Our Good Good Father, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ will turn everything in your life and he says I promise you in eternity of joy or sorrow in the cousin he calls us his children and he declares himself 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 our work. How can you be and allow the wicked to prosper. You see, that's a soft problem he struggling so no doubt about it.

He is struggling with this idea, but are something else buddies. He's a little bit like us in this way, self-righteous notice verse 13. Surely, in vain, I have kept my heart pure and wash my hands and innocence. I've been pure is just me. I'm a pure man. How many pure men on if I ask a gazillion none thing man. I just know not what is… I was pure luck out and get a share of this I got the short end of the stick here and there prospering and I did this, he said, noticing cousin Dina verse 21 he says when my heart was embittered and I was pierced within he said. Then I was senseless and ignorant. I was like a beast before you. He said look, I knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong but I didn't know exactly what now you may say, but I don't really I mean I don't like the idea that the wicked prosper. That doesn't bother me too much, but other things to because you tell me see you say things to me like this pastor.

How could God let this happen. Know what you mean when you say that is not good. That's the question means he's not good. How could a good God let this happen for you say things like, you know, I don't know he doesn't hear what I have to say it all. I pray my heart had nothing.

I did nothing from West implication is not good.

In fact it's even goes further than it he's not as good as I am as if I were God, that little boy. When the guide if I were God, why I'm better than him. I have more goodness in God. We think that way.

You see, we think that way and the reason we do is we focus only on the circumstances in which word were faced and then we evaluate life based on that notice, then what ends up happening here.

He says, and it's interesting thought on his part all the changes in verse 17 he said until I came into the sanctuary of God than I perceive therein is also what ended up happening to me as once I got into the sanctuary or the nearness of God. Everything changed for me.

I saw life by God sees it and not like I see it. Let me give an example. And I think you would understand this and easily when a little boy or girl is two or three years old and they die. Are we all overwhelmed by that I mean just overwhelmed and what we say. What a tragedy. What terrible terrible tragedy and I think we should emote that the gun is a different view. What if you lived to be 96 and die and go to hell. God says that's a tragedy. That's when the tragedies eternity separated from God. That's a tragedy that child. I receive them into my arms. You see I receive that chart of what I call a tragedy is not initially when you call a tragedy. You see, and that's what ends up happening to us. We look at the circumstances of our life. And then we say I got the goodness of God. I don't really see the goodness of God. I don't see it working that way and that's because were not close enough to God.

Go with me to a familiar passage Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8. Let me ask the question is life for blessing all you get is blessing every day anybody here only had a blessing every day. None. I mean nothing but good things know we know life doesn't work that way is matter fact does having a blessing all day long every day long mean I'm would mean that I'm closer to God than any other time. No doesn't. Now we have a whole theology running amok over the world that America now prosperity doctrine, which is, yes, that's what it means if you're right with God to get nothing but blessings for your whole life. That's the way it works. But we know better than doesn't actually work that way. A lot of times in life we end up suffering.

Sometimes we suffer immeasurably in a way all of us are collectively suffering right now through the pandemic through all the protests through the whole idea of a sagging economy. All of us are being affected right now in ace a way one way or another. The notice of Paul says in verse 18 of Romans eight.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is been revealed to us. That's Paul's evaluation, the suffering novice. He knows much about suffering as you do. He might know more when you start reading about everything that the man went through, I mean arrested and beaten with rods stoned and left for dead ship wrecks me.

He just goes throw it and he says look, I consider that suffering of this present time aren't even worthy to be compared. Why I read the end of the book. I know what's coming. You can even compare. You see what I'm going through with what I know is coming to me he has God's perspective, not man's you member than with Paul that the uniform in the flesh. It must've been so bad because he entreated the Lord three times. Please remove it and God told him no, you going to keep it and then God said, look Paul when you're weak I'm strong and so I just want let you know this, you're going to keep it in my policy. Great high but unhappily I will happily bear the thorn in the flesh.

If it makes me more effective for you.

He also calls in another part all of his suffering momentary light afflictions. There's nothing momentary, light about them from our point of view, but from the eternities point of view, it was just a moment in time. Do you know what ended up happening that when you're weak I'm strong whenever you suffer. God says I can draw you closer to me. All of us know this whenever we suffer one way or another we find ourselves wanting to be closer to God because we don't have any other options to Job the Job suffer much yet keep you suffer 10 times more individually than all of us would suffer collectively and what to do with the end it drew God you drew Job even closer to God. He repented with God. It drew closer, so the idea that God will only if he's going to want to give us prosperity and hell is wrong he uses the suffering I said all that to get the verse 28 notice Romans 828 for we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. God is so good that he will use all things every bad thing that has ever happened to you, God will turn to good every single thing. Everything there is no exception. Its redemption is how he does it he said that's what I'll do. I will do this with everything and why would he do that because he is good he so good he says look at. I know you're real accursed planet were simple people and a lot of bad stuff going to happen, but I'll change it.

I'll take everything in your life and turn it for good because I'm good that such an interesting thing on his part of what God says Thomas Mitton many years ago, said this about God.

He is originally good good of himself, which nothing else is for all the creatures are good only in participation a communication from God. He is essentially good, not only good buddies goodness itself. The creatures good is it comes to him from God, but God's good is his essence. He is infinitely good, the creatures good is but a drop but in God there's an infinite ocean of gathering together of good. He is eternally and immutably good he cannot be less good than he is and there can be no addition made to him or note or subtraction taken from him, God assuming Bono he is the highest good, that exist. That's what he says is right now.

