Followers Don't Fear - Part 1

Today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ diagnosis or prognosis.

Think of all the things that we get so afraid. And Jesus says living among sinful people on a cursed planet you really follow him. You driver for joining us today on this additional fellowship in the pastor Bill Gebhardt fellowship and alerted the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt.

Now once again he shows us how God's word are oral last week I started a new series titled simply fall in the premises that Jesus encountered different kinds of people through the Gospels and he invited them. There simply following. Lastly, we learned that the only prerequisite to follow Christ is to admit that you're a sinner today I want to talk about something else. What's the benefit you follow Jesus Christ.

What's the benefit for the hearing.

Now what's the benefit what's the reward for following Christ. You might be surprised that it's perhaps not as clear as you think. For example, you might think. While the reward for following Christ as having now I am happy to say were going to have an if you put your faith in Christ.

But in the context of following Christ. Christ rarely spoke about heaven and never in the context of following me. In fact, he told the thief on the cross. This day you'll be with me in paradise this day. Now, how long did the thief on the cross follow Jesus minutes you might say well maybe then the reward would be a make me a better person and by the way, that's true, if you follow Jesus Christ you will be a better person. But Jesus never said follow me and I'll make you a better person that was in the context in which he used it and then nurse the most popular reason today among evangelicals in America. I think, and that is that if you follow Jesus Christ you will have a pain-free problem free life. But Jesus never said if you follow me, are you do this step you take. You partake of this formula that you will have a pain-free and problem free life. You see, that's not Christianity. That's magic and the thing about magic is and this is what makes it difficult for us to sometimes magic works and then you start believing in the magic.

For example, if this fall.

I decided to get my old lucky rabbit's foot out and put it in my pocket and go to a Saints game and just by sheer fortitude or providence they win that day. You see, I consider whether it is that's what really pulled this off, for example, if you find yourself in jobless and and someone said to you what you need to do if your jobless is put on your best suit go to the front door every morning for one week and stand at your front door looking out of the world and read chapter 1 and chapter 2 of the book of job today and if you get a job you see now many of you would never fall for such a thing. But I know some of you well enough to know that that for some of you this may be your magic. This is a picture of the Saint Joseph. By the way, Scripture never implies why would Joseph be a saint when annoying about Joseph except that he died sometime between Jesus. 12 when he was 30, but this is Saint Joseph, and that in this area were we live.

This is big real estate news.

If you go to Amazon.com you can buy Saint Joseph's.

I would pay the 899. So I just cut it out. I was, but if you do that you follow these steps. It comes with the statute gait ensure that the house and property for sale looks good for the future owners second me gently bearing the lovely statue of Saint Joseph in a hole in the garden. Ideally, this whole should be in the front of the house, bearing the statute facing towards the house upside down and says with his feet facing toward the sky so would be more like this. Okay now or bury them in a pot of soil if you're trying to sell an apartment home without a garden or home. It's far away, then you say this special Saint Joseph prayer for nine days in a row and then you believe believe believe and when the house is sold to the perfect buyer at a fair price waited until the contract is signed, and then remove Saint Joseph from the soil, clean him thoroughly in place. The statue in a place of honor in your new.

Sometimes it works sometimes you put houses up for sale only sell it by the way it always works for the retailer okay 100% of the time you see that's magic view of life is not really what Jesus talked about at all. In fact you think about the magic view of life in you civil what if it didn't work, one that no no no. Now remember, if it doesn't work. It's always big always going to be because you didn't have enough faith in fact remember when I was reading it, it said here you say a special prayer to Saint Joseph nine days in a row and you believe believe believe now, if you say that for nine days in a row and you only believe. Believe that's why it didn't happen. That's a magical view of life. That's not what Jesus talked about at all. When Jesus said, follow me. He was not talking about a pain-free and problem free life, but he was talking about something it all of us really desperately need to live our lives in this world.

Jesus says that if you really follow me I will drive out fear you won't be afraid. Think of all the things your Freda financial role on the stock market climb in the streets. Hurricane season, and a terminal diagnosis or prognosis.

Think of all the things that we get so afraid about. And Jesus says living among sinful people on a cursed planet. If you really follow him.

You can drive the fear out of your life. I want to start it's all over the Gospels, but I want to start with one particular passage.

Matthew 10 kind of an obscure passage.

Matthew 10 in verse 16 and in Matthew 10, by the way, this is Jesus sending out the disciples and it in the context is kind of interesting. But what makes a kind of interesting is right up till now Jesus is having tremendous success and popularity in the disciples are sunbathing in that it's like man this is great. Everywhere he goes the crowds. Everybody loves him with this wonderful so in verse one it says Jesus summoned his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits disease.

Never he's going to send them out so you just know there's gotta be wound up. There really excited about this potential in their own lives the matter. Verse 16. Abruptly, Jesus says behold now, when you see that word, behold, especially in Matthew, but anywhere in the New Testament. It means you really have to listen now behold is the work you do and it means stop and listen. This is important. He says behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Now that's paradoxical in and of itself, so he said so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Now that probably bleeds through the back just a little bit okay because normally we think of a shepherd metaphor you never think of a shepherd saying okay got the flock here. I heard over the next valley. There's a big pack of wolves let's go over there.

You see, but Jesus telling them I'm sending you out a sheep among wolves and that he uses to other metaphors. He says don't look what you need to do is you need to be assured as a serpent know that probably comes from the Egyptian Egyptians always talked a lot and spent a lot of time talking about how serpents were so shrewd or so cunning or so smart. He said you can have to be really smart. And then you but he also said in your also going to have to be set as gentle as a dove or as innocent as a go with the doves. Innocence is marked by words like nonabrasive not don't be coarse don't be belligerent. Don't be untruthful. Don't be an ethical.

