Smart People, Stupid Choices

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. In those days there was no king in Israel and everybody did was right there own self. They do what's right in their own 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 meet have left me with what what ironically not questions about God questions about you very close to the top of my question list is why do smart people do such stupid things. Why do smart people, smart Christians make such stupid choices. Smart people wreck their marriages smart people, completely messed up their children.

Smart people get drunk, do drugs drive their friends away the most part, I concluded the reason is that they're on the wrong road. Now they want to go to Emerald City just as I said in the previous messages, but they want to go a different way and they don't want to follow the yellow brick road yellow brick road is the road of truth, therefore get them what city you have to be on a truth quest. So many of us are not on the quest we are on the happiness quest that is the road we want to be on is the role that makes us happy today. The problem of that of course is what makes you happy today, may not, and often doesn't make you happy tomorrow. In fact, you may find yourself living in the land of regret. Why, why is it that so many of us do what we want to do rather than what we ought to do.

Open your Bibles to Jeremiah 17 Jeremiah is the most unpopular profit in the Old Testament is messages were never well received by anybody over and over again. Jeremiah would prophesy to the people and the kings he served under more than one made them listen final king was joy again and he was an evil king and Jeremiah prophesied and prophesied for him to repent for his people. He would not so Jeremiah kept prophesying and the people started to panic. So Joy came to Jeremiah in assisting Sonoma would have to listen to many more in 588 BC just what Jeremiah said would happen happen. He told them the Babylonians would command destroy the country and carry them a and that's what happened to smart man like that make such a stupid choice for his people will diversify. Thus says the Lord. Curse it is the man who trust in mankind, and makes flesh his strength curse. It is the man who trust in mankind. Verse seven blessed or happy is the man who trust in the Lord, and whose trust is Lord and then he gets right to the heart upon the very famous verse in verse nine. Why does this happen why do smart people make such stupid choices. The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can understand it. The heart every part joy, Kim's heart, the people of Israel's heart. Jeremiah's heart my heart your heart.

The heart he says is more deceitful than all else when it comes to deceiving what you want to put Lucifer to talk with the devil be the great deceiver. Many got that's his name. Deceiver is not enough for you. Your heart is deceitful above all else and is desperately sick. One translation says, beyond cure your heart is desperately sick deceitful above all else who can possibly understand it you seek. It's not just that your heart lies to you your hearts deceives it get you to believe the lie. It lies but it makes you believe the lie that's what your heart is able to do. In fact, it convinces you through the deception to come up with ingenious reasons why you made stupid choices. That's where you see someone's heart. You got it. You heard it you make a stupid choice and someone told you no account of it and you give your reasons and is amazing to you. They make sense to everybody else's.

Like that's ridiculous all the difference between good sound reasons and reasons that sound good to see the deception of the human heart.

That's the warning here. Notice what happens then in verse 10, the trouble that it brings about.

He said I the Lord I search the heart, I test the mind. Even to give each man according to his ways. According to the results of his deeds words as I see right through that.

Make no mistake, you reap what you sow. Make no mistake, if you want to get on the truth happen on the happiness path you will reap what you sow and will likely you will find yourself living in the land of regret that is going to happen. You see what I can listen to my heart when I listen to John chapter 8 Jesus Christ speaking people have just come to him and saving faith. In verse 30 John writes and he spoke these things and many came to believe in him. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who would believe him if that's gonna be up to you if you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples or followers of mine and you will know the truth. The truth will make you free to give you abide in my word, you will know the truth that were no doesn't simply mean cognitive. In fact, in verse more than an inverse relationship. For example, Adam knew Eve and they conceived a son Sudan relationship. If you ever relationship you abide in my word, he says he says you will know the truth and that will make you free. Mean that's what the word does.

It makes me free. Notice what it doesn't put me on the different road.

