Think About It, Part 2

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

There is the most terrible thing you think this will, and God says to his arm behind about God is for use against tell me what's on the other side of the ring as a teller is not. He said that's why synagogues for the event. That's the way he's thinking of 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 got for now is once again he shows us how God's word meets I can do all things through him who strengthens what I can do a couple things through him strengthens me. I can do all things through him. I can remember the first time I ever read that one of things I promised myself never say it until I could do it in a long time coming so I can do all things is that the ultimate six-figure positive thinking person I can do all things, not some anything I can get any news. I did go through any circumstances I go through more strength.

Wow, that's amazing. By the way he is in prison and is waiting to see these can be executed gets out this time. Next time he doesn't, but he's in prison waiting to be executed and that's what he says is what would you say and do all things through him strengthens me. While he said he's an apostle after all. Yes, he's been beaten with rods.

On one occasion. He's been stoned and left for dead. He said to the Corinthians.

I'm not sure if I was living figuratively and having her literally in heaven but I was there. See, while aria he was shipwrecked and snake. And everywhere he went he had people who hated his guts.

When top of all that Paul was probably filled with a natural guilt which you think about what he went through.

Paul was the one you probably orchestrated Stephen being martyred, knowing he had Stephen killed but Paul spent his life hunting down Christians and arresting his owners with the road to Damascus to do that whenever Christ appeared to many converted, just imagine how I felt that I can overcome all that to him strengthens me thinking Kyle Lee in a how does he do that. Henry Jowett says this.

His eyes are narrowly illumined history tone is never absent from the speech, the boy and springy movement of his life has never changed. The light never dies out to his sky. Paul was the ultimate optimist is in any tells us why were so optimistic look over now in verse four in verse four he says let me start out say this. Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice. Now you and I are fine with that verse. All except for one word. How many of you like Christmas morning to see how many like a Super Bowl honey like a raise receipt, but there's a word in areas of their always not even really mean always always always that this doesn't make my thinking that doesn't make sense to me. Always get a better prognosis. Always they got about this so much they said to Paul earlier Philippians.

If you and a choice would would you like to die.

How many conversations we had with people got a party just meet someone. So I went always ask if you would like to die.

Now security say. I mean, what basketball you.

His answer was yes, I would if you gave me a choice. He said that I like a guy. However, if God wants me to be here for your sake, I'm more than happy to stand wow that's piece you see when Rome was trying to threaten but we could take your life. Go ahead. How does he think this way is he. How do you think this way is not the way we normally think at all is not rejoice always, he goes on and says be anxious for nothing. There's how many things you can be anxious about nothing that big things like open political people know that little things. Nothing to be anxious for nothing in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Go ahead and pray something is bothering you, pray, and was supplication means I can throw my emotions into this. This is exactly what Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane. He sweating droplets of blood and he says father let this cup pass from me see what he did he want to experience the wrath of God for all the sin of the world, not as a human being. He didn't. He knew what was coming, but how did he end at prayer.

Nevertheless, I will be done, but yours, so he gives his permission to pray that way. That's fine on our part. If we have a nevertheless with it. He said if that happens, the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I'll add the word always no matter what the subject says is funny but let me tell you how you should be thinking. Finally brother whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute. He said if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise dwell on these things while it is true, was Lord Wyoming think, think on these things keep thinking on these things to think about, see if it's true, think about again back to the prognosis you get a stage IV cancer prognosis.

He said the doctor says you have 11 months true statement. Maybe you see the doctors looking at the disease in these make an analogy. My question is with God, how much and how many months do I have whatever God says I might only have six. I have 30 it might go away to the ultimate control of everything in life is a sovereign God who loves me I should think about this.

You see I should think about.

This is in God's hands. She that's an important part of its true, I'll think about it. He said not only what's true. That's why Jesus said if you know the truth will set you free from anxiety honorable that which inspires worthy of respect. Just Christ anything is honorable and true right, righteous sure that ceremonial purity without sin of a good reputation in any summarizes that section by saying, and if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise dwell on these things. You have to think the joy, peace and hope we have is all between our ears's not out there sees it inside job and his job of how you think about Albert Einstein was a pretty good thinker. Albert Einstein called it sits in dank and said how do you think sits in dank sits in dank and yes, but it literally means as I sit thinking I sit thinking he's there with extreme concentration about one thing and sometimes it's hours and sometimes it's days, and has even been weeks since in dank. I think about it I think about it enough I can make progress. That's what we need. David said it this way in Psalm 145 on the glorious splendor of your majesty and on the wonderful works that you have. I will meditate said something you see.

