Pleasing Your Father, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ is this just simply a test and if it is my question to you is something are you succeeding are you failed. Are you resting in God are you doing what is right right you complain whining about the circumstances.

Are you waiting in the waters anxiety and worry. Which are you doing that could be resending right now. How you doing test joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work you like me to all these past months you had to think about this. But what's going on what's really happening from a spiritual point of view what's really going on in this world and we have the pandemic to deal with the above economic uncertainty. We are protesters and riders in our streets, and it's interesting that often I hear Christians always acting like they know exactly what's going on.

I heard Christians say God is punishing America for drifting away from God. Now possibly be right, but is punishing a lot more than America and what they mean by that is he's punishing the unsaved people of America for acting like I'm see people.

I mean, you could go back to Noah. I made any judge the whole world except for Noah and his family are Sodom and Gomorrah punished in one day. But when you read the Old Testament.

Most of the evil empires in the old world lasted a long time, Egypt and Babylon and Assyria. They last a moment. They lasted hundreds of years and we can't forget this but we also know that God judged Israel I maybe took the northern tribes off in the Assyrian captivity and in Judah went into the Babylonian captivity and then when Israel rejected their own Messiah, Jesus Christ.

He ripped them out of the land for 2000 years, so maybe it's a combination of both.

Maybe only God knows. But the idea of difficult times happening to both the culture and the church are not unusual.

I want to open your Bible is the first Peter chapter 4, first Peter chapter 4 and Peter says something in there that's kind of interesting. Starting in verse 17 Peter says this he says, for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. It's time for judgment to begin for the household of God, and then he says, and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obeying the gospel of God. He makes it is really as clear as he possibly can. He said, and if it is with difficulty that the righteous are saved. What will be the outcome for the godless man and the sinner.

Therefore, he said those he said who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right number. Some interesting things there. Verse 14 way back there he tells us that if you have been reviled for the name of Christ. You are blessed because the spirit of glory of God rest on you he is telling them and not suffering is an opportunity for you. God will rest when you talk a little bit about rest last week, but God can muster.

New suffering would be a good thing.

In verse 15 he says this he said make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, thief or evildoer some troublesome meddler. Now I'll say this, and that my all these years of a pastor. I don't know a lot of people in our church who are murderers and thieves and evildoers, but there been a few troublesome members. He said sometimes suffering is deserved. There's a reaping and sowing principal and the word of God. Then he says in verse 16. And if anyone suffers as a Christian. He is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this way, so he tells us there's never to be ashamed for suffering for Jesus Christ that something was to never cross online. He said suffering. In verse 17 as I read begins often with the household of God, but then in verse 19 he says something interesting you should therefore he said those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

See how I know I can supper well for God. God says is pretty easy just to which right in the midst of the suffering are you doing what's right.

It's amazing when you think about that point of view. God is faithful with says he'll never forget any of us is the faithful Creator and we are to entrust our souls them in this time, the word entrust is the word parrot, Tiffany, and it means to place oneself in the someone else's care means the rest just what I said last week in Isaiah.

It's the rest. He said you need to rest her soul and God. And then you need to do what is right. So really, I don't know if he's judging. The church was judging the world or maybe even doing something else.

Maybe he's just testing his church CIC.

This is a test.

That's what this is about now you have to understand something, and this makes Christians very uneasy. But the word for testing in the Bible and the New Testament and the word for tempting is exactly the same work. It's exactly the same proviso, the word to test of the word attempts the same work.

Only the context will tell you whether it's a test or temptation. Now remember, God says, I don't tempt anybody ever in James. So God never tempted to sit received is not about that, but he does test us and almost in every test. By the way does it end up being a temptation as well to sin. I think so. You see, what happens is is that God test last to prove our righteousness. The goal of the test is for us to succeed. Satan tempts us to prove our sinfulness and his goal was that we fail, but the words the same seat. Is this just simply a test and if it is my question to you is simple. Are you succeeding or failing C are you succeeding are you failing are you resting in God are you doing what is right or are you complaining and whining about the circumstances. Are you waiting in the waters of the anxiety and worry, fear what you're doing.