I wanted truth quest fact I'm back on the overgrown term of me now. The second Timothy chapter 3, and Paul gives us some of the credentials of the word of God. The context in second Timothy chapter 3 is this how you live in the last days because Paul says in the last days things and go from bad to worse things any worse than ever, were so how my going to live when life like that, or the very end of the chapter he gives us how. Notice in verse 14 he said to Timothy you however continuum the things you have learned to become convinced of knowing, he says, from whom you have learned them that from your childhood is as you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you wisdom that leaves the salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Then he says let me tell you about word of God is that all Scripture is inspired by God and again English becomes a problem because we think inspiring mean some kind of motivation but doesn't mean inspired that way. It's that awesome Numa toss it simply and literally says all Scripture is God breathed. That's what he says all Scripture is God breathed okay and he said it's profitable this is to your advantage mean it's profitable while it's profitable for teaching, teaching me what was right. What's wrong, what's true, what's false see what's good, what's evil. It teaches me then it says, for reproof. In other words, when it reproves me is what Bill your natural instincts here are wrong. Following your.your instincts are only going to help you with your gut instincts are in a court of the word of God is all Scripture is inspired by God profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, don't go there for training in righteousness. What I get out of that so that the man or woman of God may be complete. Adequate, equipped for every good work and makes a difference in my life. Change the way I live not just go to pages the right Hebrews chapter 4 in here the context is a little bit different but similar.

The writer of Hebrews is writing the people decided they're not going to trust the word of God anymore to go there gut instinct and I want to get reabsorbed back in the Judaism so they can get along with all the family and friends were all Jews. They decide it's time to go back this whole epistle was written to say don't you dare do that.

In fact, you can't.

And so when he gets to verse 12. The writer of Hebrews writes this for the word of God is alive, the word of God is living and its active in other words election can do something. He said it sharper than any two-edged sword. What you mean by that imagery. He said piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit. Both of the joints and the marrow is the key and able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of what your heart you see it's able to do that it's able to judge the thoughts and intentions of your heart. It even takes more than this, though turn a few more pages to write the James chapter 1 here James is going to give us another facet of this truth. First of all, in verse 16 he said do not be deceived by beloved brother you be deceived but notice verse 22. He says prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves that we can often be as Christians we hear the word of God. We read the word of God.

We delude ourselves is for anyone who is a hearer of the word of God not a doer is like a man looks at his his natural face in a mere and for once he has looked at himself and gone away simply forgotten what kind of person he was.

Now if you think about that.

The imagery is kind of funny. He's basically saying this, but in a nice way, you realize how stupid it is to be a hearer of the word… How stupid is it so stupid it's like a personal look at the face in the mirror turns and forgot what they saw. That's how stupid. Then he says verse 25 but one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man is blessed in what he does is on the overgrown bus means happy is a happy and content. Life is not living in the land of regret.

He's living in the land of blessing. What is the difference is whether or not he lives by the word of God relives by his own gut instinct.

That's what we get in trouble. See, when I noticed this over the years. Almost all of you know right wrong.

Knowledge is not your problem doing is the problem. What does it take to do the word of God. Submission. That's what it have to submit myself to it. In the words of God is spoken I have to submit me to what you said. That requires a tremendous amount of humility on my part.

I have to submit to the word of God. It said so many ways. In Scripture, tell me back to Proverbs chapter 3 verse five. Here Solomon writes trust in the Lord with all your heart. Notice he understand something to go yard. Cannot wait for this one and that were trust is really interesting.

In Hebrew is a little different of a picture. It literally means to lie helplessly face down in front that's what it means to live based on helplessly in front of that's what it means. The trust very much a picture of worship. He said trust the Lord with all your heart and there comes a command do not lean on your own understanding why what is a way that seems right, you can end instruction. Why is your heart is deceitful above all things and will deceive you as you go down the happiness trail.

That's why God says notice, then the second half of the verse in all your ways acknowledge him as a batting resort again. You see when you we think of acknowledge we think of something almost insincere or something so shallow to acknowledge God means the recognize God for who he is and then act accordingly.

In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. He will make the best path obvious that's what he means your back on the yellow brick road was a take submission humility. By the way, I don't think you want to be smart enough to do it on your own without submission, humility.

I just don't think I don't think enough knowledge will make a difference not let you submit to it when I give the example of the kind of thing, telling me not to first Kings chapter 3 what are the most unique experiences that ever happen to anybody in the word of God. Verse five in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and God said, ask what you wish me to give you how to give that dream is as God built what you want. Anything you want. Solomon said you have shown great lovingkindness to your servant David my father accordingly as he walked before you, in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you and you have reserved for him this great lovingkindness that you have given him a son to sit on the throne as it is this day now will Lord my God, you have made your servant king and a place of my father, David, yes I am but a little child, I do not know how to go out of commitment. Your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen a great people cannot be numbered counted for multitude so give your servant an understanding heart to judge of people and to discern between good and evil, for he says for who is able to judge this great people of yours. It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon asked this things and God said to him, because you have asked this thing, and I'm not. Ask yourself along life, nor have asked riches for yourself nor he says have you asked for, like the life of your enemies but you have asked for yourself. Discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words.

