who started out well have not finished well. The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. Money Money. This is similar to how the higher law of aerodynamics supersedes the lower law of gravity for a hang glider. You can be secure in Gods love, which is a demonstrated, sacrificial, and caring love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10, 19). The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy. sign me up! 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. There are obstacles in our way. God ( v.32a ) full assurance of faith and transfer of membership because Jesus prays for (... 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