As followers of Jesus, we will struggle with trials and tribulations. The problem: a complaint from the Grecian Jews (Hellenistic Jews). The church has faced external and internal challenges since the day it began through the preaching of the apostles. 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 . 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. 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? Sometimes God may call you to a different ministry. And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'. 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. In fact, faithfulness is the most important quality needed in serving the Lord. The Emotional Barrier: Is It Safe to Trust God? 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. 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. Certain Relationships Hinder Spiritual Growth. There are obstacles in our way. They help us see how strong and powerful our God is. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. I signed up . The apostles were the shepherds of the church. If your love for Him has grown cold, you are unwell and you need to rekindle that love before things get worse. 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. One of the greatest obstacles many Christians have is simply serving the Lord. The apostles handed the food distribution to seven men selected by the church. Get more than a Sunday sermon. This is similar to how the higher law of aerodynamics supersedes the lower law of gravity for a hang glider. Can God change your life? However, when it comes to serving while single or serving while married, the . This gravity is like a built-in magnet that draws us toward controlling, creating, and manipulating. Hebrews 4:12 states: His word is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, able to pierce to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow and even able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. Gods Word is incredibly powerful and holds the key to many of our problems. Be bold. When it comes to facing challenges as a church, we must learn like the first Christians did. Matthew 22:37. Your email address will not be published. This is what Paul declared at Ephesus. He is our perfect, spotless righteousness and our lives are hid with him on high. These men were presented to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them. Here are 4 barriers to getting through to God: 1) Harboring secret sin. Growing in Christ wont be without struggles. Although the Lord Jesus commended them for guarding the flock well against false apostles, He also rebuked them:Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, becausethou hast left thy first love.(Revelation 2:4) Let us ask ourselves this question: Have you left your first love? More Ken Boa on Trusting God in Turbulent Times. But not all the ministries would last forever in a church. God wants you to open up about your fears, doubts and anxieties so He can help you overcome them. First, the apostles identified their main priority. Benefits Of Serving God: The Challenges, The Pains, The Blessings And The Rewards - Kindle edition by Kanu, Kenneth. Money Money. Look at what he said in v.33,34I havecoveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. John 12:26 says. In our choices, we dont so much turn to evil as we turn from God. According to 2 Timothy 3:16All scriptureis given by inspiration of God, and isprofitablefor doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.All scripture is profitable not just some of it or most of it, but All of it. We're God's creation, and that means we were created to serve Him. Jesus said we will have trouble (tribulations) in this world. This is a spiritual thermometer. Abraham Taking Isaac to be Sacrificed. Copyright 2020 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. Colossians 3:24. 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. The river was flooded and nearly impossible to cross. We Never Heard Back. Then Satans strategy changed; he began to attack the church from the inside. You might start to lose some of your faith in God. Doesnt this remind us of what our Lord Himself did? God loved you so dearly that He gave His one and only Son to save you from your sins. One obstacle that prevents us from serving the Lord as we should is our being ashamed of Him. Fourth, Psalm 1 says that successful people do not get tangled up with negative, wicked, or limiting people. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes - the hope of the world hangs on it (Rom 1:16). they did not let this issue distract them from their mission. Living for Godwhy is it so difficult? The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation" ( Isaiah 12:2 ). (7) This is mentioned in vv.26,27 where Paul said,Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels the worst. For some people, time crowds out their ability to serve the Lord. God wants you to be successful and triumphant, and has a great plan for your life. This then is what it means toserve the Lord with allhumilityof mind.The Lords interests must always come first. Required fields are marked *. (v.6) 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. Click to Tweet . Discover God's peace now. Paul belonged to Him alone, and so he lived to do the will of the Lord Jesus. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. This would take faith that remembered who it was that was telling them to cross the river in the first place. 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. It means submitting to Him even when it doesn't make sense and serving others faithfully even when they don't appreciate our efforts. 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. They wept, Gods pattern for his people! The Bible has scripture for every one of your needs. It cant. Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. This command to draw near might be summarized as a summons to live in a rich God-accomplished relationship with God. But what needs to be impressed on us is thatwe allhave a role to play in Gods kingdom. Serving God means obeying and enjoying our relationship with God as our Heavenly Father. "The way is hard that leads to life," He said ( Matthew 7:14, ESV ). Life is full of ups and downs. More growth and new challenges would come ahead. You know your sin and guilt, and although you like the idea of a closer relationship with God, you wouldnt dare pursue it. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Fear and faith cannot co-exist, and they battle for space within us. When the stresses of this world and the worst of suffering might seem to extinguish our hope, it doesnt. Look at your, If it has, one way to restore it is build yourself up spiritually. - 2 Timothy 1:1-18 By Pastor Mark Thomas on 10 April 2016 at the evening service. If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. He had been doing this to the Ephesians for three years (54-57 AD), as he said to them in vv.18 and 31Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia,after what manner I have been with you at all seasonsTherefore watch, and remember, that by the space ofthree yearsI ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.. Remind yourself that you are a child of God and you were put on this earth for a reason. The church needs your effectual fervent prayers! The devil is always looking out for opportunities to gain a foothold in your heart and make you fall. They were responsible for the spiritual health of this new community. 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. 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. Paul was faithful in his role as achurch-planter, testifying of the Gospel of the grace of God wherever he went. 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. In Pauls discourse we can see how greatly concerned he was that the Ephesian church should remain faithful. We have already read the first 11 verses of the passage during the responsive reading. Second, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because Jesus prays for us (Hebrews 10:21). 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