We Live In A Different Country, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ about all the idols me back in these days they did calling creatures and four-footed animals and birds little too sophisticated for that. So maybe I will clear the measure of all things man is the one who measures everything that's at me for 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 govern ours. Once again he shows us how God's word meets our work.

Some 14 one says the fool said in his heart Metropolitan I going to say no. He says this for even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. There's a digression for things and adverse got this thing on here that's interesting. Just look at the creation of the conscious look at the complexity of human beings, but noticed they did honor me as God or they didn't give me thanks God is the creator he deserves what honor were the creature, how should we respond give thanks so now they can do that they were going to do that ASAP, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Now you see what is talking about a digression as bad off as man is healed digression spiritually because of his rejection of God is amazing to hear explanations, hobby of mine with astronomy, but give you one astrophysicist I found out they said they understand now how the whole universe is held together. It's pretty amazing and they say they'll tell you it's black matter have no idea what it is not know what they can't measure it in any single way. None. We know the whole universe is held together by black matter should be McCall matter because it apparently isn't matter because I can't see it. I mean the whole point of it is that's their explanation. Now this just to Colossians 117 and in Christ all things hold together. I'll take her black matter is Christ. He created all things, all things were created by him and for him, and by him all things hold together like no no no no no, it's black matter see. It doesn't matter to them. They the one thing they can't do is say that the responsible to God.

I mean they've said this over the years and years. This think of the most basic questions, there's only two answers that I've ever read about from the secular world with this creation*where they come from secular worldview is pretty simple with this one. Everything came from nothing and that's good science, and it that there's no explanation of everything you see came from nothing, that there was always nothing and then now there's everything on the other one is maybe a bit more popular is that matter is eternal. It has always existed at a point in the past that matter exploded into everything you see. That's how it worked. The problem with that was if matter was eternal. That means it was eternally inert and never did anything forever.

Not forever. But then, at a point in time. Here we go.

It's everything we have is right here that's the explanation how pleased you could speculate all you want but don't call that good science there is no good to me. It's a skates. It's like why is her life on earth. I can remember reading somebody needs it. Well, I think the reason is it was brought to us from another planet, then that just kick the can down the street a little bit where the life get any other planet when when I can do with that would do anything she goes the most basic questions that's regards talking about. So as we go one.

He says, professing to be wise, they became fools in the exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man birds four-footed animals calling creatures.

One of the reasons God, human beings create an image of God as we have a vacuum inside of us is a vacuum. Only God can fill. So we need an explanation. If there is no God.

How do we do it well about all the religions of the world is a good way to fill the vacuum about all the idols me back in these days they did worship idols calling creatures and four-footed animals and birds little too sophisticated for that. So who do we worship us. Maybe I will bless. We are the measure of all things man is the one who measures everything that exist. That's up to men. So what happens therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them, because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, they worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Three times in this passage, God's going to react to a man who rejects God the first and each one of these was a God gave them over the idea to me, of God giving them over as he simply steps back, one step from now. They report they so the second time he steps back again a report they so the third time he steps back in a report they so each of these makes man much much lower. Spiritually, each of these have an enormous consequences to human beings. So here's the first one he gives he said God gave them over the lusts of their hearts to impurity when you walk away from God. David Jeremiah gave me these this information. All based on something he wrote in 2015, but I want to show you this at work. He cited one single porn site in America on a computer 11 porn site in 2015. At that one site. There were 87 billion videos watched in one year, 87 billion videos in one year that's 12 videos for every human being on the planet. This just in America.

He said that same site. There's 116,000 daily inquiries daily for child pornography. 300,000 kids in American night in 2015 were forced into the sex trade sealer that news talk about things like that. By the way those children have 13 times the suicide rate of other kids. That's America. That's a culture so Alanis if you don't research on your own to find out a monarch among our young people. There's an epidemic. Sexually transmitted diseases epidemic in our culture. I'm a newscaster missing about nothing. We want to mess with that.

They're just expressing themselves assist absolutely terrible. You see, that's what the culture Regis in a given over to the lust I'm giving you over. He says to them.

The lusts of your hearts first. 26 for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions, their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural and in the same way.

Also, the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in her desire to one another, men with men committing indecent action and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their rise of homosexuality, chemical or that's an amazing thing. The rise of homosexuality. We live in a day where we see that rise. Remember when this whole thing first started becoming more liberated in the 70s and 80s men into the 90s. The whole idea that the culture was hoping for was that we were all created that way and that there be a gene that would prove it will genetically prove why you were made that way and never found much of their own chagrin. There would they did not find it so I can remember back then when they didn't find a John MacArthur saying if you watch in the next 20 years, you will see a tremendous rise in homosexuality and lesbianism to find. And the reason is it proves you're not born that way, because only people born that way we do. But the rise will be people will choose to live this way that be a choice that is made any set for a whole lot of different there a whole lot of different factors involved in that choice that's true.

Consequently, he said that would be part of the second step in our culture really doesn't like that you give an example of this is back in the 90s I went to Dallas seminary and took a mental conference on homosexuality in the church and the man who led the conference was a Dallas seminary graduate who was a homosexual porn star I he had made over 1000 homosexual pornographic movies is amazing. And then he became a Christian and they went to Dallas and then he married a woman and had three children, and he started a ministry to homosexual men and women in the mid-cities area.

He tried for a long time to get on Oprah Winfrey he said like to get on and tell my story said absolutely not.

You can't tell your story what you're interested in a story like this, no were not interested. Not because you're in some kind of formal denial to other cultures. That's our culture. The culture does not want the culture once no explanation that way whatsoever. I don't want to even hear about that. The trouble with these verses, this is what Christians always stop, please don't do what was wrong with America. I'm telling only one Americas is too many days in America and that's I got chills God's judgment on America's obligation. Come on is not what this passage is saying at all.

