An Honest Eulogy Of A Great Man, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. So whenever God leads you need to follow and I think we don't like following because it's going to cost us some may think of a man what it cost the customer's family cost of his friends cost him his way of life. He was urban in the Chaldees. These women on the moon is an attempt.

It cost them a lot and we know it's going to cost us a lot. So we don't really want to follow because it may cost us to 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 is once again he shows us how God's word. Our world, Genesis 26 in verse one.

Listen how this reads I think you get a real life.

This is familiar. Now there was famine in the land there we go again. Except this isn't about Abraham. This is about Isaac. Now there was famine in the land besides the previous famine. He said that had occurred in the days of Abraham. This is all new famine committed so it says so Isaac went to GOR and GOR to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines Philistines. By the way the seafaring guys. They live on a lot of people. Historians will say the Philistines were the first like they rated people, plundered people.

They were very good statement and so he goes and runs into the land.

The Philistines and the Lord appeared to him and said, do not go down to Egypt. Been there, done that.

You see don't you dare go down to Egypt. There's a famine in the land. He said stay in the land which I shall tell you sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you and he says and do you and your descendents I will give all these lands and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham and I will multiply your descendents of the stars of heaven and give your descendents. All these lands and by your descendents. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

There is the Abraham a covenant repeated Isaac the whole company at the same thing you're going to get it all. He said because Abraham obeyed me My charge, my commandments, my statutes, my laws, and so Isaac he says lived in Girard when the men of the place asked about his wife. He said this is Isaac.

She is what my sister what she is my sister, for he was afraid to say my wife thinking the men of this place might kill me on account of Rebecca because she's beautiful.

What now understand something two things.

One, when Abraham had done this. Isaac was on the scene. So this wasn't something that I Isaac never saw this before and I'm pretty sure Melissa was carefully there is no such thing as she's my sister Jean okay is not a gene that says you have to say when you meet somebody that's right and share your wife, your sister, I don't think he inherited. It's not a genetic thing when you learn to do that.

See, I think what happened was that was his father's propensity. By the way, if your parent have a propensity the reality of it is, it will show up in your kids and by the way, isn't that hard. I mean, it's amazing when you see something in your child, you realize how they got that for me.

Get a message you still hey I am they picked that up. But notice what he does now it says it came about that he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines. Note though the word Abimelech means the father the king. This is 97 years later, mostly historians believe this is Abimelech's son Abimelech be like Pharaoh, Pharaoh's on the skull, Pharaoh, but this is a son. Now I'm sure that some was told by his father. Something about Abraham and what happened with that so easily get wait a minute been here before. My dad told me stories about people like this. What what happens. It came about when he had been there long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through the window when he saw, behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebecca. Now this is that the generic hug. That's a nice word in English. The Hebrew word is way more playful it it at the heart of the word is sort of like laughter okay. In other words, are playing with each other in a very romantic way. Now Abimelech says I may be a pagan but that's not the way you act with your sister. You know that that's certainly not right. And so what happens is it says Abimelech called Isaac and said, behold certainly she's your wife. How then did you see she is my sister and Isaac said because I said I might die an account of her unit interesting in a New Testament condition for a husband is a love your wife as Christ loved the church and Herod and that is what I would die for, what does Isaac say to die for.

What did Abraham say looking to die for.

Now watch the aftermath. Abimelech said what is this if you have nonetheless one of the people might easily have lain with your wife and you would've brought guilt upon us. So Abimelech charts always people saying he who touches this man was white short will be put to death.

Now Isaac sowed in that land and reap in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him and the man became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy, for he had possessions of flocks and herds and great households of the Philistines and Rita so wait a minute you lie about your wife says she's your sister in order to protect yourself and you get blessed a hundredfold.

What you call that grace. That's what you called disgrace is unmerited favor. It's exactly what you and I receive something for a moment, the blessings in your life are earned or not it's the grace of God and so that's exactly what happens here now, whenever he felt threatened. He lied whenever he was afraid and retreated, and when he became impatient when Abraham became impatient. He hated the wrong counsel think that me 75. He wants a son he doesn't get one. He 76 and he wants us on a doesn't get one 7778 7980 8182 they can see this building and then that's when Sarah comes up with the idea, how about Hagar. You see, my maidservant, how about her and she can bear you a son, look at the catastrophe that especially on Hagar and Ishmael and then everybody else. Just think of what happened, he heated really really poor advice. Why, because he became impatient. There's a principle here. People who love you can give you really terrible advice.

