Grace Is Christianity, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ on stage says this grace is God loving God, stooping God coming to the rescue God giving himself generously in and through. That's the theological reason behind the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace came to bring the undeserved unheard on burnable favor of God and believe who wouldn't believe joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word about Canoga Park Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhart now is once again he shows us how God's word.

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against wars, against powers, against world forces of this darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness and that you see that's our enemy.

That's what were fighting were fighting those spiritual forces we often think that we need to stand stronger. What we need to fight or other people.

But the other people you'd ever need to fight or not your enemy the victims of your enemy the Bible because of something else. They call them your mission field.

You see, that's the mission field. That's why we love our enemies. That's why we pray for their victims of the enemy go with me to my second Corinthians chapter 10 second Corinthians chapter 10 in verse three Paul makes it even clearer here. Verse three Paul says this for though we walk in the flesh. All that means is we live in the real world readers live like we live in a world war. Although we walk in the flesh. He said we do not war according to the flesh. He said for the weapon of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. When we fighting ideas, thoughts, meaning of life. Where's the battle is between your ears.

That's with the battles fought is fought right between our ears whom I don't listen to how my going to do this, but those thoughts metaphorically almost every thought in the world originates in heaven or hell. You see, that's the way this works and that's where we fight. He said we have to think about it from that point of view that's twice telling us to stand firm answer the question comes down to, then you know how do we appropriate strength. How do we appropriate God select live stream. How do we get this power in our lives. I think there are four things and I'm very much indebted to web David Jeremiah here any he uses a really good analogy. I think he uses your computer and he says that the computer has a hard drive and that contains all the applications that you need any said when you launch a program you downloaded from the hard drive to a temporary drive once it's on a temporary drive it on the screen. You can see it on the screen and now you can access. He says what you've downloaded, but he said it was always there on the hard drive. You just can access until you did. And these are the ways in which he talks about the way we can hard drive. It is of the Bible is our hard drive and so how do we access. How do we download the power of God. The first thing he says is this. He said we download the power of God. God strength from his word go with me just for one verse in the Old Testament.

Psalm 119 in verse 28 Psalm 119 verse 28 notice of the psalmist says here, my soul weeps because a grief.

I can't tell you how many of you I been with over all the years in which to do this if you haven't done it, you probably will just your soul weeps because a grief. The pain is unbearable. Hard to explain difficult. You never feel weaker or more vulnerable than you do that notice for the psalmist says. He says my soul weeps because a grief strengthen me according to your word.

When I get the strength from the word Lord I need I need your strength from the word here Melanie Tighe New Testament application and concluded go with me to second Peter second Peter chapter 1 verse three and here Peter says it differently but I think it's clear to us. He says in verse three. Seeing that his divine but to say power how I get his divine power in my life. He said, seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, but that include memory, read it again. Everything in life regarding everything gotcha so I can supply you the strength and the power you need and everything. Notice he says divine powers granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence.

For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by then we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. He has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises. That's his word to me asking. Be honest with yourself. Looking for to dine you been on some of his nine so to drive stuff in it. Let me ask you, do you really believe that you would get what we would like to have a little bit of strength when you die because you're going to die.

By the way, I hate to say that the barring the rapture, everyone enters the every single one of us seen when you think of that battle. That final battle with pain is the hymn says when you think of that you say I need strength for that. You will. God says I provided the Bible says when you are absent from the body are present with the Lord as of the Bible says you are absent in the body present with the Lord Jesus said let not your heart be troubled. He said unions need to believe in me. In my father's house are many dwelling places. I'm going prepare one just for you, so that where I am, you will be also.

And then I'll come and I'll receive you to myself. Here's the question do you believe that or not you believe that are not because if you believe that by the way, where is your strength coming from from the word of God. I got my strength from his word. He's already promised me this. You see, that's a difficult thing.

One of the songs that we sing here is the last day of my life would be the best in my life.

It was written by Matt because I say it all the time pulpit but the truth of the matter is that's true, but some of us probably feel funny even singing it. That's not like my wedding day is like the birth of my first child does not like Christmas know it's better you see but do you believe that that's the question do you believe it he said what you can appropriate my power.

He said from my word. Secondly he says that we can appropriate his power through prayer. Go with me to Ephesians chapter 3 Ephesians chapter 3 and I love what Paul does here starting in verse 14 Paul like any servant of God what he wants to tell people is and who wouldn't I want you to have God strength.

I want you to have God strength when you needed in this life. I want you to have this so much so that he prays about it. Notice what he says in verse 14.

For this reason I bow my knees before the father. He said, from whom every family on heaven on earth derives its name that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened. I pray he said that you would be strengthened, he said, with the power of his Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and the length and the height and the depth and I know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. He said look I would just pray that you would have some grip as to how much God loves you. I just we should get it. He loves you with more than any person ever love you and it never wavers maybe another way of saying it is the way Paul did. He said if God be for us.

You know the verse to be against us. God is for you.

He loves you. Paul says I wish you get back. Because if you really believe that you have strength God will work through you also have peace. Notice he continues and he says now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.

He said that we should comprehend how much power you have, how much strength you have. We sing the song but we don't put in the heart couple weeks ago we all said here stood up.

Whichever way we did it, and we think I've got resurrection power limit on the inside really, you believe it she do you believe that because if you don't, you never have the strength to strength in God's word, we get strength when we pray Psalm 22 in verse 19. The psalmist says you are my strength come quickly and help me. What a great way to put it. Isaiah 30 30 Lord, be our strength every morning we need strength. Gotchas are provided.

Just ask me. But you have to believe from his word. When we pray, he also gives us strength in a way, would never imagine.

