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May 4, 2021 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ were never going to experience and the reason were not experienced. That's how serious the lobby of the never experience what God has for you sinning the life that's why so important, so many of us never really become all that we can be realized in the lives joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world.
Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of social monitor located in Metairie, Louisiana, one Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word. Our world is today at one talk about the subject that many of the churches in our country are very reluctant to talk about. In fact, some of America's most numerically successful churches will never talk about the subject at all. Our culture stop talking about this subject probably in the last 25 or 30 years. They don't talk about it ever. From a cultural point of view and yet every day you and I are reminded of it on the national and local personal level. The subject and I want to talk about today is sin. As I and become a dirty word within our culture. It's a word you don't mention it now.
It's a word that's very rarely mentioned in our churches. We don't really want to talk about that, and yet it has an enormous effect on us sinners. The following to the individual it's rebelling against God apart from Jesus Christ.
It's incurable and it always brings death either separation from life or separation from God.
The question might be why we do it many years ago footballs and said the devil made me do it today. The prevailing ideas that society makes you do when you have a great teenage argument that the peers made you do it. Teenagers been using that with her parents for a long time. I'm really good kid but the peers made me sin, but none of those are true, we sin because of us. In Jeremiah 17. Nine. Jeremiah says the heart is more deceitful than all else and this desperately sick. Who can possibly understand it, we sin. What arouses sin inside of us. I like it. Open your Bible is the first John chapter 2 in verse 16.
Right near the end of the Bible.
First John chapter 2 in verse 16 in verse 15, apostle John tries to give us a warning here. This is difficult for us. He said do not love the world he means the system that's out there do not love the world, he said, or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, so the love of the father is not in them is an amazing statement when you think about it, and then he says this as he explains it with the word for or an explanatory gar.
He said for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the father but is from the world.
Notice those three things the lost of the flesh.
It's at the through media is the Greek word, it means a really strong desire, the lust of the flesh, it doesn't mean that the desire is wrong. It just means when it converts itself in the lust of your flesh, it becomes wrong. You see there's nothing wrong with eating. That's a strong desire we have of our flesh, but there's something wrong with gluttony.
There's nothing wrong with having a husband having desire for his wife but there's something very wrong.
If he has desire for somebody else's wife. You see, if you take something like this. There's nothing wrong with a desire but he said it becomes lustful to become sinful. Paul wrote to the Galatians and chapter 5 verse 19 a Galatian.
He said the deeds of the flesh are immorality and impurity and sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. The list is endless is what he says, the lust of the flesh, then he says the others, the lust of the eyes. We had a lot of trouble with her eyes things that we look at think of David how that worked out. He sees Bathsheba think of Samson and the problems it Samson had with lust but think of you and I are culture.
On the way understands that the lust of the eyes week we call it differently in the court record advertising okay and what's the point of advertising, the lust of the eyes is a get you to watch something and all of a sudden you go, I might want that.
You see, I might need that. The lust of the eyes and in the last 20 said, is the pride of life, and that Al is a near is the Greek word it.
It means literally it means to be a braggart.
The pride of life is to see you as number one in your life.
We do a lot of that in our culture you look out for number one it.
It's the idea that you want to be better than the others you want to be the captain of my own ship it out. Ultimately it's just me-ism. That's the pride of life dislikes about me and so many of us fall for that, the lust of the eyes. Lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
That's the cardiology of a fallen heart and how you respond with a fallen heart makes all the difference in the world to give you two examples.
The first was in Genesis 3 and you know the famous story of Adam and Eve and how the serpent tempted Eve and remember the very first question ever asked.
Apparently was asked by the serpent and he said, has God said that's the first question ever asked, has God said, and he once Eve to doubt the character of God.
He once. Also, he once Eve is a human being.
The subject what God said to her judgment so you know how the story would see. He said as God said to you shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden, God never said that that God did say you can eat smaller trees in the garden except for one Jiminy for multiple Eve got even confused on that and she said even if we eat or touch it. I something like that's going to happen to us and were going to die and the serpent immediately says to her you're not going to die.
