A New Year Resolution, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

No matter what 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 secondly he says it's this nor does he stand in the path of sinners network stand means confirmed in an action in a course or an action he's he's now aligning himself with the ungodly and that's how I live my life and that's how I make my choices were sinners are simply those who missed the mark, which is all of us who sin. From that point again, this becomes epidemic we start taking a sinners view the ungodly view of life for us. Let me illustrate this. I got a text from someone this week and I'm not mentioning names of anything but they had pictures of four men there and these four men are nationally known men that we would all know, and these are meant to get very high favorable rank blanket ratings in evangelical community.

These are men of great power okay and these men have got a lot of their power because they stand for a couple things they stand for strong marriages.

That's what they stand for and strong marriage is only a man and a woman and they have very, very strong family values and that's how we love them goes for men of had 13 marriages and publicly refund off release for affairs. These men who stand for strength in their marriage of had 13 that's called Bible hypocrisy.

That's all that is. That's hypocrisy. And yet we say we admire how they stand, why they don't live at all.

The unbelieving world looks at us and says you know what's wrong with you. You talk the talk but you don't walk see you have and I don't have a platform we live this way I can tell someone about the good news of Jesus Christ and how to change your life now and forever when he says your life looks exactly like mine, you do the same things I do. And the sad part is he is right. Everybody from George Gallup to Barnett who have done poles seeing evangelical Christians live exactly the same as her unsaved neighbors.

No different, but we talked differently. Hypocrisy. We end up standing sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

What happens to us when we live this way, the sit in the seat of scoffers. We become cynics.

That's what we become. We become cynical just like that. In fact, in Proverbs and Proverbs chapter 1.

Listen to what Solomon writes.

Solomon says this he says how long on naïve ones, will you love being simpleminded and scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge so much that it's so easy to be a scoffer so easy to be a cynic but is not the way of God is to waive the culture. That's the way the culture thinks I mean you could turn cynicism into a TV reality show. You could anchor a new station by simply being a cynic just everything that you hear your skeptical up and think about when you see anything appearing on TV. How many of you have no trust of Mother's Day that many we become cynical about me. So we start scoffing and I think what's interesting about at this conference all the way back to God and his word so you even find fleet believers today that was savings we have to change in these areas. This is 2020. The Bible is an old book written in all times and I don't think it means anything that we have different views now.

You do have different views now with the views of God. These are the views of the culture when he calls. Here the wicked sinners and that in the scoffer. He said that's the way this whole thing works. So he says.

True happiness does not is not found in a life that leaves got out, it can't be make sure when you're making a choice. You ask yourself the question, does God say not what does my colleague say what does my neighbor say this, God say now notice. Then he moves on and he says true happiness is building God's word. Verse three. He's going to talk first about verse two first about the responsibility he said, but his delight is in the law, the Lord and in his life, meditates day and night. That's the responsibility. His delight is in the law of the Lord that were law the Lord is Torah is simply the Old Testament can mean specifically the law, but I think he's talking Torah, God's revelation of what we would call the Bible. Now he says is what he doesn't say, but it's his duty to look at the Bible. It's his obligation to look at the Bible that will help you citizens delight is in the law of the Lord were his delight when I was in seminary, Howard Hendricks, who was a mentor of mine through seminary. The first year I was there. He said this is men when you get out of the church. As you can find are three classes of people in your church when it comes to the Bible. He said the first class of people to come.

The church is like yours are what I call castor oil Christians.

Okay, in his view was they hold their nose and I get a tablespoon of it and they know it's good for them so they just hold your nose and incorporate terrible medicine. I have to have it so take it. He said the largest group probably in your church will be oatmeal Christians now reset oatmeal.

Christians know that oatmeal is good for them. So I have to have oatmeal for breakfast. It's good. How many of you if you will get a list that tend most favorite things to eat in your life that you've loved with Sam about no more than anything that is good for so I'll do it on a regular basis. If I have to send mentors a small minority in your church that are hot fudge sundae first when it comes the word of God. They delight in the word seeing so many of us in churches like this we see the responsibility to the word but we don't delight in it.

