Think About It, Part 4

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. A neighbor or someone at work and I will.

You can add a perspective to.

I can't tell you how many times over the years. What I end up hearing is it is not even a big issue of say a friend who has this been a problem and I said, somewhat using my missing by to make an appointment with missing is not the way to work, you should be able to bring it to bear.

That's what you should be able to do all I should be to do something like 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 is once again he shows us how God's word meets our work in here is not talk about bottle my breast is a beautiful picture of mother feeding a baby. I mean, you can't look at anything on this little guy that's amazing. They start out that way. We just are not with milk these people been Christian for 20 some years, and he said you know what you need milk, someone was teasing after the first service and said here because he heard the whole sermon. He said there is empty bottle cited for some of the people in the church and I said yes they are and what were going to do is write, you can have this people come up when I given bottles but just imagine if you saw on a dog coming any setting like this, and instead of having is mocha coffee or whatever it is that he has a baby bottle with a newborn with milk any deficits or drinks it would you think really some wrong or right. Someone is aforethought lazy drinking milk because he's a baby Christian. He never grew. You see, that's what Paul I mean the writer of Hebrews is saying here.

He says you wouldn't have needed, he says. Then in verse 13 he goes on, and he says for everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant is what he said about him. We had a great English word for we have it right here in the church, rooms]. That's what the word means he's a toddler is talking about people that are said to be Christian for 20 some years and their toddlers what you know about toddlers. By the way, if you want to know now is the volunteers volunteered to go back and spend a Sunday with the toddlers just get a good feel for what toddlers like there there. Interesting. First of all, toddlers have the attention span of a gnat. Okay they got better. They are just toddlers. They have a very limited vocabulary but their favorite word for word of toddlers mind. Just go back and watch what's mine's mind when yours is mine. Mine that's toddlers, there's notice they are completely self perspective everything as it is about them and it's cute when you're three years old when you're 33 years old is not so cute.

You see you you said you I just liked babies do like toddlers to.

That's the way you act in our country, probably over the last hundred years, thereby been thousands of churches that have split, and almost always I could tell you why the fill with toddlers if it would be to paint Christians. Mine is mine, I see it this way. I know I'm of them will split and start to the just children it can happen almost any one of us because the point of a Peter Pan Christian is they choose to be that way.

They're happy to be that way you might be sitting here now thinking I don't I don't want hearing more this stuff is generally content the way I am. But you should be you and I were saved to be conformed to the image of Jesus were to mature.

What a steadily mature. That's what were to do.

We should never be content. And you know it gets hurt the most.

If you'd stay at a Peter Pan Christian, you do. I'm telling you, never again experience ever, the peace and joy and hope every day your life, you never got together just don't think that way you're going to be what I call a circumstantial Peter Pan Christian. If you take any teenager winter teenagers really happy when everything they want to have happen happens right, and if it doesn't, their miserable is either completely completely controlled by the circumstances of our life. When you and I both know Jesus said it in this world. You can have tribulation. You have a lot of terrible days just going to happen. Are you learning mature enough to handle my not for a lot of us. It's not.

I really can handle.

So as you go through this whole thing. You come to this idea that he says you're an infant. You want your own way and then he goes to the next verse, and he says in verse 14 he said, let me tell what a mature Christian, a maturing Christian looks like I want you to see what a maturing Christian looks like he said, but solid food is for the mature four characteristics easily. For questions I want you to ask yourself this morning my eating solid food you eat solid food.

As a Christian, I mean amount not there's a variety of ways you can eat it. You could have someone teach you solid food. Hopefully that's that's happens occasionally from there we can teacher solid food.

But there's so much more. Other than that in today's world. A Christian who believes I can get fed with the word of God teaches is just uninformed. Every single teacher in the whole world that I that I would say truly respect as great teachers you can you can go online and listen anything they want to teach one and 30 seconds, 30 seconds I will name up there is the subject he's been to just amazing. We have access to everybody back here, they would've had that they have the teacher in front of them and that's it. But we have access to my feet on solid food. There's more to it than that one word for myself.

Anything am I teaching myself anything.

Ask yourself do you teach yourself anything from the word of God honestly exit what a Peter Pan Christian will do even in a place like this. You open your Bible for this 40 minutes and then you throw in the back of the car and pick it up next week is not enough to make it easy.

This is not enough.

You have to figure out how do I do this on my own heart.

I like seek in my we all want to pray to God all the time.