I know Christians always like Bible memory. At some point the Bible memory but I'm not against Bible memory, but I can tell you this is much better read Bible meditation. I need to think about what those words are saying not just second spew back to you at the knit sit down and think about this. You see, it really helps you if you start out with a sovereign God who loves you is going to spend eternity with you and that your bed rock of your thought you'd be amazed how much peace you have. As you go through life with me to Romans chapter 8 again I want to go back to verse 35 Romans 835 now watch these are some of the thoughts you and I should have but was a great chapter for thoughts you want some thoughts in your head. Read Romans eight about verse 18 for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed by what is Paul no suffering. Yes, you know, a lot of it yes is hiring the comparison he calls him another passage momentary light afflictions now being stoned and left for dead beat rods that doesn't seem momentary light afflictions momentary, compared to what forever just momentary, he said, and I look at this I consider what's consider me think I think about this, that the sufferings of the present time aren't even worthy to be compared to the glory glory yes my father's house are many dwelling places were not so I would've told you I'm in a come and receive you to myself. Welcome home.

How long was I gonna last forever.

What kind of places it no more sorrow no more tears. He's arriving about that.

This is momentary, light affliction to me that's thinking how my day 28 and we know that God causes all things work together for good to those who love God, and those are called according to his purpose. Supposed want some bad things balsa. God is good evidence bag. I know, but got music for good. I think that way. I believe that verse 31 what shall we say of these things. If God is forces against us to think about your life are the most terrible things you ever face as though you're a boxing ring on the other side of the ring. There is the most terrible thing you've ever faced that pretty intimidating nothing with this window and God says to put you behind his arm behind him and says I got.

If God is for use against you tell me what's on the other side of the rink that's been with Bob and God is he telling there is nothing he said. That's why set of gods for you to be against it. That's the way he's thinking. Verse 35 who will separate us in the love of Christ with tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword verse 38. I'm convinced that neither death, life, Angels, principalities, things present, things that come no powers, nor height, nor depth, or any other created thing will be able to separate some level.

The 17 things there. You know what it covers everything.

Everything in the physical world. Everything in the spiritual world everything the past, present and future, said nothing will ever separate me from Christ.

He thought this way.

So was he anxious, fearful, no.

Why is the way he thinks. You see he thinks in a very different way. Even at the end of his life in second Timothy when he is dying. He says I am already being poured out as a drink offering in the time of my departure has come like it's a plaintiff why I love the time of my departure, Paul Paul boarding. That's why Paul sought is that I fought the good fight, I finished the course of This. I look forward to what's coming next. All because of the way he thinks she that makes such an enormous difference.

This is not this is not positive thinking in it for its own sake.

This is biblical thinking and it makes such an enormous difference in your life. It affects everything about you, even physically. Norman Wright says were constantly processing our thoughts depending on how active are minors. You may produce about 45,000 thoughts a day. So I invite you to count years for a day. Let me know that came out I got to know how he thought that I guy got a believe a collar thoughts for five seconds and then extrapolated out but 45,000 thoughts a day. He said every time you have a thought. It triggers an electrochemical reaction in your body. Each thought sets off a biological process about 400 billion of them per thought 400 billion biological processes in your body for every thought you have, because of that biochemical search through your body. They produce electromagnetic waves and these set it the DMV set off your emotions which affect how you behave. Science simply confirms what scriptures been saying hour-long. We are shaped in our lives by our thinking how I feel has to do with my thought life.

See all those things that happen to us when I feel emotionally and you know if your thought life is bad how quickly it is that you become anxious, worrisome, depressed. You see when you talk to a person who is depressed, clinically depressed, especially they all describe it the same way. It's like falling down a well it's circular thinking. You just keep going back to the same thought. You just keep thinking to point to become clinically depressed thought life.