I mean, some of us in churches like this.

We have a Bible that's in the car and when you come in here because you want to come spiritual on other people. You just bring your Bible when look at it while teaching you do it now. When you're done, walk out from the backseat will get it out next week is not the says no delight in that all. In fact, he says, look in his law he meditates. David said the same thing. What's that mean meditation on the Bible is an important thing. The idea if I recently got a set I need to think about this a lot over and over because are so many things that he says are so different than everything else. I hear he says things like on forgiveness like turning the other cheek. He says things that no one says out there. I have the meditating. Think about that now. Some Christians because they have a sense of religiosity or duty and I don't mean you can't do this in the right way but many doing the wrong way they always talk about the Bible I come in to read the Bible again this year all the way through in one year about my calendar and then proceeding. The woman really behind in Leviticus now I gotta really go after for a couple days book you can read your Bible every day, one year at a time all the way through and have no relationship when it comes to decision-making with God. The Pharisees had memorize huge portions, some all the Old Testament when the son of God came and stood before him, didn't even know he was, how could you memorize the whole Old Testament and not know Jesus was. That's only good in and meditate on. After meditate on the word of God.

You have to think about the word of God, because it's different in off a lot of ways, especially as culture changes stand against the word of God and you hear all those voices of the culture and only one voice from God.

So he that's their responsibility is delight notice, then the result, he will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water will be a tree and assist firmly planted in the new American Standard, the word firmly is not in there.

The Hebrew word actually means transplanted. He'll be like what I tree that was transplanted by the water.

The idea that the tree was first planted with her wasn't much water that's all like before Christ that was transplanted by the water as you and I know that's where trees grow.

I can still remember flying over Texas. It's got a lot of Texas is often what I would Texan described to me, especially West Texas. It's miles and miles of miles and miles. That's pretty much what it is, but you'll notice we look out of an airplane you see these green lines going all along. What are those creeks and rivers where the trees creeks and rivers. That's the only place those trees are going to grow another Arctic mesquite trees are kind of a short little tree grows in Texas, but by and large, he says that he says that's a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season is an imperfect tense yield advance continues to Guild fruit.

What makes a tree continually you'll fruit its roots the health of the tree comes through the roots you see concerning Jesus saying on the binding of the branches seen apart from me you can do nothing. But if you abide in me and I buy new you bear much fruit.

That's what the psalmist writes here he says and its leaf does not wither in a great line.

It's when God plants the tree is an evergreen is always bearing fruit is always green when there's a leaf. Whether a drop drugs kill trees. I called 2020. A drop when you I should tree doing she has a rifle in 2020.

There's a trout there. He said its leaf does not wither that of all it can withstand the hard times and then it says and whatever he does, he prospers only in America and that 2020. In the last 20 years.

Would anyone interpret that the way a lot of American pastors do now and means you get to get rich as a God means X.

There is so sad, but it doesn't mean that but admin does mean you prosper wooden relationship with God. Your life will be full of peace and joy and hope. No matter what's going on around you because you're still bearing fruit you're still green leaved. All of that is still happening with you is that that's the way it works is surmising when the psalmist says the same idea in a different way. He says delight yourself in the Lord Bobby memorize this and he will give you the desires of your heart is hard to believe but there are men out there teaching right now. That means you going to get a whole bunch of stuff.

If you delight in the Lord Jesus going to give you stuff to the matters this if you delight in the Lord. The stuff you're going to want is the stuff the Lord wants. By the stuff that you want to use is in a get-rich-quick scheme at all. So it ends up saying here. Look, you can see this as clearly as possible. Your your happiness is based on God's word and at last, enduring way. Nothing can change it, not covert, not anything.

Many years ago Reese to go every year to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for men's retreat and up at the retreat site over there is a Live Oak it is even more mess Live Oak got cables all over because of the branches going to have a go down with a grunt. I mean it's enormous truck and there's a little plaque there that says we studied it, and this Live Oak was likely a seedling in 1492, 1492 Columbus's Europe and the savings on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and narratives that how many hurricanes do you think of hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1492.

