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July 17, 2020 8:00 am
Today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Not only are there guys every day saying a lot. I can use this ministry for tremendous gain, but they're actually teaching God's people, and God behind it. God wants me to have tremendous gain in my ministry and so the idea of it is you all need to be part of me getting tremendous name is nothing but exploitation for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now is once again he shows us how God's word meets, according to Webster's dictionary progress is the gradual betterment of humankind, and I guess on a certain level that that definition is adequate, but upon careful examination, it may be found wanting.
It says a progress is the betterment of humankind is that always been the case. I don't think so. If you went back to 2000 years BC you would run into a people group in the Fertile Crescent known as Sumerians, Chaldeans, Abram, the Chaldeans, they were an exceptional people. They built canals for irrigation to build great roads, widespread commerce all over the region.
They raised herds that cultivated vast orchards, children, and the Samarian. Went to school six days a week from sunrise to sunset, they systematized writing the first to do so can be a form.
They studied arithmetic and geometry and algebra.
They introduce the Abacus they map the stars, they divided the circle under 60 equal parts. That's why we have a clock they had codes of law. They build cigarettes, perhaps even more impressive than the pyramids of Egypt. Now let's move 3 1/2 thousand years forward to Europe 1300 to 1399 historian Barbara Tuchman said this.
It was the century of unbelievable calamity and wall. They had a Little Ice Age. They had no attic flooding. They had famine. They had 100 years war that a bubonic plague.
60% of all Europeans died. They massacred thousands of Jews, illiteracy was the norm of the day when historian said that it was a time of mankind at his worst, so they really didn't get that much better and sweet. Half thousand years, but progress is normal. It does move forward. Think about our age, 2000 BC. The median age 26, 500 BC lifespan 28, 200 A.D. lifespan 30, 1600 A.D. lifespan 35 United States, 1850 lifespan 38. United States, 1900 lifespan 48 today, more than 78 and growing every day.
Notice the change. The other word is also something that bothers me. In light of today, Webster says that progress is the gradual betterment that is never used to describe progress today. It's not gradual. In fact, is described as explosive volatile and uncontrollable. It even has been the cause of new words being invented hyper exponential dysfunctional math. In a word called profusion, which means the phenomena of more one future. He said progress is the most powerful force on the earth today. Nothing can stop it by just a couple tidbits of our progress. You know that more video, more minutes of video up on YouTube and 60 days in the three major networks put out in 60 years. There are 40,000 different products in a large grocery store 40,000 different products profusion this idea.
The phenomena of more. There are 55,000 configurations of coffee at Starbucks and I can remember night I don't drink coffee. Never did. But I can remember Maxwell House or 8 o'clock that's pretty much what you decided by the end of the century, 2099, we will have 1 million times more technology than we have right now 1 million times the technology information is increasing at a compound annual rate of 60% a year, every year we have 60% more information. We had the report remember you before we had the acumen of information from the beginning of Mantle now there was more change in the last century. Between 1990, 99, the mayor was in all the preceding centuries combined.
That's just the last century not get this in this century, there will be 1000 times more change in the last century progress. It's only not gradual. All of this hyper exponential change is an assault on our contentment profusion the phenomena more affects all of us is have a stunning effect on us and contentment. How many of you have bought an electronic device and by the time you learn how to use it. It's already obsolete. It's already last device. The newsletters coming out the new numbers coming out whatever it is I can remember just being so happy and almost stunned that it that a car would have a backup camera that you could actually just looking at the screen and see what's right behind you at this is great when you watch a commercial and it says your car doesn't look around corners does it like it doesn't get a car that has Kim's looks at one point it never stops.
And what that does that makes me want that car.
Do you remember when refrigerators were just refrigerators. That's what they did. That's not the case was just looking online. What refrigerators you can get now and I don't want to make you envy one and want to go one by one the refrigerators.
