Keep On Keeping On!, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. We have to learn to deal how do we keep on keeping one eye doing with how you persevere over the long haul six months eight today just deal with what you have to do with what got worse just tomorrow has enough trouble of its extremities are better tomorrow so that's another day you deal with today. Seek first the kingdom of God, keep your priorities right, you see that such an important part for us joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our work. Didn't know if he was going to live or die.

And that's when he wrote two things that one to live is Christ and the guy that's going now. What did you do with a man whose life perspective is that way if that's what you really believe my life is Christ when I'm dying it's going to be better. We singer-songwriter the last day of your life right last day of your life will be the best day of your life. That's a lot easier to say that it is to believe in the intensive care unit in that is true.

That's a Paul Harris's perspective.

That's why Paul said, I've learned the secret of contentment. I just keep on keeping on. I've been content in the palace and I be contained in the person I've been content with a lot of good things in my life and I've been content with a lot of terrible things my life because my contentment doesn't come from the circumstances and whenever. And this is the classic case when I feed you lemons, make lemonade.

And that's the whole point. He said I just keep on keeping on. That's what I'm therefore that's what I'm doing and that's what you and I should be about Chris Thai green rights. This initiative describes this technological advancement has made travel, communication, daily chores incredibly time efficient, if not instantaneous.

The result is that were not trying to persevere were not accustomed to pains that can't be relieved and problems that can't be corrected when they come we send our prayers with almost the same expectation is when we press the buttons on our microwaves for just love that I just need to be okay by being I want my meal a few seconds, we think, and that should've done it. God usually doesn't work that way.

He is thorough and precise. And he's never rushed when he tries us in a fire as he did Job. Nothing can get us out. The time cannot be shortened and our growth can cannot come more quickly.

We must learn to persevere or keep on keeping on. He said no one is ever become a true disciple of Jesus Christ without perseverance is right. There is no way to be a disciple of Christ, unless you persevere, there is no other way this idea. What we need to do is we need to keep on keeping on cuts were transformed and we are to pursue this trait tells me to first Timothy chapter 6 verse 11 first Timothy chapter 6 verse 11 Paul says right in the midst of this talk about money, and all those kind of things he says but flee from these things you man of God and pursue. This is what we should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, there is perseverance and gentleness. We are to pursue and by the way, that means we are to make this choice that we want to keep on keeping on going. I want to keep on keeping I should pursue this. You and I should pursue perseverance. That's what we should be about notice. The analogy uses the next verse, fight the good fight of faith. What's he telling you about pursuing perseverance or keep on keeping on.

In the middle of trials is a fight. It's a fight.

This is a natural resident something all you I got I got and I'll be fine. Now this a fight because anytime we are suffering anytime we are in pain. We have tremendous instincts to avoid it at all cost.

And we don't have any control to avoid it.

We become very despairing and that's was happening to so many in our country are becoming very despairing because it can control. They don't know how to control it from. That's the way this works go with me now to second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 16. Paul again but this time with a little bit different perspective.

He starts out in second Corinthians 416 with these words. Therefore we do not lose heart. I'm not. I'm not lose my leg and understand. Paul suffers immensely. He only has a thorn in the flesh everywhere he goes. He's hated meet with Rod Stone and left for dead. I mean shipwreck snake bit. Everything that happened this little man and he said I don't lose heart and enunciate another way. I just keep on keeping on. Upon your life miserable. I'm going forward said how do you do that in the midst of this, so now let me tell you he said. Therefore, we do not lose heart.

But though the elder man is decaying. Yet the inner man is being renewed day by day and say this way you know what's been going so well for me in all these terrible circumstances, I'm being transformed. I'm becoming more and my Savior is changing me for good.

Now this is terrible stuff going on. He says I know but the other man's decaying I'm good I'm good at the inner man.

The real me, the spiritual media's growing being transformed.