I mean we know Camille was a five right through the eye was where the tree is we know what Katrina did we know the storms. How many of those storms hit that co-since 1492 trees right there with us a tell you about the root system of entry. You see, what a perfect example of enduring through the storms of life for all of us. He said that's what happens then he moves the third point to happiness is not find an ally for leaves God to happiness is built on God's word and true happiness is found in a life that takes eternity into an account he says in verse four the wicked are not. So the ungodly are not so decent but they like chaff which the wind drives away will never hold up in the storm now understand what Means he's thinking of wheat being harvested in Israel and up on the top of every little hills where the harvest is a breeze up there so they take the wheat and winnowing fork in a throw it up in the air when the wind blows the wheat falls to the grind and the chap was blown away. He said that's the way it is with them with the ungodly. He said when the wind really blows just drive them away. That happens often is frustrating. Have you ever wondered about so many people in our country that have achieved enormous success, especially in entertainment, music and all but enormous success worldwide recognition tens of millions of dollars, and we always say this about. They died too young and how many of them died too young. How many of them died of their own hand how many just enormous.

Some of the most talented people on the planet and are dead.

Apparently all that fame and money didn't do it. It didn't make them happy.

They weren't happy they were miserable wind blew and blew the chaff away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. There's the future perspective, the ungodly will not be there.

It was nine says that is appointed once for man to die then judgment that's coming for everyone.

We often feel very sympathetic toward him because of the judgment of God, but please understand something here. It's their choice, that becomes a very important issue many years ago I read a great quote. There were so many of them. CS Lewis and CS Lewis said when you get to heaven you'll find it filled with people to look to God, save thy will be done in a setting. If you went to hell.

God would look at a group of people and say I will be done. You choose to live without God in this life.

You've also chosen to live without God in the next that's the point of the judgment that the mixes are tragic. That's why we share the gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ. He said for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way the wicked will perish, and what he means by perish not annihilation but total separation from God. So this year when you're making a resolution.

Just think of Psalm one.

True happiness is not found in the life of these got out. I'm big you don't listen to people who don't speak the word of God making choices in your life, it inevitably is wrong. If I got picked up one step further. Be careful not that this is very important to us. Go with your gut. Jeremiah 17 nine the heart of a man is desperately wicked is deceitful above all things.

That's up that's quite a category, so can I trust my heart. No, I can't say I can't promise good. I think this is right for me.

You probably do, but it won't be to the question is what the God say what is God said how did God say should handle this protrusion I made from God's point of view. If you want to be happy. That's the choice you have to make. Secondly, true happiness is built on God's word. You have to meditate. Think about you have to think this got spoken on this issue. If you delight in the word and spent enough time in it. You be amazed at God's word speaks to almost every issue of life and lastly true happiness is found in a life that takes eternity into account.

You and I are spiritual beings live forever.

Every human being is going live forever. Now I don't know how you no longer gonna live here, you might be 5060 7080 90 rarely 100 years, but how does that compare to forever is in a millisecond nano second, I mean you and I don't have a long long time. The choices you make here have an effect on all that you have to see your life, not just the temporal thing from the eternal point of view. When we choose to live only according to God's word, the consequences will be interesting. You'll be stable, peaceful, joyful, hopeful and happy as regards this how happy you will be if you choose to live otherwise you listen to the counsel of the ungodly, you stand within you sit there and become cynical about life. If you do that, I can tell you this 2021 is going to be exactly like 2000 22,019 2008. Choices. The spring father, I simply pray for these people ask themselves the question, when I am making important decisions in my life who I listen to what do I listen to my trusting my heart my trusting my friend or my trusting my God what a difference this makes for each and every one of us. Can you tell us over and over again that the path to peace and joy and hope for stability in purpose and meaning in our lives comes from. Listen to the God who lectures father that's my prayer for each and pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just think of a smoother message one more time.

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