Prayer is me speaking to God. The Bible is God speaking to me.

I want to have a conversation with God. I want him to speak to me and I want to speak to him. We have to do that alone, public them things that all Scripture is God breathed all that's a heck of a word and he said, and by the way, it's profitable whose profitable to me. You all Scripture now is a challenging yes all I give you homework for this week in a week just read the book of Leviticus by yourself and then figure out one of I learned in this process. It's it's it's a great book in its own right, but some of the Bibles like whoa what is going on here and how you got it. Do you know your dinette.

How many of you look at the Old Testament, even the new and you get to be getting stuff going on, and on Monday my camper knots began another name I can pronounce begin another name I can pronounce. And yet if you took the time and you read. By the way, the genealogy of Matthew, it's unbelievably rich it's incredibly rich.

You see, but we do sort of Petén. We know the word lip something and then move on to the next word he said it's all profitable for us. So on my eating solid food MI progressing as time moves on, ask yourself the question, what did you understand about God and what what is your assessment of where you were five years ago 10 years ago you changed your progressing. Are you just about the same level sheet that's an extremely important thing for each and every one of us. When I find him. It's interesting, Peter said this to us at the end of his second epistle we said grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You and I are to grow when an tome with the Lord were to grow into them with the Lord give you don't peek and I was not like hey you know I went I went to a membership class was okay, that's fine. That's not to say where we are is it evangelical's in America. I don't know if you remember the book. We even passed it on to all of you entered that wanted it for free Rick Warren wrote a book called the purpose driven life. Okay, it took the country by storm. We put stacks of mop and let you read him you know it, I believe.

Back in the 80 it sold 35 million copies. When I rented the first time here was my thought, that's kindergarten first grade stuff that's all that was in there. The most basic tenets of Christianity and yet it's all 35 million Michael getting while this is like getting your psyche getting a graduate degree when read this book, but it also told us where we are as Christians.

You see, they didn't know hardly anything that's actually become part of the problem. United States man I were talking couple weeks ago and we were talking about a large mega church.

I believe in North Carolina and that the church is, I think maybe 15,000 or so it's pretty good sized church and up the pastor mad but just suddenly the pastors actually said if you want to learn doctrine which is teaching theology at all. Don't come here when I can give you any of that they have the best music you ever hear and that's all that and they got 15,000 young people just loving every moment of the think that's our faith. See that's our faith that's Christianity, and at 70 think about because once they're not in that building and arrived in that real world. They don't have any resources at all to do with anything but their Peter Pan Christians. And guess what they really like cool music and they give him exactly what they like but this is intentional.

The pastor said I'm not going to be any more and I can get that here.

Now you understand something here because you're a believer in Jesus Christ and the Bible says your to give an account for the hope continue. That means that every one of us is a theologian everyone. One who studies God. Some of us are adequate theologians.

Some of us are horrific theologians, some of us don't even know what theologian means you see, we don't even know one of someone asking about you shouldn't be that maturing level as a teacher work you can bring the word of God to bear on people's lives.

You got a neighbor or someone at work and I really struggle with something you can add a perspective to. I can't tell you how many times over the years. What I end up hearing is it is not even a big issue but when they go say hey I got a friend who has this kind of problem and I said okay and I said what you say and why not saying but I told the make an appointment with you this. That's not the way it should work. You see that's not the way it should work.

You should be able to bring it to bear. That's what you should be able to do all I should be able to do something like that. You see, MI progressing as time moves on Thursday. Do I practice and apply what I've learned from God. This is important in churches like ours. I run into a group of people in churches just like ours that are what I would call Bible study junkies. They love studying the Bible but every Bible study they can and they believe it makes them spiritual and that's what makes them smart sinners. That's what makes him. It is a smart center. They actually believe that learning the Scripture so I can argue with other people, but that is so far from what God intends for you and me. You have to be able to apply what it is you learn. I'm amazed that I know guys who I know guys I won't use any names who have incredible theological depth on big issues and they treat the wife terrible, just terrible is like, how can you do this you can even apply the most basic levels.

My second year at the seminary I was in a class called the Christian home with Dr. Hendrix and I'll be honest going to Dallas was kind of probably a bad way.

Maybe little bit powerful and I'm going to Dallas at the cross country go to Dallas seminary and up when I got saved in my early 20s for the next four or five years in Pennsylvania I was teaching Bible studies three days a week.