Then he goes on, and he says this. Let me explain. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us the eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

All the things I just described, here is Paul's description of it. I was just momentary, light affliction, now it was more affliction than you and I and probably several of our friends combined together whatever face Paul calls at all momentary light. How does he do that. How can you just describe it that way. He said because it's producing for me. The eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

God knows what I'm going through. He knows what's going to happen done for me.

Then he says this while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. See how we keep on keeping on, will firstly will have to want to, but now he says we need to see our lives. In light of eternity over and over again.

The Bible teaches that for believers. You and I need to see our life in light of eternity not see our life in light of this life, and then someday I'm hoping there's an eternity that will help us, that will transform you. That won't help you at all pulses look when I see it that way, it changes everything in this life.

You see of God is going to use this pandemic to make you closer to him and more like Jesus. He's going to do it. Now the question is do you persevere you keep on keeping on you to simply wait for the circumstances, the change that's all you keep praying it to please change server status. Please change the circumstances that will work and I know it's hard for us because we want instant gratification.

But it's not working that way. This idea of seeing life from a different perspective. Johnny Erickson taught quadriplegic. Her whole life virtually used greatly by the Lord, but I can imagine what that would be like to have no feeling below. She writes this looking down on my problems from heaven's perspective trials look extremely different when viewed from its own level, my paralysis seems like a huge impassable wall. But when viewed from above the wall. As a thin line, something that could be overcome. It was, I discovered with delight, a birds eye view. It was the view of Isaiah 40 verse 31. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles and they were wine and not grow faint.

David Jeremiah comments on her comment and says if you want to keep moving forward.

Learn to think of your problems from God's perspective.

Instead of comparing your challenges to your own resources. Compare them to God's great power.

His eternal plan.

His divine love see them against his infinite grace. The trials that seem so large to us are well within his ability to manage blessing redeem for how do you keep on keeping on. You need to see your life from an eternal perspective, not temporal once it's temple you're just you are enslaved to the circumstances of your life and so was enjoying the peace and everything else about you.

So how do we keep on keeping on. We need to want to keep on keeping on. We need to see our lives. In light of eternity. And I want you to go with me now at the Matthew chapter 6 the sermon on the mountain let Jesus speak for the third thing. Now if you remember, this is the whole section dealing with anxiety.

This is all about what you and I have turned into a multibillion-dollar business in America chemically treating anxiety and worry because we have so much of it.

So Jesus talks about it and he says not only talking about that don't do that.

I mean the sense he says look at flowers look at birds. God's in control but then he says this at the end. Verse 33. He said seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. God give you what you need and then this so do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own. We have to learn to deal with it.

We how do we keep on keeping one by dealing with today. That's how how do you persevere over the long haul six months eight-month. How do we do with today just deal with what you have to do with today.

What if it got worse worry about that just deal with what you have to do with today is the tomorrow has enough trouble of its own. I love that statement… Can be easier to be better tomorrow so that's another day you deal with today. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Keep your priorities right, you still with today you see that such an important part for us in our country. Most people who go through terrible addictions. One of the things that you hear from a recovering addict or alcoholic is I only deal with this data time I'm sober today. That's a perspective I need. I can't hypothesize this a week a month a year down the road I can do with it that I have to deal with yesterday. That's good advice for all of us.

We should all think about it that way just deal with today before thing.

How we deal with it. I won't even go to the Scriptures are so much in the Bible but it listen to the encouragers in your life if you don't have any find some see the worst thing that can happen you going through something like this is the voices that speak to you are in worse shape than you are no more negative than you are and that's all you ever hear. You need to say here somebody who's encouraging you is there such a major effect on people. That's why it's one of the great one another's the New Testament, we need to encourage one another. We need to have encouragers. Barnabas became famous because his encourager that I love the beer and noticed something about encouragers you like being with them. Everyone likes to be with someone, encourage them. That's we need. If you keep on keeping on the times you need someone just encourager you see, you need that person hated take my hand.

Get up. Let's get go together. Let's keep going. Let's keep doing this you need to be encouraged and the fifth one may be the most important don't quit quit go with me to Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 versus 35 and 36. The writer of Hebrews says this, therefore, do not throw away your confidence, he said, which has great reward. He said, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God. You may receive what was promised. In fact, if you read the whole book of Hebrews the whole book could be encapsulated in the title the sermon, keep on keeping on.

