Jesus has said, when you are faithful in a few things, God puts you in charge o many more things. These verses will strengthen your faith in God. Download From the series Evening series 2 Timothy 1 ( Listen) Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. This is better than anything we could imagine. Your soul needs the nourishment contained in every part of it, and not just from your favorite books or passages of the Bible. 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? The preaching and teaching of Gods word. However you can always count on God to support you. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.". Remind yourself that you are a child of God and you were put on this earth for a reason. He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf. "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. The answer to this is that our confidence must ultimately be placed in God. Tough times and obstacles in life build Christian character and faith. No tongue can bid me thence depart nor can anything else in all creation separate us from his love. Answer Jesus talked to those who would follow Him about taking up a cross, counting the cost, and giving up everything ( Luke 14:2533 ). Instead, these are the moments where you need faith the most. Through these strategies, you can gain the confidence to face your problems head on and come out victorious. (v.4) We will attend constantly or persist in prayer and the preaching of the gospel. 10) 1 Corinthians 15:57 " But thanks be to God! These men were presented to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! And because man is so strategic to the advancement of the kingdom of God, Satan uses all kinds of. 9) 1 John 4:4 "Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them. When we come within inches of making an enormous mistake that could lead to injury or some other kind of catastrophic failure, we have to praise God for allowing us to dodge a bullet. God made it possible for you to know. The punishment has been paid. These men were to handle or to manage this task (We will turn this responsibility over to them (v.3)). How do we deal with these ongoing barriers in our lives? It is acceptable to have feelings of anger at God when hard things of life happen. This shows that Jesus was a very big part of Pauls life. Cloaked in humility, taking the form of a servant, our . 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. He will listen to the pain you have filling your heart. 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. 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. And it is the Holy Spirit who made the elders fit for their role as overseers, so that the flock would be well fed. 2. We must continue to work together tobuild a united church family that is committed to making disciples through Salvation, Sanctification and Service to the glory of God. God allowed this to happen to mobilize the church from becoming inwardly focused. But what needs to be impressed on us is thatwe allhave a role to play in Gods kingdom. In verses 9-21 we, Dont be deceived! These seven men will oversee the ministry of distribution of food. The trouble is, many congregations face substantial obstacles that make the daily practice of experiencing God more challenging. He gave us the tool or prayer so that we would never feel alone. One of the greatest obstacles many Christians have is simply serving the Lord. If you are united to Jesus by faith, the anger is gone. Were on a mission to change that. Solutions to obstacles: One gets to learn from the obstacles faced by other seekers and what they did to overcome the obstacles. Many people will spend a lot of time trying to think and maneuver their way around obstacles . Here are 4 ways to find contentment in Christ: #1 Accept rejection. The devil is always looking out for opportunities to gain a foothold in your heart and make you fall. In addition to natural gravity, Satan uses the same methods repeatedly and they work much of the time. In the earlier chapters of Acts we had seen that some are called to serve as deacons, some as evangelists, and some as teachers. . Rejection and betrayal are part of life and help us grow closer to God when we realize our weaknesses are actually strengths. Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Now we shall read what Paul said to them, as recorded in Acts 20:17-35. Look at your, If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. He was committed to obedience. How could you draw near to him? Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near. and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near . It can be frustrating to give up control of your life, however to be a follower of Christ it must be done. 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. This was their main priority: In a Christ-centered church the preaching and teaching of Gods word must be the main priority. 1. But he also said that the gates of Hades will not overcome his church. But if we withhold our worship, we are saying: We know better than God. Jesus is the only way to restore our relationship with God, and so He is the only way we can truly serve God as well. Before the Throne of God Above Shane Barnard and Shane Everett. John 12:26 says. It would also distract them from the main mission. Our sinful souls are counted free and our names are written on his heart. 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. Thats why Christ bestowed all the spiritual gifts which the Church needs for service. 2. 6. Satan began to attack the church through severe persecution. When it comes to facing challenges as a church, we must learn like the first Christians did. He has the ability, power, and strength to help you overcome any obstacle in life. Doesnt this remind us of what our Lord Himself did? We dont know for sure. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. It is fascinating to study these spiritual gifts, but that is not within the scope of this sermon. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. As church leaders, they needed to move into action to resolve this conflict. 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 The natural gravity of the flesh pulls us away from grace toward law-based living. God rewarded their faithfulness and decision: 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. The Lord has blessed Life Church with 66 years of service to Him. Weve tried it. They really piss me off. To be faithful to the Word is to give our attention to thewholecounsel of God. Which way are you turned? 1. Job had three friends who came to see him when they heard about the misfortune that befell him. 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. We can focus and realign our thinking through prayer, daily devotions and meditation. 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? The first and biggest obstacle to you and me enjoying all the benefits of God's Grace is you (and me). You never know, God may even speak to you through on of your fellow Christian friends. He is patient toward us, always showing his mercy toward us, always deals with us in his steadfast love. We dont have to be afraid of Gods judgment anymore. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. 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. Staten Island, NY 10314, http://sichristianchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sept.19.mp3. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) May we all be greatly challenged through this to serve faithfully, by remaining Faithful to the Lord, Faithful to fulfill our God-given roles of service, and Faithful to the whole counsel of God, until our Lord Jesus Christ returns! 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. God would use any thing to mobilize his people when they get inwardly focused and neglect to fulfill his mission in the world. 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. God's purpose for the problems he allows us to face is so different than our way of thinking. 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.. Focus on how strong Gods power is. "How pleased the Lord must have been when Abraham did as he was instructed, without question and without wavering.". They would rather increase in fame and fortune. . In the midst of difficulty and temptation, were told to come closer. 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. Get more than a Sunday sermon. Hard times expose our pride, because they highlight our need for God and for others. This actually happened to the Ephesian church about 40 years later. But this one thing we know:God is faithful! Look at what he said in v.33,34I havecoveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE SERVICE OF GOD ARISE FROM THE DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR CHARACTER AND HIS. There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. Obstacles Serving God's Purposes? Right when the church experienced such growth (a problem arose). They see the ministry of the Word merely as a means to get what theywantinstead of what theyneed. 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