You see, because God's not telling the truth about that and you get the verse five and he gives her puts out the hook and he says look if you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will be like God, there's a pride of life. You see, you will be like God had that was really enticing to her. I will be like God. Yes, if you eat of it and so then the Scripture goes on there and it says this, the woman saw that the tree was good lust of the eyes, and is a beautiful tree for food. Lust of the flesh, so you have the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life and you know the story she fell and we all did with them. From that point of view. Now take chapter 4 sin, you have the temptation of Jesus Christ and is in the wilderness and he's fasting any fasting for 40 days so the question might be, you think is hungry. I mean, how about you, you go for days four hours I made 40 days to remember the first temptation that occurs is Satan says it says the hymnbook. Here's what I want to think about the lust of the flesh.
He said turn the stones into bread, you're hungry. You have a need. All you have to do is take the stone to the son of God turn them into bread need. But Jesus is doesn't fall for that and he quotes the book of Deuteronomy and he says look the spirit of God led me here to for this very temptation and he said man shall not live by bread alone C is not essential to me, but by every word comes out of my father's mouth that's so, you resist so the second thing that Lucifer does to his. He shows him all the kingdoms of the world.
He's the prince of this rice is look at all the kingdoms of giving. You don't I give you all the kingdoms of the world.
He said he you won't have to go to the cross. So you have to have you not to go the cross of this given to y'all notices the lust of the eyes, and Jesus when he responds to him says look, I've never worship you. I worship God only" Deuteronomy again than the last time he appeals to the pride of life.
He says the Jesus he takes him up on a high spot exist just throw yourself down any paraphrases Psalm 91 the Angels a come and catch you because you're the son of God. They want any harm come to you.
So just throw yourself done and once again Jesus responds by saying you shall not, he said put the Lord your God to the test.
I would not tempted. So in one case you fail.
Lust of the eyes. Lust of the flesh and pride of life in the other case he succeeds not the question might be what why all this what we talking about here.
Well I think it's this.
I think for some of us were never going to experience the abundant life that Christ spoke up the faith promise life or the life in the promised land that we been looking at and were never going to experience it. And the reason were not in experiences. It is because of sin that so serious and is in the lobby of this opportunity. You'll never experience what God has for you if you don't learn how to deal with sin in your life. That's why it's so important to us.
So many of us never really become all that we can be because we allow sin to reign in our own lives.
So now I want to go to Joshua chapter 7 Joshua chapter 7 where our fifth week of lessons we can learn from the book of Joshua.
The very first week I talked about. You need to take what is yours. When I meant by that is the promised land is promise to you and I we are joint heirs with Christ, we need to actually take what God has promised to us. We don't want to live our whole lives as a whole generation did in the wilderness. Secondly, we look at Rahab and I said it's okay to not be okay. Rahab was a harlot and she received mightily by God. She not only made a Hall of Fame of faith in Hebrews 11, which is part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ himself so it's okay to not be okay. The third week I said we have to remember things we can't forget, we can't forget that God always goes before us always.
We can forget all the things that he's done for us in the past, and we can't forget whose we are were children of God, for ever going to get to the promised land. And then last week would deal with Jericho. I said about bringing down strongholds in your life and you have to realize who really fights these battles. It's the Lord. And secondly, you have to follow his instructions or his principles completely. You can't do partial obedience and never take down the strongholds in your life. So this week we got to the end of six and you'll notice how six ends in verse 27 it's a great verse it says so it says so the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was in all the land, what we call that those are good days, so the Lord was with Joshua. Jericho fell down they got the stronghold across the Jordan God supernaturally stop that everything is going great until you hit the first word of chapter 7, but soon as you see them but you had trouble but the sons of Israel acted on faithfully in regard to the things under the band while the sons of Israel.
Notice he includes all them because they're a nation now going in as a nation and he gave them all the command they all don't violate that been one man does but he says, but that has ramifications that every body. Because of this idea of going into the land. Let me read to you again in 618 and 19, there's the band, he said, but as for you only keep yourselves from the things under the men so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the band and make the camp of Israel cursed and bring trouble on it, but all the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord. Initial going to the treasury of the Lord is a look, don't you take anything it's under the band. If you truly are going to bring a curse on everyone. If you do that now that verse, verse one of chapter 7 is just the context you have the story that we pick up the story. Now in verse two, and something is going to seem wrong here.
News from 2 to 5.
It says now, Josh was sent men from Jericho to AI, which is near the Avon east of Bethel and he said to them go up spy out the land so the men went up and spied out AI and they returned to Josh when they said to him, do not let all the people go up only about two or 3000 men need to go up to AI, he said do not make all the people toilet there just a few. It's a small town don't make 2 million people go up AI to 3000 men will do the job is to be easy.