Now the 34 ft.³. That's it seems like a little bit excessive. There are refrigerators now that this best dispense water hot water, not just ice water. Hot water. There are refrigerators now that have TVs there refrigerators now that have Wi-Fi built into CW on the Internet while you're standing in front of the refrigerator. They have integrated speaker systems profusion a more you see the idol of more may be growing at an unprecedented rate. But there's nothing new about it is one of those things. It destroys the contentment of God's people open the Bible is the first Timothy chapter 6 and verse three. First Timothy chapter 6 in verse three. The apostle Paul writing to his young protégé was in Ephesus a very affluent city is winding down. First Timothy and what Paul wants to tell Timothy and he wants to tell us this morning is this contentment comes from having the priority of godliness not gain not more, not wealth. Contentment comes from having the priority of godliness not gain. He addresses it against the backdrop of false teachers in verse three he says if anyone advocates different doctrine and does not agree with some words those of our Lord Jesus Christ and with doctrine conforming to godliness. He is conceited and understands nothing. He has morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words out of which arise envy and strife and abusive language and evil suspicions and constant friction between men of depraved mind, and deprived of the truth, and then he says something really sarcastic. He says who suppose the godliness is a means of getting rich. That's what he's talking about there were people in Paul's day already false teachers and said you know what I can make a lot of money doing this.
I go from place to place and charge them in acts chapter 18 there was a man named Simon and he saw the power the Holy Spirit. So he said to Peter he said hey I like to buy that thyself. Goodbye out to me so I can use excitement, a lot of money doing this and Peter said to them, may your silver perish with you but the whole idea that somebody could actually use a pulpit to make money, didn't guy with the apostle Paul.
Just think of what Paul would think now not only are there guys every day saying a book I can use this ministry for tremendous gain, but they're actually teaching God's people that in God's behind it. God wants me to have tremendous gain in my ministry and so the idea of it is you all need to be part of me getting tremendous gain is nothing but exportation. See that's not the way the Scripture sees it all. You hold to place or will you look at a few scriptures this morning and come back to this passage I want to go with me to Luke chapter 16 and I want you to see something that Jesus is going to say and will build on this as we go through the sermon in verse 13 of Luke 16 Jesus says no servant can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth, not what we would want him to say there is.
You should not you should not serve God and wealth at strip Jesus is different.
He says you cannot.
You cannot serve God and wealth. You see, that statement is categorical. Now you might be thinking more than maybe the point is that God doesn't want anybody any of his children to be wealthy.
That's not that's not true at all. That's not what he saying he saying that you can't let one become the master and there's reasons for it. I want to go back now to Deuteronomy chapter 8 I met Moses speak to the same subject, Deuteronomy chapter 8 the surrogate is a little more insight. Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 11, and again, it comes in the form of a warning.
Moses writes this, he says, beware that's a warning beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and the statutes Ryan commanding you today, otherwise he says when you have eaten and are satisfied and have built good houses and lived in them.
And when your herds and your flocks multiply in your silver and gold, multiply, and all that you have multiply notice what they're doing or acquiring what wealth he says look when you start acquiring wealth examining one you don't forget God. Now he goes on pieces then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water. And he brought water for you out of the rock of flint and in the wilderness. He fed Umana which your fathers did not know that he might humble you and that he might test you to do good for you in the land.
Otherwise, you may say in your heart my power and the strength of my hand made this wealth, he says, but you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who is giving you the power to make wealth and that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is to this day noticed a warning from Moses. The thing is when we acquire wealth. We have this tendency to end up letting it be our master because we believe completely and totally it's ours and that we did it.
We did this, you see it and what he is saying is you become wealthy in the promised land, but you remember I took you out of slavery, I sustained you in the wilderness and I'm the one who gives you the gift of wealth using the idea of it is. It comes from God.
Like any other gift you see. Don't forget God with your gift. When God gives us a gift. His expectations are always the same. Number one is for our good. He wants us to enjoy. Number two. He wants us to use it for his glory. In other words that's why God gives us gifts and what you're saying here and that is exactly why I give you wealth.
Now I want to see how this plays itself out.
Let's go to Proverbs as we move back toward the New Testament, chapter 11 Proverbs chapter 11 in verses 24 and 25 and here Solomon writes. He says there is one who scatters and yet increases all the more the Mrs. principal.
There is one who scatters and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due and yet results in only in want the generous men will be prosperous and he who waters himself will be watered most Solomon is saying something beyond what Moses even said Solomon said look, I know how you will. God wants you to use your gift went to the scattered he wanted to use it that way. And oh by the way you continue to prosper you know once how Jesus picks up on this, let's go to Luke chapter 6 Luke six in the New Testament verse 38 Jesus says give and it will be given to you. He says they will pour into your lap.
