As Happy As You Think You Are, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ means in Greek. It says fair speaking, it would mean this are the thoughts that I'm having for God. Would you take your thoughts right now and articulate them, the God you see if you wouldn't that may be needed work and thinking just a little bit 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. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Now once again he shows us how God's word meets our Laura for my thoughts are not your he says neither are your ways my way, declares the Lord, for his habit as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours and my thoughts than your thoughts wall that tells me something about my thinking. It isn't even remotely close to God. He said I can't even compare it you think instinctively in a very different way that I think your ways are very different than mine. Then he says this for as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater.

What a great analogy is going to give you a guarantee decision on what rain does cloud filled waters.

The seating creates the crop. He said that's what it does. He said that's how sure I am about what I'm going to say and then he says this so so Shelley says my word he said, so shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire without succeeding in the matter for which I sent while you see what he saying she one is that I put on that other hard drive that's what devoted my life to studying the word you see the whole idea of it got somebody fill up the hard drive. I know one thing as a Christian I am not intuitively going to think the right way and I am not intuitively going to behave the right way. God says you have to let me fill up your thoughts. He's about to tell you what I guarantee it. If you let my thoughts become your thoughts. You see, you are as happy as you think you are one amazing statement now want to take that one step further and go the New Testament. The Philippians chapter 4 in the context is joy and happiness.

Philippians chapter 4 verse four is still one of my favorite simply because of the grammar rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice.

What I love about that. It's imperative mood as a commandment just like the 10 while everything about that God's as I got a commandment for you want rejoice. Be happy. Can you command someone God can see his overview of Ross's book, you will been redeemed to be happy.

You see, I have saved you will put my Spirit in you so that you can be happy and joyful.

You see, that's one of them.

I'll be happy he says. Notice the enemy in verse six be anxious for nothing, there's the enemy, happiness, worry and anxiety. By the way, what is worry and anxiety occur between your ears than it seal that works. He says be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. The key to that is the Thanksgiving even before God answers.

I think him because he's God is not only great but he's good. He says in the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So my mind can be guarded by God. He said yeah now, by the way, let's do an exercise to see if it's working for you. He says finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence in anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. See what we shall be. He says you need to be thinking because you're going to be because were all addicted to it, he said, but I want to tell you the kind of things you should be thinking about the first thing is whatever is true, I don't know if you realize this but once in a while on the media. They say things I hate to say this are true. You see, you can't let your mind dwell on those kinds of things just yesterday. As you know they had a big snowstorm in Washington and New York and the media was all over that as the Washington, New York. The only people that are never faced no ever in the world and so I can remember a couple of the reports that they gave you know, one of the reports was a guy was standing around Central Park in New York and there is no wind blowing at that time is just beautiful, gentle snow falling on any he said, and I noticed some water, but he said you cannot go out in this kind of snow without your safety glasses.

What we were all kinds of snows when I grew up in Pennsylvania I never heard my mother say. Where's your safety glasses. It's snowing and then a local reporter who grew up here was on the national news and she was giving her spin on it and she wanted to warn everybody in New York, though, if you go outside. The air scold and cold air will hurt your lungs that would be any Eskimos that that all be dead cold air will hurt you see, not everything. Not everything is true.

He said you think about things are true, I can listen to things are false, but my media have to say that's false.

I want to dwell much true, whatever is honorable and means worthy of respect. Think about that, whatever is right, as compared to wrong. Whatever is sure that's the root word for the word holy hot gas, whatever is pure, think about it that way. Then he says whatever is lovely, what a great word means when some more beautiful pieces. Think about things are beautiful. Think about that.

I mean, that's puppies and sunsets think about that why there's a blessings you start thinking that way changes the way you think. Then he says think of things that have good repute that literally it's means in Greek. It says fair speaking and would mean this are the thoughts that I'm having fit for God's hearing. Would you take your thoughts right now and articulate them, the God you see if you wouldn't maybe need to work in your thinking just a little bit that the last two by the way, are simply a summary anything worthy of praise. Anything of excellence.

He said the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, you practice these things in your the peace of God. In other words, you will be happy to be joyful while so much for this question. You're as happy as you think you are, what is your mental diet you know what do you feed your mind every day what your mental diet. I thought about this and I thought about all the kinds of things that I really should be thinking about even what God has said so come up with my own. I'm just going to read the passage you have to look for you to write it down. If you look for for yourself. The first one is this think great thoughts about God. Think great thoughts about God. Romans 11 oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and is passed beyond tracing out who was known the mind of the Lord who is been his counselor who is ever given to God that God should repay for from him and threw him into him are all things to him be the glory forever.

Amen. To think thoughts like that. Secondly, think about great thoughts about you about this one. Zephaniah 317 the Lord your God is with you.

He's mighty to save.

He takes great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing tumor think that you realize how astounding that versus I mean I understand though he's mighty to save me. We sing that mighty to save easement I got that most of you do to ensure that he says he will take great delight in you and I no longer take the lighting device, and he's going to take great delight in you do have a picture of God in your mind about you God saying I I take great great delight and then he says and then he says he will quiet you with his love that phrase to me is a spiritual hug like I am upset about something, something truly frightening to me or something and he says come here let me hug you. I will quiet you with my love and then to me the most astounding thing you've never heard someone religious tell you this truth, he will rejoice over you with singing. You never hear people talk about that you know why they don't know the word, he will rejoice over you with singing we sing every Sunday. Can you imagine that God sings about you can use Bill Bill hi.