We just are gone. Jericho is going to be easy. So about 3000 men from the people one update AI next word say and they fled from the men of AI, the running AI turns out to be a small town of pit bulls and thereafter know they one of this going to be easy and all of a sudden a pig and I'm Jericho, they crossed the Jordan. They destroyed two kings on the eastern side of the Jordan. Another running for what here's what amazes me is how we recently respond to it so it says the men of AI struck down about 36 of their men out of 3000, that's not terrible for words bad for those 36. Of course it is said, and he pursued them from the gate as far as Shiva ream and struck them down on the dissent, know much the response of the people. So the hearts of the people melded became his water though Mrs. now these are people, many of them were born in the wilderness, they heard all the stories of Egypt and the plagues, through the Red Sea and all those things that happen, but in the wilderness they had quite an interesting life of the close never wore out 40 years. Close never wore out the shoes never were out. No one had a blistering four years walking in the wilderness. There were supernaturally fed by God Manna and there was a big rock that went around after them game freshwater for 2 million people from 40 years and about you, but that's pretty impressive right then they destroyed two kings on the eastern side of the Jordan.
Then God shuts up the Jordan at flood stage and allows all 2 million people across then a Marta run Jericho for seven days and seven times in the last day and the walls fell down.
Now 3000 men go to AI they get routed and 36 of them are dead and the people fall to pieces that sound like you ever noticed that how things went are going well for you are just it's going well. Praise the Lord in the appraisal and then something small happen to think all I think he's forgotten me where my going to do now. This is terrible. I don't know if he hears my prayers. That's what they did and by the way, don't be pious because this kind of thinking happens to all of us, even the best of us notice what happens verse six. Then Joshua tore his clothes and he fell to the earth on the face before the ark of the Lord until evening, and both he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads. 36 Monday and now Joshua says this is awful so he gets all the elders of the whole nation and a get on the ground and then ate going on morning stage may throw dust on their selves. This is so bad. This is bad.
This is really really bad.
Notice what Joshua says alas. So Lord God, why did you ever break the people over the Jordan only did lift us into the hand of the Amorites and destroys. If only we had been willing to dwell on the other side of the Jordan, what that's what he said isn't that exactly what Israel said to Moses, why did you bring us out of Egypt and take this the Red Sea to drown us all when they get in the water is a safe one to be better to go back to Egypt and die than to be out here in this wilderness they had it clear in numbers.
They have no faith at all. Here's the leader missing a note of been better never to leave the wilderness and better just to be the way I was. He says, is the God you could fill more than Josh was feeling right now he doesn't stop, he said, oh Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies missed that he just for the Army under the bus.
Bunch of cowards we sent 3000 men up there a bunch of guys came out of AI. They turned and ran ream. Have a good Army. Then he says this for the Canaanites and the inhabitants of the Lamb will hear of it and they will surround us in our name from the earth and what will you do for your great name.
This is really bad publicity. This is really bad. I mean the Canaanites are going to hear a father and and and then I means giving Hamas, but how about your great name.
Another guy drag your great name and about how bad this is pretty parties are pretty obvious to almost all God's people. I don't know about you but when I catch myself and when I just I know I know better, and I still do it anyway. Woe is me this is terrible if you only knew the people, Lord, that I pastor it's so hard much of the Lord. Response.
It says in the Lord said to Joshua exit when he will work call stand up, get up rise up whatever way you put it: get up what you doing laying in the dirt of the leader. What kind of faith are you evidencing here, he said, why is it you fall on your face what you morning about did I tell you I was going to give you the land, see what you're really saying here is you don't trust me and work you don't believe me because 36 men died slim explain this to you Israel or send don't even say one guy that represented a good one in the land. As a nation. He said Israel was sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them and they have even taken some of the things under the banner both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they also put them among their own things he says. Therefore, the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. He says they turned their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed, and I he said will not be with you anymore. MSU destroyed the things under the ban from your midst want to know what happened and nothing do with AI. It had everything to do with you soon. I told you specifically, nothing out of the ban and you took it he took it anyway. He said that puts them under the accursed thing also.
He says I will be with you. You realize if you want to talk about how you walk with God and you sin and you don't do not want this walk by yourself.
You can delude yourself and think I'm walking right with God or not, that I will you have to go on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like the message one more time. Remember, you can Google 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 so 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 a monthly fourth is the 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 and LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for or 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 forecaster Bill Gebhardt injuries and thank you for listening to fellowship in order