You see part of that could be you could be sending right now to be winning right now. How you doing with the test today. I want to give you a single word, a single phrase that should be your goal in mind every single day.

As we go through this together.

I want to begin going around about what I want to go to John chapter 8 John chapter 8 and I'm to begin in verse 27 now if you understand that the John H a by Jesus in another discussion with the scribes and Pharisees there at each other again. There always after him his life's been a lot of turmoil but in John eight they go back and forth.

And in verse 27 it says they did not realize that he was speaking to them about the father and so Jesus said when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am where he's in italics, when you lift up the Son of Man, Yahweh, that's who I am. He said I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the father taught me, and he who sent me is with me. He is not left me alone know what he says, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him. So how often is Christ do things that pleases God the father always said I always do the things that are pleasing to him. In effect, in chapter 5, verse 30 said I can do nothing on my own initiative as I hear a judge. In my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but only the will of him who sent Jesus Christ says here's my life as I pleasing. That's my goal. That's my life now. What's interesting about this as we get a little couple glimpses of how the father feels about this. I turn with me to Matthew chapter 3 very, very important passage. You don't have to go but get this, you know it so well. Jesus get baptized is amazing thing here. Spent 30 years to get prepared for this moment. He's been a sinless child turned into a sinless adult.

He's the oldest sibling in a family he robbed a family word. Joseph died he took on the responsibility to be the carpenter. All this happen over all these years, we know very little about, but he's now ready to start the ministry so we know it was perfection. And we get to verse 16 it says, and after being baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and lighting upon, and behold a voice out of heaven said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Jesus at all I do is try to please my father by where the whole Trinity's are the son is being baptized. The spirit is descending upon Jesus as a dog and a light form this lightly coming down upon them and the father speaking from heaven, and the father want you to know that he's please me and everything is that's pleasing now. If I go to Matthew 17. The Mount of Transfiguration. He takes with him Peter, James and John and walked to the mountain.

Jesus reveals who he really is in verse two it says he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him and Peter said to Jesus Lord is good for us to be here if you wish. I will make a tabernacle here one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah, but while he was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him father's please know Jesus at all.

I want to do is please. My father, the father says on pleasing CM pleased. I would imagine even after the crucifixion when he paid for the sins of the world and he was buried.

The father said in pleased with Minnie's raisin Easter morning. It seems such a simple thing you see. It seems like such a simple thing I mean after all, it's Jesus, but I want you to see something in the word of God go with me to second Corinthians 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse nine, the apostle Paul was speaking is a process. Therefore, infect, notice how I let up to in verse seven we walk by faith not by sight. We are of good courage, I say and prefer rather to be absent in the body and the home of the Lord. We use that all the time when we talk about funerals for Christians. But here's the verse.

Therefore, we also have is our ambition so that each one may be recompensed for his ischemic therefore we have is our ambition, whether at home or absent to be pleasing to him. That's his ambition also.

That's our ambition, our ambition is to please God was Christ ambition please God.

So what should your ambition be please God is my ambition.

My ambition is to please God that intimidate some of us, and please don't try to hide in this fact with that was Jesus. I know Jesus. We all know that but I know this I can please God and so can you see I can please God and Jesus please God by living a certain way right up to his baptism, and that please God. Then he did his ministry in a certain way that please God, and even in the Transfiguration gods and I'm pleased him and then he went to the cross as the substitute and then he was buried in raising the dead which obviously please God's whole life was the please the father is yours. Is that what you think about when you get up in the morning as I would you think about God.

How can I please you today. How can I please you today you see is an interesting thing. And when you're being tested and inherently there are temptations in the testing. This is a tremendous opportunity because I can.

I'm not saying it's the universal answer for every test, but it's a good one the right on.

If you don't know anything else. What's the answer to my test out please God universal answer why God's going to test you. What you do about pleasing him is he is always the answer. The answer is I want to I want to please God in everything I do. Some say what.