A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over pieces for by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return, the notice what Jesus says if God is giving you that blessing that gift and you give. He says God can give it back to you. Now he doesn't say just going to try to make it even notice the terms of Jesus uses he says God, to present down match a little container. The present on the shaken Pacifica down and it was still overflow. That's what Jesus said about couple things.
First thing is this Jesus is not telling us about a get-rich-quick scheme. You see, I think are some of us like wait a minute, wait a minute I can make even more money this way.
That's #is talking about how God uses gifts. You see when God gives you, and you use it you enjoyed and you use it for God's glory. Your blessed receipt and it's never diminished. Imagine you have the gift of encouragement. That's a spiritual gift that you have your encourager could you imagine. You said hey you know what I walk up to Sally in the lobby today after church and I encouraged her mom up and encourage anyone for several weeks because I'm almost out of encouragement now argues that you should not use your gift's other works of course not, would say with any gift in the Bible you would say it never diminishes. In fact, the more you use it the more you give it away more God blesses I've seen in my whole life to get the teaching. That's what God does. But in an interesting once you get to the gift of the will of God giving recycle over wait a minute or I don't know about that. So that works. I don't know about that. The reason that we struggle with that is the same reason that they struggled with it screen is the backdrop of greed's the idol of more you see. Somehow we really believe mine mine. See that's the problem that we have the watch is called out comes in on this go with me to second Corinthians chapter 9 second Corinthians chapter 9 the context of chapter 9. Paul's been going on from city to city and one of the things it's on Paul's heart is your poor Saints in Jerusalem were starving. They have very little shelter and almost no food. So the apostle Paul is going to Gentile churches to churches in general and said look we need to take an offering back to feed them and I'll get back there. So when he went apparently to Corinth at one time the Corinthians heard it said when Paul with you. But the promise the Corinthian church is rich, I started thinking about it usually said that I meet. So, notice how Paul picks it up in verse 20 says, for it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints, for I know the readiness of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, mainly that he said Acadia Corinth record. This has been prepared since last year and you're still a startup. Most of them. I went up to the Thessalonians. I told the Thessalonians about yours. He only said when another Thessalonians or not rich. The Thessalonians are blue-collar Thessalonians or middle class and lower middle class and you find out they give sacrificially to this whole idea. He says, verse three, but I have sent the brother in an order that are boasting about you may not be empty. In this case, so that as I was saying, you may be prepared otherwise. If any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared. We not to speak of. You will be put to shame and this confidence might bring some Macedonians with me and you guys start saying what offering is a so I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go ahead to you and arrange before hand your previously promised bountiful gift so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and many says this and not affected by covetousness, greed. I hope this is an affected by greed you wanted so then Paul picks up where Jesus was speaking and he says now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also rebound fully each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not gradually or under compulsion pulses on the can make you do this and I can do that because the problem is, your heart would be wrong. If you can't do it gradually pried open your fingers you can do it under compulsion, he says, for the Lord loves a cheerful giver. We talked about that over the years.
That's the Greek word Larry on it's the word hilarious is a great word like they can't wait to give you mother can't wait to get because they want to share with the gift that God has given them the can't wait to give. They also understand something else. He who sows sparingly reap sparingly, who sows bodily rings bountifully so notice he says in verse eight, and, and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything that you may. He says have an abundance for every good deed verse 10. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in everything for all of reality, which he says through us is producing thanksgiving to God. You be blessed by God.
That's what is using what God has gifted you with and people will think you and I will think you pulses notice the idea is the only thing it could hold them back is their own greed to that idea of it at the idea of the things that kill contentment. One of them is envy and coveting is very much related ending.
The others just greed. The trouble was if your greedy and money is your God. I gotta tell you something you'll never have enough.
You just won't and you always live under the lie. I just need a little more. I mean just about a lot more just a little more and then on then really be content, that's not the case. So let me ask you this where you stand on this was your heart. We hope it was a few questions, are you more concerned about making money and sharing it.
Got answer that my more concerned about making money than sharing it. Do I feel that I don't have enough of it. Do I resent giving it and am I willing to compromise values to acquire the answer yes to any one of those memorable problem you may have a problem and I know one thing that would be content if you answer yes to all them.
You do have a senior really good have to address the pastor broke your heart. You ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like the message one more time. Remember that you can do a great website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on with today's broadcast so many of our previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just a one time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listening and remembering all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order