He says look you can either think like the world thinks in your post thinks he can think the way God wants you to think 837 though he notice what he said in the middle of it all, but in all these things we overwhelmingly conqueror through him… Overwhelmingly victorious that word overwhelmingly is a great word. It's hyper medicament hyper and I coming you might know the main word Nike grade got a victory in a make shoes that's a company Nike they greatly got a victory. Great name for a shoe but here it says hyper Nike you know what hyper is you probably had a child like that when I say he's a hyper active child what you mean you like over the top sees over the top is hyper this is hyper Nike you are hyper, victorious conquerors through him. Same thing is that I can do all things through him and strengthens me. That's the way this the battle of the Christian life is a battle between your ears, you will change when you change your thinking and you can be victorious in your life when you begin to think about who God is, what is done for you that becomes your natural thought process when you think this way.

Not only will you have a lot of peace but you'll be a typical prevailing optimist, there's one thing we should be known for his or her optimism why I know the meaning of life.

I know the direction of life. I know how it's good and I should be optimistic about this so should you. I found the story to explain to us what happens to us in the middle of road trials and it's all based on a book that was written and up. It's interesting that what this lady wrote that I find really fascinating. Her name is Tracy Maus and she wrote a book called unsinkable faith. She says it was back in November 2007, when a top Alaskan fisherman named Alan Ryden took a month long trip at sea is 42 foot boat during the trip, he encountered a nightmare when his boat capsized in an absolutely terrible storm I can imagine with the water off of Alaska with temperature would be right managed to get in a raft wearing a survival suit and the fleece jacket and he got off a made a signal to the Coast Guard but the weather then became worse and is Little Rock, which he said was told just tossed around like a cork shivering is buffeted raft. Ellen felt himself losing hope, his mind panicked and quickly sunk into discouragement, hopelessness. He began wondering, did he have enough life insurance for his family.

Suddenly, Alan realized his own thoughts were pulling him under more than the seas and he made. He said one of my toughest most important decisions of my life.

I determined to cast out my negative thoughts I tossed them right out of the raft and into the sea and I began quoting Scripture to myself speaking God's word out loud. He started thanking God for all the good things, it came to his mind even said to himself. Always summon survival suit.

My suit does have a top-of-the-line strobe attached to it and be summon some kind of a craft. At least I got a fleece jacket on the stay warm and I am strong and I'm a good swimmer and I'm not afraid of the water all Ryden's mental thoughts. He said he mentally he struggled this deeper darkness said in what he remain committed to hanging one with all the strength he had and all the hope he could muster by simply thinking only about God and what he is done he said their debt was definitely a grace of God given to me.

I had to fight for every inch of my thought life. 10 hours later he was rescued she wrote this in unspeakable and she goes on and says that he wasn't rescued so much Oliver. He said it was really rescued inwardly the real rescue that took place for me was in my thought life had been achieved during the storm. When by grace Ryden had anchored himself in God and he embraced biblical positive thoughts that changed everything for. That's exactly what happens to us, you have a chance in your thought life when something really terrible happens which were you going to think here we always have in the flesh or the way you can now as a child of God. We all go through rough seas. Jesus told the storms of coming tribulation will be part of our life.

The office and be of good cheer.

I've overcome the world. That's a very important thing.

Ask yourself the question of do I have control over what goes on in my head feel I have control over my thought life and also I need an anchor. My thoughts on the person and the promises of God.

I need to anchor the way I think and you can do this.

As Paul said, you can do all things through him strengthens you think about it straight. Father, we all know that if were honest with ourselves, often the worst enemy we face as us. It's our inside thinking we don't find our thinking renewed through your word, we find ourselves thinking in the way we've always thought you end up father full of anxiety and worry, fear we have no peace, no joy and no hope in life becomes despairing for us, your children, in a despairing life.

It's an oxymoron. Father I pray that we think about thinking we fill our thought life with all these true and pure and honorable and good things that come from you.

We take your promises and we meditate on and we allow them to steer us and to guide us. We know father it sure will for us.

It's an acceptable sacrifice that we give you so we pray for your glory.

We also pray for our once we can control how much better pray this pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike 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 at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his 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, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series you're looking 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 listen at your own. And remember all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website FVC Nola.org for pastor Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt thanking you for listening to fellowship in order