Love Bill. You see why because he takes such a delight. He loves me so watch and he has such a delight in me. He sings as most of you know, especially if you sit in this section I can't sing at all.

That doesn't stop me from trying in any sense. It's always been that way. But when I was dating my wife.

I used to sing another song I'm still in love with you by Little Anthony and the imperials Was more apologetic and dry your eyes there's no need to cry, don't you know that I am still in love with you.

I didn't mean to hurt you baby or dessert, you, I only have eyes for you because I am still in love with you. Why did I do that I loved her. I delighted you see that's why you see that's why God sings about me and about you just get your thoughts around that. You see, if that doesn't give you some sense of identity and purpose.

We worry about what other people got a God delights in me so much he sings about me great thoughts about yourself.

Think about great thoughts about others first Samuel 16. The Lord does not look at things the way a man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the looks of the hard you see how you look at people by their outward appearance. The way other people see people do you look at people the way God sees people by the way, if you do you realize there's only two kinds of people in the entire planet. There are save people and lost people and that's all there is seating you see people like that. Great thoughts about life. If anyone Luke chapter 9. If anyone wants to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will save it.

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his own very life. You see, life isn't about acquiring it's not about accumulating. It's not about impressing it.

It's not about exploiting it simply about discovering God's agenda. See, that's a positive wonderful thought about life great thoughts about the future. Jeremiah 29. I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Put your name in there using put your name in there and think about that God speaking.

I know the plans I have for you, Bill, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, Bill, and not to harm you, Bill plans to give you bill a hope and a future that's God talking to you is how would you think about what you love the world to squeeze units mowing your thinking about all the other stuff and distractions. Because if you are I can tell you something you're not happy.

You are as happy as you think you are great thoughts about the past.

I love what Paul says about this I said in the first sermon don't last past failure, still your happiness today just don't do that. I love what Paul writes to the Philippians and chapter 3 forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press. He says on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ. See you could sit upon you and what you did last week. You know what you did last month. You know what you did last year. You know what you did post that I forgot in that one of the great things about being a believer.

It starts new every morning. This morning was the first day of the rest your life.

This legs clean as far as God is concerned limitations through the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. Their new every morning great is thy faithfulness. See that's an amazing thing when you think about it. Great thoughts about the trials and the challenges of your life James one consider it all joy, my brother, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature and complete, and lacking nothing God waste nothing on you, even the most difficult trials that I face.

He says I'm going to mature you conform you more the image of my son. And those are just passages.

Think of all the positive wonderful things you can think of about God what God has done for me.

What is given me is given me a foundation to stand on that I understand is not movable unshakable. I built my house on the rock. God says no matter what comes you understand. He's given me a vision for my life is complete and comprehensive a life of joy and peace and hope, meaning, purpose he's given me that he's given me an inheritance that's absolutely certain that's unimaginable for me, and its implication. I'm a joint heir with Christ. He has forgiven me completely and forever every sin I've ever committed will get to think about that.

He is giving me free and open access to his presence. Hebrews 4 come boldly into the holy of holies come boldly to the throne of God. You see, what a wonderful thing.

I have access to God.

He is given me his son, who is my Savior, my Lord, he is promised it will never leave me nor forsake me. No matter what other people when I thought that is he is full of grace and mercy and patience for every day of my life and all the disappointing things I think and do. He is given me peace for the moment in a hope for my future. As Jesus said in John 15. He's given me joy. It's his joy. Maybe most important thought.

I want to think about all the time. He loves me see so much easier. Say, for God so loved the world, like were a big group that's true, but he loves me me any loves you just the way you are. We saved all the time and there's nothing in the world you could do to make him love you more. Nothing you could do to make him love you less. That's how he loves you he loves me know when you start putting all this together. I hope you start thinking a positive way. Because if you think in that positive way or what is true, it changes your emotions. It changes your attitude, which changes your life and yours happy as you think you are. Chuck Swindoll said this concerning how it affects your attitude. He said the longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life attitude to me is more important than facts is more important in the past been education then money then circumstances, then failures, then successes, then what people say or think or do.

It is more important than appearance of giftedness, or skill.

It will make or break any company, any church or any home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude which we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string instrument that we have and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me in 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes. We make a choice every day.

He says and I choose to be happy. You see when it's all said and done yours happy as you think you are the spring father third believers here who find themselves consistently day in and day not happy, not joyful, not peaceful, not hopeful. I pray father that they would understand that the problem is there thinking is not the resources within them they can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens the spirit of God is indwelling them the word of God is wanting to guide them and inform them and the people of God are there to encourage them father our thinking can become our worst enemy or her very best friend. Father I pray for those who aren't happy that they examine our thought life may see this a try with the truth of Scripture for some of us father may be that we don't know enough about you. We are so casual and are effective trying to understand your word that there's very little that we know.

In fact, even some of the things we service this morning might be a surprise that some father I pray that we understand as believers in Jesus Christ, we have this tremendous capacity to be happy. If there's one thing. Father, we can really dwell one just one thing is an individual person is just how much you love us so overwhelming thought that you love me.

It's a thought worth thinking about.

It's a thought that will build up what we call our self-esteem. It's a thought and replace our anxiety and worry in our fears with peace and joy convict his father passed through government on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in 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 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 of the sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds of pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find some surgery looking you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for an online work you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt you for listening to fellowship in order