Please understand that missing you do I'm saying they can people who love you can give you really terrible advice and that was exactly what happened was Sarah and Abraham, I can still remember my father never gave me advice of a lot of things, but we find give me advice. He told me how bad an idea was for me to quit a good job and go to Texas and start school again this is just wrong. This is not a good thing to do. Now, he might be saying that out of love is wrong. That's bad advice. You see, the people the love you can give you bad advice when you become impatient. What you need to do is bathe your decisions in prayer and then seek wise counsel from impartial wise people and then you make a decision if you don't do it that way you get ended up like Abraham must've something on a hillside when he was going through all the stress with Hagar and Sarah and thinking hit himself in the head. What was I thinking when I did that often we hear bad advice that's exactly what happens to us, and so he wasn't a perfect man and I'm so grateful for that exam.

So grateful. The fact that here is a great man, but is not perfect.

There was only one great man who was perfect. There's only one great man will ever be perfect is the only celebrity in the University's Jesus Christ. That's why God knows so much out of his way to let you know these biblical heroes were not men of perfection. So one of the lessons that we can learn from Abraham well again. They follow his strengths.

I think there are four lessons that we can learn one wherever God leads follow wherever God leads follow not notice God's not going to come to you audibly and ask you to walk a thousand miles is not going to do that, but it's different now.

The spirit of God into ocean in the spirit of God convicts you and will you get leadings and convictions in the spirit of God. Whenever you get a leading and convictions in the spirit of God follow it so you have trouble with that. I've had people come up over the years, no sake, you know, I'm having a really strong conviction that we need to do something about a particular area of need in ministry in the church or the church. It doesn't matter, but I really have a strong conviction now would you get someone else did follow through in this I have the conviction no you have a conviction you follow through. That's why God gave you the conviction you see if you think there should be a ministry, a different kind of ministry in a convalescent home then go to the convalescent home, follow it. Don't say I have this great conviction of a burden for ministry and someone else to do it. God gives you, doesn't work that way.

You see, I figure if God wanted me to do.

If you have given me the conviction. So whenever God leads you need to follow and I think we don't like following because it's going to cost us something we think of Abraham want to cost them the customers family cost of his friends to customers way of life. He was urban in the Chaldees. He's living on the willingness and attempt it cost them a lot and we know it's going to cost us a lot.

So we don't really want to follow because it may cost us too much. We may end up going to a place were not so sure we like problem with that is is that that's bad theology that's exactly with the Exodus generation. They have added 400 years of slavery and then go on the way the promise lingo. We don't really like it here wasn't too happy with wherever God leads follow the rewards will always always outdo the hardships. Secondly, whatever God promises believe them just believe them rest on them rely on them. God didn't give us the promises of the Scriptures for you to memorize. He gave them to you to believe them. You see, you need to trust the promise. It's amazing how many promises we know and how little peace we have, apparently knowing the promise doesn't give you peace. You have to trust the promise. You have to believe the promise good example Jesus Christ as promised. A couple things to us trials and tribulations, and comfort.

Let me say something to whether you believe that there's going to be trials and tribulations doesn't matter the coming Jesus promised it won't matter what you believe that or not. In James chapter 1 remember. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when various trials come upon you. Not if, when, so trials and tribulations are coming but get this if you don't believe the promises of God will never get the comfort you won't get the comfort you get the trial you get the tribulation, but you get no comfort. Jesus that I promise you comfort is a promise you the promises of Christ I care about you cast your cares upon me, because I care for you. I care about you.

I'll never leave you stay right here.

I work all things out together for your good. These are all promises but you have to believe the more they will help you in all.

So many times we don't believe and we don't believe him. You don't have peace we don't have joy we don't have hope so, wherever God leads follow whatever God promises believe whenever God tests trust whenever God test trust Seattle think we like tests much. I don't mean just academic testing and like those either, but I think all test make us feel uneasy. All test Risk and it you see all test have risk and that's why the let go test is so difficult. There's a lot of risk in that test, but they have risk and and what we want we want to be safe no matter what we just want to be safe, but you could be safe, but you never move anywhere, and never grow will never change. That's the whole point that he makes. There's a saying that we use when using the wrong time context a lot people say I'll never give you more than you can handle. I don't believe that all when it comes to temptation.