That's what he tells them for every chapter.

Keep on keeping on, look there set the promised land of faith rest. Life is right in front of you, but you have to keep on keeping on as a member what the day want to do.

Quit were done but slide back in the Judaism when wanting to do with him anymore, but it's too painful persecuted too much says no you gotta keep on keeping on. You need this endurance you need to do that. So whatever you do don't quit from so how do we deal with decision fatigue and moral fatigue, how we do that passively we wait on God, not the circumstances. If I'm waiting. I gotta wait on God and by the way, what will his timing be perfect so that's wonderful phone waiting on circumstances I might only have to wait another month.

I might have to wait another year.

I don't know but every day that I'm waiting to become more miserable. Actively we need to keep on keeping on, because when we keep on keeping on what we are change for the good we have proven character were transformed. Secondly, how do I keep on keeping on.

We need to want to keep on keeping on. We need to do that we need to want to we need to see our lives. In light of eternity. We need to deal with. Just today we need to listen to the encouragers in our lives and we need to refuse the quit delegate chapter 12 is a closed truck chapter 12.

The first reverses therefore great conclusion since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance.

Hobo Monet. The race set before us.

This pandemic is part of our race and this is unusual because it's one were all running is affecting everybody get it.

It had enough sense it's a worldwide marathon right now. Everybody in the world running this that part the same race. We all run individual races, but were all wanting this together is but let me remind you some. It's very important fixing our eyes on Jesus, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, the stock, despising the shame, he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. While I look to Jesus turn my eyes upon Jesus. He almost didn't make it out of his first couple years of life. There was a plot to kill him. They went to Egypt and I got back, and he spent a pretty much quiet life that we know little about in Nazareth and then his ministry started soon as he started his ministry had that work was fasting. How long of 40 days know if you've done ending even resembling close to a four-day fast you can just imagine what a 40 day fast is and then here come Satan and temps and what he do he just kept on keeping on. It just kept going forward it and fall to it all. Then he started his ministry. Remember, he's the son of God is the Messiah of Israel, and he begins to speak to the people and how they go or some believe most did not.

Many hated him.

They hated him.

Here is the son of God, Israel's Messiah, and they ate him and then they plot to kill him. What does he do it just keeps on keeping on.

So then he goes the night before the crucifixion. He goes into the garden and he sweats, droplets of blood why he knows what's awake and then they arrest them they give him a mock trial may slap them around. They spit on, then the Romans got not only they slept and were on the scourge of Roman style they take most of the flesh off of his back.

Then he put a crown of thorns on his head, then a nail on to across and then experiences the wrath of God, the lawyer, Eli Lamas, the box than he, my God, my God will have you forsaken me while he said that's you fix your eyes on here. He kicked keep on keeping on, right to the end. What's the outcome.

The gates of hell are shattered a potential eternal life is given, the forgiveness of sins for all of us. The ramifications of what happened because he would keep on keeping on, right to the end. That's why the writer says fix your eyes on him.

When you feel like quitting. Look to the cross.

When you feel like putting you look at the cross and you think God. Jesus didn't quit when you feel like quitting. Look to our Savior and keep on keeping on spring father because the length of this trial. From our point of view very long from yours. I'm sure it's quite short it's really nothing like Noah building an ark is nothing like Sarah and Abraham waiting for a child is nothing like Moses and then the wilderness of Midian, but for us it seems like it's a long time. I pray that your word would tell us how important it is for us this morning to have a perspective that we keep on keeping on. Thank you for all the great examples of men and women who did that in the Hebrews chapter 11 we call it the Hall of Fame of faith, but really it's the Hall of Fame of perseverance of endurance of those who would keep on keeping on. Thank you. Most for Jesus Christ when he endured for our sake is the basis of our relationship when we feel like quitting father, may we look to his cross and his person may return on our Savior and his new pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in. If you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time.

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