The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus has completely absorbed Gods anger towards us. Christs mission must be the churchs main priority. 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. - 2 Timothy 1:1-18 By Pastor Mark Thomas on 10 April 2016 at the evening service. Your email address will not be published. Paul fulfilled his role well despite the many difficult challenges which he faced at Ephesus. He wrote this 3 chapters later,Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.(1 Timothy 4:16). In fact, faithfulness is the most important quality needed in serving the Lord. We must look to Him for all the help we need to remain faithful. Jesus isnt appealing to the irrational, but to a higher truth. (Rom.12:2). Do you find it hard? If you handle the small things, God brings you big things to handle. A very sermon in the current challenge of CIVID-19, which should not deter the preaching of the Word of God. We dont know for sure. Get more than a Sunday sermon. "The way is hard that leads to life," He said ( Matthew 7:14, ESV ). Fear of the unknown can prevent us from following God's promptings to serve and fully accept all that He has for us. (Food pantry ministry). Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. And that's hard to do. 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. Listen now to what he said at the end of v.24 so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.Paul knew exactly what role the Lord wanted him to fulfill: He was to testify ofthe Gospel of the grace of God. 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. Sometimes, the key to overcoming your problems is through replacing these negative emotions with Gods love. 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. Worse, some of us feel too exhausted we just want to stop serving Him. However, this didnt stop the gospel; the believers continued to be strong in their faith amid persecution and their number continued to increase. Yes, we are sinners. Let us turn our Bibles now to Acts 20:28-35. Second, we can have a rich God-accomplished relationship with God because Jesus prays for us (Hebrews 10:21). Only God the Holy Spirit can change a heart. "Serving God" is one of the important reasons man was created from the beginning. In Pauls discourse we can see how greatly concerned he was that the Ephesian church should remain faithful. 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. However you can always count on God to support you. Allow God to remind you who He is and what He promises, and then be honest with Him. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. and its ok. However with God, your biggest setbacks can become your biggest comebacks. With God, you can navigated the deepest and darkest valleys of life and walk high on the mountain. More growth and new challenges would come ahead. Sometimes God may call you to a different ministry. This gravity is like a built-in magnet that draws us toward controlling, creating, and manipulating. This means that we should not leave out any unpleasant teaching like the wrath of God and the existence of hell. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. You cannot serve both God and money". There is no more condemnation. It is God's will that we come to Him and serve. 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.. No matter what problem is in your way, God is right beside you walking you through each step. Obstacles expose our weaknesses and increase our dependency upon Christ. They must be placed well above our own personal pursuits and interests. But what if they aren't enemies? The most important requirement is to befaithful to the Lord. (More people to deal with, more personality issues, cultural issues and so on). 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. The apostle Paul is a good example of one who was very faithful to fulfill his role in life. So, our attitude to serving God should be one that is reflective of Psalm 100:2 (NKJV): "Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.". 3. DAVID David is a Bible character who is no stranger to hard times. Download the free myCBN app. In fact, faithfulness is the most important quality needed in serving the Lord. If you want to remain faithful, you must give sufficient time to the study of Gods Word. It is, There is an important detail here which I want you to notice. And therefore weve bunkered down into a Christian life solely about survival. We Never Heard Back. 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. Climbers think theyll go down the wire smoothly, but when the lever is pulled, they face a 20-foot freefall. The ministry of food distribution lasted until the severe persecution broke out and people had to be mobilized. Thats why Christ also sent the Holy Spirit to work within each believer. He will surely see to it that His Church will endure to the very end. These challenges come to distract us from our mission; they come to make us quit running the race. Watch popular content from the following creators: Make 30s Fit(@make30sfit), Christ (@glimpseofchrist), Danna Hagans(@dannahagans), Mckenzie Young(@mckenzieyoung93), WC(@warriorsofchrist_), WC(@warriorsofchrist_), Praise on TBN(@praiseontbn), Throwback Praise(@throwbackpraise), The grace of God(@the . This morning we will see how the apostle Paul highlights the need for faithfulness in Gods service to the Ephesian elders by his example and his exhortations. It is just like eating well-balanced meals that include every kind of food that your body needs to be strong and healthy. Matthew 17:20 ESV / 89 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful When we study Scripture and see what God asks us to do to fulfill His purpose, eventually we find there are obstacles to God's will. At a camp in North Carolina, the high ropes course has a trapdoor at the end. Serving God is not without challenges and difficulties. - Obstacles to Following God's Call The Hoot & Howl What's Stopping You? The three tools Satan uses to keep us ineffective on the volitional level are as follows: These three tools work, often interrelatedly (Ephesians 2:1-3), against the life of Christ in us and present the volitional barrier to our trust in Him. When the church began by the preaching of the apostles; It was primarily Jewish, but it didnt take long for it to become more diverse. Whatever Peter said to Jesus did not support Gods plan. Paul would never think of himself apart from the Lord Jesus. For more on this, read How to Have a Happier Life by Practicing Gratitude. Psalm 32:11, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!". If the work of Gods kingdom depends entirely on our faithfulness what assurance is there that it will succeed? God looks at you as a loving Father with his arms wide open and he says to you, Draw near by the blood of my Son.. Two of the biggest barriers to adults being engaged in serving the body of Christ are these feelings: "I don't have anything in common with those I want to serve" and "I don't have anything to offer.". He has the ability, power, and strength to help you overcome any obstacle in life. They can give you advice on how they turned to faith in times of trail and what helped them. A church may have a great number of ministries or services. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. It is fascinating to study these spiritual gifts, but that is not within the scope of this sermon. The preaching and teaching of Gods word. Others struggle to serve the Lord because of illness, a serious disease, or a litany or other reasons. During his third missionary journey, Paul spent most of his time in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of present-day Turkey. First and foremost, you must know that you are a part of Christ. There are two glorious ways Jesus abolishes the fears that might keep us from a rich relationship with God. These men were presented to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them. And so, as a point of application, please ask yourself: Are you faithful in learning and obeying the whole counsel of God? The writer to the Hebrews commands us to draw near to God. Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. If you are united to Jesus by faith, the anger is gone. Much as we have faith in God and promise to maintain closeness to God at all times, there are few things that will give friction to us in the way of our Christian life to love God at all times. If you are stuck in a pit of despair, dont let yourself give up. 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? God was Pauls confidence that the Ephesian church would remain faithful. Copyright March 4, 2019,Ken Boa, used with permission. 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. As church leaders, they needed to move into action to resolve this conflict. Picture this scenario: people complaining that others were being shown special favor in the distribution. Thats why Christ bestowed all the spiritual gifts which the Church needs for service. Luke 1:37 ESV / 248 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful You know your sin and guilt, and although you like the idea of a closer relationship with God, you wouldnt dare pursue it. God rewards faithfulness. This is better than anything we could imagine. Similarly, repentance is not so much a matter of turning from evil as it is a turning to God. Romans 1:25. Preached at Life BPC 66th Anniversary service, 2016-10-16, As we thank God for His faithfulness today, let us be reminded that God requires faithfulness from us. No! Fear. But God has something to say. 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. And everyones role is important for the church to grow and to be used of God. Nothing like a twisted ankle because you stepped on an uneven surface, rock or twig. 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