Yes, God always allows an escape to temptation. But when it comes to life. Are you kidding me most of my life is marked by God giving me more than I can handle. Why drive me to God.

You see when you face in circumstances in your life do I can handle this. I just can't handle this is God's light come on, come here, come up see this come up in August need come up on daddy's me come to the throne of grace. I'll give you grace and mercy here come. That's what God wants us why did you test you. So, obviously, but I just got work hard get my through my test. No, I don't. I just need to go to my father.

You see, that's what I need to do we test us and if we test this, we should trust him. So wherever God leads follow whatever God promises believe whenever God test trust and however God blesses share share one last passage. I've looked at it before but once again, look at first Timothy six.

It could be more clear. Paul says in first Timothy six verse 17 instruct those who are rich in this present world have said this over all the years and have the facts to back it up that you okay that you might don't tell me you don't go by the golf course or you don't live on the lakefront. So that means you're not rich I'm talking about the world instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all these things all your wealth to do what to enjoy it immigrate it meant he gives it to you to enjoy it, but there's a caveat right there. He said instruct them to do good to be rich in good works to be generous and ready to share why they will store up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future and they'll finally realize what life is all about. I'll paraphrase that.

That's what he's doing. In other words, resolve to be a generous person resolve the be a generous person.

When is the last time that you gave something away something that really meant a lot to you something that cost you a great deal when was the last time you did. You see, that's what giving us some your heart. We don't get gradually ignore necessity we get from a heart that's the whole point. Why is that so important because we reflect our father's nature.

We do that, you see, if you want to know what is what is Christian love all about us about things like forgiving as you were forgiven, giving sacrificially in other words, you see others worth considering. Everyone else is more important and you are that's what Christian love is all about. It's easy to say or how I love Jesus and I love everybody else to. But it's different when it comes to forgiveness and giving you see. Well, wait a minute I want to withhold some of that for God so loved you.

He gave his son know how precious is that when we sought in the Isaac and Abraham story for Christ so loved you, that he became your substitute to experience the wrath of God on the cross for you. That's what they gave those are two pretty precious things. You see, what do we do this precious to us so often what we give a simpler surplus and I don't mean just money.

I mean our time and talents all kinds of stuff like that. And so whenever, wherever God leads follow whatever God promises believe whenever God test trust and however God blesses share.

That's Abraham is worthy of the study. The friend of God. You see Abraham story is our story.

What pilgrims that we don't know we are, but we are number God has promised us a place now. I haven't seen it, and neither view these promise that I'm a citizen of that place, not this world sees promised so Jesus says to me, believe me, trust me, just like Abraham did. Abraham's epitaph can be our epitaph if we choose to be fully convinced that God is able to deliver on his promises. You see, if we make the choice.

When God calls us, we obey we go when he leaves. We follow when God promises him. We believe it and we get comfort and peace and joy from that belief. When were tested we trust God to do for us what we can do for ourselves and were blessed as he blesses us. We openly sacrificially share what God is done in our lives.

That's what happens when we follow the example, the father of us all. The friend of God. Abraham was father, thank you for this story of the life of Abraham. Thank you for this man who got all of it started at 75 how encouraging that must be for those of us who are older. How can God use us in mighty ways.

Regardless of the age barrier. Father, thank you that he has weaknesses and strengths that he's a man of fears but a man of faith.

Thank you father that you call him friend because it gives us an idea that we don't need to be perfect in order to be your friend thank you father Paul uses him as the example of faith that he believed you and you reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Thank you father for Abraham being the example of how we relate to you. We relate to you because we believe you and we trust you and so when you tell us you sent your son to die on the cross for our sins.

We believe that and we trust that and because Jesus Christ has died for our sins, we have been born again into the family of God.

We are new creatures in Christ all the old has passed away. New things come. Thank you father for the certainty of heaven. Thank you father for the power of the spirit of God in our lives. Thank you father for Jesus Christ who is given his hope for Jesus Christ was given this piece for Jesus Christ who can give us joy day in and day think for the sacrifice of your son, our Savior's pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in lower if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just type the sum of the method one more time. Remember that 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 at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs is that Fellowship in the Word.

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