Go back to Isaiah chapter 40 with me for a moment. Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 31 so very famous verse and is never the way you and I think you get strength say we think of strength as I said I gotta grind my teeth turned on him to give it all I got. I will do it. That's nothing like your strength is what he says in verse 31 right after the verses I just read earlier. He said yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired they will walk and not become wary how do I appropriate. How do I download strength of God. When I wait just hate that gotchas look you want to give you strength is what I want to do stand firm and wait see what does it take the weight faith. Faith is measured by what it will endure faith is measured by what you will wait for God knows how much faith you have on the basis of how you will wait and what he says here is, those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength. He says they will gain new strength. Just wait on the Lord is of the mind up with wings like eagles.

This is great strength. It's not alone.

We don't do that.

Try to muster up with her own effort is a different way of saying it's right there is my favorite verse in the Old Testament, and that's why it's up there. Be still and know that I'm God's waiting just be still sits with God saying I will manifest my strength in your life when you wait when you be still, that takes faith in your part.

I get that Psalm 27, said wait on the Lord and he will strengthen your heart, waiting takes faith. That's why God severe that's home to release my strength is different than what we thought Elijah was once were really terrible time in his life.

He was borderline depressed. If not, really depressed, and God comes due Elijah out of an earthquake and fire and you think and why, just waiting for God to do something big and gets nothing. God never speaks in later in the chapter it says that he heard God small still voice just wait is based right here is what he says to us. We want some big sign and the whisper in your ear while you're sitting in some intensive care unit, wondering what's going to happen.

He said this beast on writer right here is what tells me Bill never gonna leave you nor forsake I'm right here even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil, you're with me. See you have to believe these things if you want the strength of God.

You have to believe these things. That's what he says so. We download God strength from his word. When we pray and when we wait and one more final one second Corinthians chapter 12 second Corinthians chapter 12 in this one surprise you. Probably the most you can appropriate God strength through your weakness God strength is manifested God become stronger in your life when you will finally realize how weak you are. Your weakness manifest his strength severe. That's the way this is going to work earlier in chapter 12 before verse seven, Paul said that that he got caught up in paradise and he said men I heard stuff that was unbelievable. I had an experience you want to imagine. He said I don't know if I was in the body or other body but from my point of view, he was there he saw everything and so he comes back and he says in verse seven. Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. For this reason they keep me from exalting myself standing up water that happened to you. See what you what if I went to heaven for half an hour. I sought all I can bet you haven't. Sprinkle. Paul said I was the talk about.

He said, and I was allowed to exalt myself or be proud of it. He said there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me to keep me from exalting myself must've been excruciating for him.

He says concerning this. I implored a very strong Greek word I begged the Lord three times that it might leave me and he said this to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me says I'm weak, really weak gotchas. Yes, we knew we come strong. He said in verse 10. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses with insults with the stresses, with persecutions with difficulties for the Lord's sake. For when I am weak I am strong when I am weak. I have his strength seeking manifested strength in our weakness.

Think of the Old Testament judge Gideon what a great story that is for us, God said to Gideon Almighty. Gideon, the angel came said you valiant warrior you can be the next judge over the nation. Gideon said you got the wrong guy that can't be me.

He said there were 12 tribes in Israel my tribes the least of the 12.

So you're not even the right tribe and if you look at our whole tribe. My families like the worst and the whole tribe and if you look to my family. I'm the worst guy and it you got someone wrong. God says the guy. Gideon becomes a judge of Israel, why would I do that I don't know about you but I can identify with. That's is no because it was never about the judge. It's only been about God.

So he took one of the weakest man you could find it made him a great judge of Israel. He said because it's my power that makes him a judge that his own power, Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher said God does not need your strength. He has more than enough power of his own. He ask for your weakness. He has none of that himself and he's longing.

Therefore, to take your weakness.

Use it as an instrument with his mighty hand, will you not yield your weakness to him because when you do you'll receive his strength.

That's all that works. John MacArthur says that it's when believers are out of answers there out of confidence or out of strength. With nowhere else to turn but God that they are now finally in a position to be most effective.

No one in the kingdom of God is too weak to experience God's power, but many are too confident of their own strength.

Physical suffering and mental anguish and disappointment and on fulfillment and failure squeeze the impurities out of the believer's life making them pure channels through which God's power can finally grow.

We can download God strength through our own weaknesses. When we wait on God. When we pray from his word. He tries to tell us this over and over in Psalm 2127 he says unless the Lord builds the house, what you labor in vain to send even your marriage and family, unless the Lord builds the house, lead, let me do the work you labor in vain. Jesus said it in John 15, he said on the binding are the branches. I want you do is abide in me, if you abide in me and I knew you will bear much fruit. By the way, apart from me you can do nothing. We don't have strength we have his strength. You see, that's the choice we have to make the choice between our own efforts in God strength. The Bible says that when we do that we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ, and maybe most importantly to think of a single Bible verse to remember, once you allow God strength want you to step God strength in your life you can say and mean the words of Paul remember he said I can do all things through him who strengthens me. The spring father.

Our problem is that we are self-sufficient.

We try to tackle life of their own strength, but there are certain things in life that make it abundantly clear that we don't have the strength to succeed. So father we find ourselves fearful for the anxiety because the battle seemed too big for us but father, you're trying to tell us that they're not too big for you. I just pray father that we understand that we can appropriate your strength in our lives that those promises from the word those magnificent promises are designed to strengthen us that we can go to you in prayer and ask for your strength. We at the father of the, we are able to wait and as were waiting to strengthen us that father in our weakness you become. I pray that we begin to make this choice we choose your strength over the previous pastoral government on the radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time.

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