I was preaching in churches. I mean I with I never gone the church as a young person anything like that and everyone Tell me at a boys places great use is really good you're really great.

This is so Isaiah thinking you're probably right. You know this is probably as great so I go to Dallas seminary and up. Dr. Henry says the statement in class.

Dr. Hendrix says the kind of Christian, you are in your home is the only kind of Christian, you really are one, wait, wait, why wait a minute I would Dallas seminary am running all the deep things of God. I preach and teach the word know the kind you are in your home. I find it unbelievably convicting but he was right. You see, it's so easy to be a hypocrite. You see it so easy you take something you utilize it you get a reputation and none of it's true. One of the saddest things I've seen the last five years in America is several mega church pastors have all resigned from ministries.

These are churches of that they found there were 20,000 people in why they resigned their all hypocrites. They were all hypocrites. They were caught in all kinds of sexual activity, they should do. They treated people in a terrible way. I just went on and on the kinds of things you find out they did and they were forced to resign but everybody would say got there so great. Look, I've read their books of God.

I've said in their boy at sky so gifted and is but he doesn't apply what he knows to himself season was so what what that say about even his audience in America. Peter Pan Christians love the makes the liberties of Christians. Be careful when you talk, please don't say you're a follower of a new name, a man that's not the answer you're follower of Jesus Christ and so was he. But I hear it all the time now and end. By the way a lot of churches that way and I'll have somebody will say something to you like in the lobby like what I've always wanted to come and then give me my name's church. I always want to come to you that church, my name is not my church if the Lord stirred. There's only one celebrity in the universe. I say this all the time. It's not you, and it's not me there's only one celebrity that's what you buy into. When you buy into Christianity. You see what Peter Pan Christians are followers. They do say with that. I love this, see, this is fine so I have to apply what I've learned.

The last one. He says this solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil they can discern good and evil. This is sad but so many Christians can't discern. I had Christians, say I spent so many years at this church and I see and will now you're leaving yes and no.

Give me a reason I say but to go through five or six things that are blatantly clear about that particular group that all heretical. I never knew that I never knew that. Will we have to be discerning every letter Paul wrote in the New Testament can, with the primary messages be discerning. That's what he says over and you need to be discerning. He said lies and false teachers are everywhere. You need to be discerning to know which are which. That's your job. You have to have some discernment in your life. First letter he wrote was the Galatians and what you say. The Galatians, O foolish Galatians, whose bewitched you. He's mad the holy through the letter is mad. Why they should know better. He says Judaizers. Jewish Christians follow Paul into Galatia and when Nate Paul left. They came in and said look Paul told you if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are going to have. That's not necessarily true. You do need to believe in Jesus but you have to have your mail. Circumcised says so in the Bible. Paul called that a different gospel. He said anyone who would say that to another person should be anathema forever cursed.

He said if angels came and told you that I want them forever cursed. You have destroyed the grace of God by adding that one condition. The Galatians that's why said foolish Galatians was bewitched you wanted to buy into this. You see, you have to be discerning. We have to know the dimmer swing good and evil, between truth and lies. That's the way this whole thing works out for us. So for questions this morning for you and my eating solid food in my progressing and my progressing as time moves on in my life as a Christian, do I practice and apply what I have learned by way if you're not sure, ask your spouse though usually give you a good idea, and lastly do I exercise discernment when it comes the good and evil and truth and lies. You see, this is for all of us.

The process never stops. We are we. We should be constantly moving forward and the irony is, if you're not constantly moving forward. You are moving backwards. That's what happened to the Hebrew Christians. You may think know I'm just treading water right here. No, because when you start moving forward.

The current of the world the flesh and the devil begin to take you in another direction so you find yourself not maturing so the question of the day for you. You Peter Pan Christian. Only you and God the spring father. This is difficult for us because for people who are Peter Pan Christians a never recognize it for themselves they're not even quite discerning enough to understand where they are.

They were, they should be, but I pray all of us are challenged by these words from your possible, I pray father that each and every one of us will understand that we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. As Peter said, I pray father that all of us ask ourselves these four questions because father only when we do that will we live lives are not only glorifying you with the be so good for us. We will have a joy that is not dependent on circumstances, we will have a piece when everybody else's anxiety and fear and we will have a hope. A surety of our future because of what the word is tons I know mature roof worse and I pray it's ours. Jesus pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time. Remember the good a great website called in 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. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a 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 for. You can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt.

I'm Jason Denhardt.

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