How does this all work with what I'm talking about today I want to demonstrate how good God is to you and me go with me now to first John three first John chapter 3 Emma read a verse that I'm sure you probably read 20 times in the past and you just read like my my my my my book, that my my my my mom and and you never think about it again and you should you should stop and really think about what this versus this is my opinion one of the most extraordinary versus in the word of God's an amazing thing that happens. Chapter 3 verse one. He said see how great a love of the Father has bestowed on us. Now it's already bad in English. See this how we do. Hey, see the Bush see the car see how great the love seat is not a good translation. This is the word see it's the work you do transit almost anywhere in the New Testament. Behold that's different than see is not only different but the word behold is an imperative mood. It's a commandment I command you, behold, that's how big this versus its enormous. He says behold how great I love the Father has bestowed on us.

The word bestowed mean it's a gift here's a gift behold this how great this gift is that God has bestowed on us, but since what does this mean that we would be called children of God in such we are while God says you're my child. The Scripture tells us he adopted us into his family. Behold, you see another's other ways of looking at this notice he doesn't say look were saved.

Creatures we were going to spend eternity separated from God and now were with God. Isn't that nice. It is nice were saved creatures. He doesn't say will redeem sinners, that's our group will call the redeem sinners.

He doesn't even say that were recipients of eternal life. He says you're my children and am your father did get it. He said you my child.

You see, you should be astonished by that. You should be amazed by that and had Ali, I'm not so sure were more amazed by saying something like I want to let you know I've never told you this before but the I'm a Rockefeller. Rockefeller someone ever told you that wanted to do Satan, it's interesting. I'm a child of God.

Let's compare the truly try to compare this but see we passed by the earthly genealogy like if something were always looking for significance you want significance.

There is, you're a child of God, and God said, you're my child I'm your father, I would not do that should just that you have an impact in our lives. It should have an enormous effect on how we see things but we spend so little time immersed in that kind of thought God has done this for us. How does this work. How did he do this to us when were passing. I could go to his Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians chapter 2, I wanted to see yourself before your interaction with God, and after here is and you were dead in your trespasses and sin in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the year of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, that's us notice within that verse. We always say this, a believer, you have three great enemies right the Bible keep saying you have three great enemies.

The world the flesh and the devil that all three in a diverse, all three of those are there the world, the flesh and the devil. In other words, you are as lost as loss can be. You were lost because the influence of the world on you.

You are lost because the influence of the devil wanted you were lost because the influence of your lust. You are lost. In fact, he says you are children of wrath that you you were now I think often what we say is you know I was really struggling with this is the imagery choose often of you know I was in the lake. The ship sunk and tread water and am barely able to keep my nose above the water.

And here comes got along and he takes the life preserver of the gospel when he throws up to me and just right within my reach and I grab it in faith. And that's how I'm saved and that sounds like a nice story and you can always get other foolish people to nod her head in agreement and that was it. The verse want to get you were dead in your trespasses. You want tread water you on the bottom.

Dead men don't grab you soon. I mean that's what he saying we did better condition and what God said I don't care. I'm so good. I'm still going to do this there dead children of wrath, I'm gonna make them alive and my children. That's what God did notice, then verse four but God, the contrast being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transcribed transgressions. He made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward those of us who are in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith is not of yourselves. It's the gift of God is not a result of works, that no one may boast. That's what he did the gift he gave us the gift that we want from children of wrath, the children of God. Why would he do that because he's so good.

You see, because he so good he said I have and what's amazing about that is that once again God is trying to let us know just how much that he loves us know the question you might have. There is within how do I appropriate that how do I get that gift how to become a child of God. How does this all work in John chapter 1, the gospel of John verses 12 and 13, John says that as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in his name who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God you just received my son and you receive the gift in your born into the family of God.

That's how good God is. It's Father's Day some of you. It's an easy day and for some of you. It's a difficult day, but for all of us.

It should be a wonderful day. You and I are children of God we have a good good father he said I'll never leave you nor forsake you.

Earthly fathers do is I never will. I will always be there. He will turn everything bad in your life and the goodies that I promise you that this was good. Father does. He says I promise you an eternity of joy. No more sorrow no more tears. Why because I'm good. He calls us his children were and he declares himself to be our father. That's it makes to stay so special.

The apostle Paul said to the Romans that when you taking all this knowledge we should cry out Abba father. That's what Paul writes Abba is Aramaic is not Greek and it means in translation. Daddy great God Almighty Creator of everything.

Daddy, the writer of Hebrews says come boldly to the throne of grace.

When you have a need and I think of this great throne of God sitting in the holiest place possible.

And he says because you're my child, you come boldly and so you run into the room, and everyone's a look and he just climb up in his lap and put his arms around you and you sit on daddy having trouble he wants you to do that.

Why because you're his child and why because he's good. He is a good good father.

Happy Father's Day. The spring father I think that we overlook this term. We don't consider the relevance of it. We are your children when an amazing thing that is not because of anything we've done, but because of everything that you've done your love this world so much. You sent your son. He loved us so much. They live the perfect life and died as a substitute on the cross. You were so satisfied with the sacrifice that you raised from the dead on the third day and you offer us the gift of eternal life, and all you ask us to do is to receive it, and the blessings that we received from it are eternal. All because you are so good father. I would pray that this day will be different for us this time. This Father's Day will make it very very happy because you are everything and listening to Pastor Bill Gebhart on the radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike. Listen to the message one more time. Remember the good a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. Yes, all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly. Fourth is the 100 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 of the sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church should visit our website FPC Nola.org that FPC and O LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon. You can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the messenger 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 SBC Nola.org for pastoral Gebhart and Jason Gebhart. Thank you for listening to fellowship