Behold, he said, I have given you a wise and discerning heart so that there is no been no one like you before you and show no one like you arise after you.

Go smarter than anyone before him and anyone after here Solomon, the great wise one, but he has a problem.

He's not wise enough to submit an humility to God always a great King.

He makes a lot of deals will look at chapter 3. Verse one then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and he took Pharaoh's daughter and he brought her to the city of David into a finish building his own house and the house of the Lord in the wall around Jerusalem that was even before that, Solomon said I need protection. Egypt's most powerful country in this area of the world. I'm going to ask Pharaoh for his daughter. Kings do that all the time and now have the protection of Egypt for my people, that sounds good doesn't matter for God's people. In fact he's forbidden by God to marry outside of Israel.

We thought was a good idea in his own mind is made a lot of sense. And so we did.

That's not a good idea. That's a great King making a stupid choice.

We see where this leads. Go to Chapter 11 now a first Kings, now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite Ammonite Edomite civilian and Hittite women from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel.

You shall not associate with them. There's God speaking in here Solomon not acknowledging him.

He said you shall not associate with them either, so they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods by way of God says no. He always has a good reason there was reason Solomon out fast to these in love notice Solomon. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines and his wives turned his heart away for came about when Solomon was old. His wives turned his heart away after other gods in his heart he said was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been for Solomon when he said after the Asherah, the goddess of the civilians and he said, and after milking the detestable idle, the ammonites, Solomon did what was evil in the side of the Lord and did not follow the Lord fully as David his father had done what he read his kingdom was divided.

Israel was never again a great power.

The tribes, the northern tribes the South. The tribes know that nothing but evil kings, every one of them was evil.

Judah and Benjamin to the south had some evil kings and some right asking Israel never ever regained its former glory. But there's even more than what happened Israel.

You read the book of Ecclesiastes. When you read the book of Ecclesiastes. Guess what you read Solomon living in the land of regret vanity vanity all is vanity is the smartest man the wisest man beast over the supernatural gift of God, but he didn't submit to God all I feel in my heart I love these women he lied to himself. He deceived himself and ended up reaping what he sewed over and over again in the word of God. The period of the judges, the most difficult time and in the word of God completely and what did the book and with in those days there was no king in Israel and everybody did what was right in their own eyes. That's how smart people make stupid choices they do what's right in their own eyes. That's why you as a believer and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, the smart one make so many stupid choices.

The next time you face a major choice in your life like it.

Ask yourself these four questions number one. This may or may not be any good at all. Why am I doing this. Why am I doing this not be prepared that directs you to deceive yourself to come up with some ingenious reason that doesn't hold water with anybody but you. The second question will help a great deal discuss were speak to this as God said anything about this.

Some of you live fractured relationships within your family's. That is, you struggle within the context of marriage, or you struggle with your children or your struggle with your parents or your struggle with your siblings and you have all of these broken relationships read the holidays when they come every year because something is gonna force you to be with them when you do, using what you do is you tell me oh Pastor pray for me. My brother was coming in time. Let me tell you what he's done to us what is God's forgive them, as Christ has forgiven you. There is forgive them, as Christ has forgiven you. Housing forgiven you over and over and over again unconditionally.

He says that's what I want you to do now. You can follow his word.

Or you can lean on your own understanding. You can follow your own heart and regrettably so many of you follow your heart. I mean if I even talk to you. It's amazing the things I hear, I can't do that. I won't do that. Not unless they do something first. All I want to say is so me at your word says that not just the way I feel you can trust your feelings can trust the word of God. Why am I doing this. Does God's word speak to this am I willing to humble myself and submit to the truth is the big question am I willing to humble myself and submit to the truth of God says no. Then I'm going to go with no even though my instincts are saying yes God says yes then I'm going even though my fear say no and the last question or my once again going to trust my own heart as I go down the happiness trail. You can do that some of you have some of you have T-shirts and set a been there done it a bit on the happiness trail on the back of the shirt it says now living the land to the choices are pastoral never on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just take a listen to the message 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 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 with 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 that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that SBC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon.

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