That's awful harsh though because God judgment like that makes me nervous this is and about God, the judge, this is about God the father, I want to please my father because I'm a child of God. You see, that's what this is about no go with me to first Thessalonians chapter 4 again Paul writing. He says in his first couple verses, he said finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you received him as you receive from us instruction as to how you want to walk. That means live and please God, what the potential Thessalonians. I want to teach you how to please God. See, I don't know if we think about this very often. I think what we often think about is look, I know there's a whole bunch of stuff we don't have the Old Testament law, but we have a lot of rules a lot of principles a lot of things we have to do and God's pretty exacting so I better be about doing positive that's the way you feel you missed the whole point of being born again into God's family. You see, you missed the whole point is my father. You see, he's my father. Just like with Jesus. My single goal is to please God and that's what he says. A notice he said that you excel still more what you mean by that is always room for me to please God more than I am.

Yes he said you know I want you to excel. Even still more with that many years ago I read and desiring God. John Piper said this John Piper said God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him every change that were glorified God is most pleased when we are most satisfied in him. That's when he is most pleased. That's when I rest in him. You see, no matter what's going on around me.

When I rested him God's or someone so pleased he rested me but the circumstances we live in economic uncertainty in a pandemic, especially this is very unnerving to us in God's why don't you just rest wanted to just rest in me. And when we set yet, but it's really hard. Just please me. You see, no matter whether things are going well.

Going poorly. I keep saying this over and over again in all the sort of individual messages, but what God is telling you and I over and over again in the word of God in my what's going on in your life. Is this I got I got this know we going to do. I got it.

But what happens what the government runs out of money. See what there is no vaccine for two or three years will what I got it you trust me not using.

I think a lot of us don't please God.

I don't think that's what were doing were not pleasing God were asking whether we realize, not for God to please us, God getting them change of circumstances, so I feel better, but if you don't realize is the test I'm testing you are even whisper the answer please God. That's the answer I just want to please God when I am satisfied in him. I can be anxious. I can't worry I can't be fearful I can't be angry.

I can't be bitter. Not if I'm satisfied in God. You see, that's the whole point.

I remember the context and some of them up.

Jesus knows people go through economic difficulty and make they said what we going to do you know we don't have anything whenever going to make it when Jesus say yeah I got I may have a look at a bird having you seen a flower what you're worried about, no, no, I don't have enough reason about this seek first the kingdom of God in my righteousness. How at all this to you I got this. You see, I got this and that's what we keep feeling.

I think in this test were just not doing it at all last week I talked about this whole idea. Repent and rest in quietness and trust out of Isaiah.

The message never changed. God still saying the semi doesn't matter what this storm looks like it doesn't matter what urine he said this is what I want from you. So as I begin to think about this. I thought others in practical ways we can please God and up. Fortunately for your sake I probably wrote on and got about 50 and I decided that's too many. It's hard to admit get to the member, one, two or three things, 50 would be impossible. So I just put on five. How can I please God in the midst of what's going on right now and the first thing might not seem quite as clear to you but it is to me the first thing we can do is to confess our sins repeatedly. I keep short accounts with God. First John 19 if I confess my sins and God is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and cleanse me from unrighteousness. That's I relate to God. In other words, could I be feeling through something like this.

Yes. Can I get my eyes off of God, yes. Can I complain and whine. Yes I become fearful and yes I better knowledge of the sin, because that's what it is it sin on my part.

You see an outward confess for some of you have a different background think confession something else. The words Homo legato homecoming single cell or one the ideas I say the same thing about my sin that God says, I feel the same way about my synagogue feels. I acknowledge my sin before God and is is and he does the rest is faithful and just it's my relationship with them all my sin and all yours is been forgiven of the cross that some were talking about here were talking about our day-to-day relationship with God keep short accounts with God. Secondly, Paul said this.

These are tough times or how about this, pray without ceasing, pray without ceasing.

In other words, your life and mine should be as a child of God. A dialogue with my heavenly father goes on all the time. I'm not denouncing this I'm just saying it is given me hesitance to think about it at times.

That's why I'm always bother when someone wants to have a national day.

Let's have a special day and then will bring really on that day were going to pray. What about the day before the day after the days before the days after the weeks before the weeks after. Why not every day because Paul said pray without ceasing.

Why don't we always in dialogue with God not count as much. We have a day then God wake up and say all they're all praying I'm going now. I'll do some this is you pray without ceasing, because prayer drives me to God prepared us to pass through government on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online at 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.

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