In other words, I want you to be wise I just serpent and I want you to have character. He said that's what I want you to have, to go out there. Wow, that sounded interesting to them. Be smart, have character Paul said in Colossians 4.

Conduct yourself with wisdom toward outsiders.

Gotta make the most of the opportunity. That's kind of what Jesus is saying, so I'm sure right now there little bit perplexed but still pretty enthusiastic and then he says, but beware, I know they don't want to beware and neither do you. And I want to be where you don't want someone to say hey this is what I want to do but beware, soon as you hear those two were doing boy there comes he says. But beware of men.

He says, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues. What you see that that's the last thing they thought they thought look when I send you out when you enter a village again have a parade, Your Honor, people are going to cheer because you're here and you going to do the kind of things I did, he says, look beware want to tell you something he said and handed over in the records in the goodness scourge you in the synagogue, the word scourges the word flogging you get a flogging in a synagogue. By the way your permanent reminders. That's 39 lashes with a whip so settled by the way, that's of the going to do to get put in the synagogue and even 39 lashes you of the scars arrest your CD to beware another thinking well I thought this was going to be like really just nothing but wonderful problem free pain-free can be great. He said you even be brought before the governors that's the Roman governors and kings. That's people like Agrippa and Herod Antipas, he says, for my sake, he said, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. He says, but when they hand you over to the courts to the government when they hand you over.

He says do not worry about how or what you are to say for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say for it is not you. He says who speak but it is the spirit of your father who speaks in you. What is he saying whenever life gets really bad for you when you're being arrested having the court being flawed being threatened.

He says what is what's going to happen. God will show up is a God's going to show up.

He'll even tell you exactly how it is, you should speak and by the way, when you read the book of accents exactly what happened. Dina verse 26, though notice when he says, then he says therefore we conclude this. Do not fear them. Do not fear them. Jesus says this over and over again 10 times in the Gospels over. Do not fear them. Do not fear. You see your follower of me. Do not fear them. Well, wait a minute, though arrest me they're going to flog me. We have to be afraid of uses. No, he said, do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed or hidden will not be made known. What I tell you said in darkness speak in the light and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the house tops you get out there and you go. Do not fear those who kill the body, and I could just see like Peter Kane and and he does say kill the body, I think, do not fear those who kill the body. Jesus is my follower, you don't have to fear them is a limited perspective. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. He said rather fear him who is able to destroy both the soul and the body he said and how you want to fear anybody you fear God, and he said these are the beginning of God-fearing people you see said you fear God, don't you fear American duty.

Don't fear anybody they could just kill your body or anything.

I think they could just kill your body. He then goes on explains it. He says are not two sparrows sold for set yet not one of them will fall to the ground and he says apartment from your father ever think of that he saying God is involved. Every single time a sparrow falls run of the hundreds of millions arrows of billions and billions of and just right now as I'm speaking somewhere in interior Africa sparrow answers yes with Jesus point sovereign. I go over everything, even a sparrow falling and then he says even more though. Notice he says the very hairs of your head are all numbered. That's a funny thing is that everything you ever think about that. I said this earlier if they could buy the first service but just came to me. I thought I would never do this with God because usually I think what you're in the presence of the Lord, you don't really want to be too funny with them.

That way, but I know I could name anyone of you and he would give me the number of hurting her. We want to gain that would be name of person's name that had number of hairs. What would Jesus say that it tells you first of all, just down to what his omniscience is it's it's almost feel it is beyond our belief. It's just unfathomable for us to somebody would know that much. Then he says this so do not fear you are more valuable than many sparrows. Not only is God's offer. Not only is gonna miss any siblings you have tremendous intrinsic value to God. You see, you mean a lot to God. He's assuring them of God's presence. He is confident, trying to give them confidence in God's power and he is trying to secure them in God's love and he says and when you have that you will not fear. You see what Jesus didn't do here.

He didn't tell the disciples. When you go out may take you into court to give you a get out of jail free card. You see he didn't say any of that. He said whenever they do this to you. Don't fear them. You see, I think what we would want often is local or what would rather have them is not do anything to us. He says no it doesn't work that way when a cursed planet in the real world come back with me now to Matthew six, Matthew chapter 6 intake something much more mundane. Matthew chapter 6 sermon on the Mount, and at the end of the chapter, verses 27 to 34.

He said he looked don't worry about what you wear.

Don't worry if you have clothing to wear.

Don't worry if you have food to eat, not by the way that to us would be the necessities of life in all not talking about being worried about being arrested and flog because I'm proclaiming Christ. Now I'm just trying to eat and get through the day.

And Jesus said don't worry about whatever you do don't worry about him worry about that. So he says in verse 31. Do not worry then saying what you what we eat what we drink what we were for clothing.

He said the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, he said, your heavenly Father knows that you need these things, we mean.

He said seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. All these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow.

Tomorrow will take care of itself.

And then something none of us like to hear each day has enough trouble with no I thought there would be no trouble. I don't want trouble knows that every day is going to have its own trouble now want to see what Luke adds that this and go with me now to Luke chapter 12 Luke chapter 12 same message and data versus 3031 and 32 in verse 30, Luke says this he says for all" in Jesus for all these things. He said the nations of the world eagerly seek but your father knows that he said you need these things seek first his kingdom. These things will be added to you. But Luke add something he says do not be afraid to not be afraid now that I may tell you some if you have enough food, the shelter or clothing. Would you fear you see Jesus said that if you're a follower of mine. I just really don't be afraid there's nothing to fear here.

He says do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Wow one verse four different images. First he calls us the little flock. So what we know he is our shepherd Ross. What were the flock, he said, don't be afraid Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Pastoral never on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like the. The method one more time. Remember, you can Google 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 program that 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 with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just the 100 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 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking you can search by title.

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