I just said that at the second stage the second time God steps back those of the symptoms of him stepping back, but guess what, there's 1/3 stage that we had more pretend it is even there he says. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do the things which are not proper being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, mouse. They are gossips, slanders, haters of God, insulin, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding I'm trustworthy. I'm loving and unmerciful.

That's the Thursday notice he says being filled with all unrighteousness and wickedness.

That's totally depraved that's like Jesus talking about the days of Noah. He said before I come it'll be like the days of Noah, when you back in Genesis and read it it says in the days of Noah that man's man's thoughts and actions were continuing on evil means is as bad as man can get.

And he said that's what the stages here, but what's amazing to me about this stage is look at what's on the list. One he says here first thing after all unrighteousness and wickedness is greed to become greedy grades. Not that is. I mean, only one is more than another, along with grade not all God says it's in the third stage, become greedy and that something remember back in the 1980s, a guy named Snyder wrote a book title the book was rich Christians in a hungry world and it was all about our greed in the 1980s uses another be greedy full of envy, we don't envy anybody you don't I name anybody's neighborhood anybody's car anybody's job you don't envy people to be willing to murder, strife, deceit uses. They are gossips, wait a minute, gossips, ends up in stage III, homosexuality is only in stage II. Yes, we don't gossip bring. We do, don't see part of it is that wholly difficult.

What God considers terrible is not necessary.

What we consider terrible what you and I consider terrible is any sin that you and I wouldn't commit if I won't commit that's and that's a terrible sin by way of human nature. For example, in our country right now in the secular country is our country against pedophilia.

Yes, why, and when do I would not do that to the wall against it. Christians are very similar.

We just pick the sins that we wouldn't do and say that's a terrible sin know it's your sin. He says in verse 32 then although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death they normally do the same but they also give hearty approval to those who practice that's the culture and by the way, you see that our culture are there certain sexual sins in our culture it right now. The culture says that you not only do you have to allow it. You have to accept it and you have to embrace it and celebrate it. And if you don't, your phobic your hater.

See you. That's what we do.

In other words, whatever sin we commit. You have to celebrate it and approve of it with the rest of us. That's what happens.

The culture and that is just a general description America and in messages that come will talk about other aspects of this.

So the last question I have is how do we respond to this.

I'm afraid some Christians respond with just utter despair. It's over. All I remember the good old days whenever you have a good old days. Again, think of this. So when the good old days were good for you. They may not of been good for everybody in our country and you happy with your suspense all over. There's another group of Christians what the whole Peter.

This is we have to win political victories.

Hey look, I am all for us voting our conscience more for the go ahead and vote your conscience. But if you believe the politics will solve this. I hate to save your naïve and mistaken, this is been coming to America for up to 300 years.

Over the last 16.

It doesn't matter which side of the aisle is in control.

It may happen faster with certain political decisions made in others, but this is a different thing.

This is bigger.

This is the fiber of America politics will not rescue this country.

30 we could become the salt like the Jesus called, we should be the salt like the Jesus policy your salt, your light like a light shine. What we do is we spend her time shaking the fist at the culture so you're not doing what were telling you mother not because I don't believe what you're telling them what you're doing is wrong, though, say who are you to say we are civil but God said to the Bible, said nation that has no authority with us. I won't do it would be salt and light Jesus in word of love, people, and pray for people and by the way we say people he included, because he went out of his way your enemies, love your enemies, pray for your enemies, why would we do that, but there's something I know about sin. It pays lousy dividends. It really does so. We live in a culture now that is basically without conscience sending as openly as it wants the sin.

Remember, the Bible said God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows so so we read and that's what's happening in our culture. We think this pandemic record.

The sales figures right now on alcohol all-time record wife. That's how we cope. I'm just a drunk. Then I'll be good until when, drunk anymore. I mean, that's it, or even worse, if you want to know what a pandemic is just look at antidepressant medicine that's a pandemic in America. It's everywhere it's everywhere.

I actually saw Velma and I saw a commercial and I can believe I saw, but it showed a lady who was miserable and depressed and she's on antidepressants and that the doctor came on and said now see, here's the problem on antidepressants don't work necessarily won't help you necessary and might leave you depressed. So we have a booster antidepressant that if we can give you this, we can numb you enough that you won't go any more pain. What to those people need peace, joy and hope. What is we should have with all the circumstances going, joy, peace and hope. See if you have joy, peace and hope in the middle of this, somebody who has none may just ask you how you do this. How do you have joy, peace and hope in the middle of this. And then, as Peter says, you give an account for the hope that you and you GK Chesterton main moments in history such as the fall of the Roman Empire in the period of Islamic conquest when Christianity faced apparent doom.

Each time a fresh spirit of renewal emerge from the crisis and in it and faith was revived and as Chesterton put it, he said this, the faith has to all appearance gone to the dogs, but it was only the dog but died, Christianity has died many times and risen again and then this statement, for it had a God who knew his way out of the grave of the gospel with we have a God knows his way out of the great. This is not an easy time to be Christian in some ways it's an exciting time, a wonderful time. America is in decline. You and I with the church of Jesus Christ and he said the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Spring father were all aware of the decline of our culture and were all disappointed in it. Father is what it is it hasn't surprised you will shock you if all is right in Romans chapter 1. Your children are here. Your spirit is here in the gospel is here and I pray father we see these difficult times is a great opportunity for us to be off to offer people the whole of the forgiveness of sins of eternal life, and of a relationship with you father is been done over and over again in the past and ensure the gun so I pray that you use us for your glory and for our good as we give testimony to this and pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like 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 event website you will find on with today's broadcast but also 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 us 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 SBC 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined servicers are looking for. 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 for pastor Bill Gebhardt, unseasoned heart. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order