I Am A Child Of God - Part 2

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

God gives us a one another. He says all the way to the New Testament, we subject ourselves to one another, forgiving one another edify one another and encourage one another and exhort one another, admonish one another to draw the same family grown children. Notice what he says it's effective.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples. 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 again he shows us how God's word meets our believer in God I'm a child of God.

Notice the next verse, and if children errors also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ while your child of God. In Philippians chapter 4 it says this my God will supply all that you need according to his riches in Christ Jesus.

That's for now gotchas up to my channel give you everything you need succeed now in life you be able to cope with being a sinner living in a fallen world.

I give it all to but even better than that. He said you want me to give you eventually everything everything that I create issuers see what does Jesus Christ inherit everything he inherits everything and yours child and you inherit everything. I'm amazed how we get all wound up about our inheritance on the earthly plane, and by the way, we no matter what you inherits only temporary because you're not taken with you. You know somebody else gets to grab and it was real excited about that. How could you not be excited that in the end you inherit everything, everything at the wrist he said is yours. Your joint heir with Jesus Christ is an amazing thing when you think about it he said look how come you're not more joyful. I don't understand.

He said I just don't get it. You. You have freedom from slight sin. You're no longer slave to sin. He said your joint heirs with Christ you been adopted as sons. He said these are all tremendously wonderful things for you. There's more. This is hard for us sometimes of all the good things God gives you said Osama someone to give you as much if children each other are all family now and that we were all siblings were all children of God is again a great many give you all these other people yours are part of that family no such thing as a Christian was an only child we have a big family said that's extremely important to go with me to John chapter 13 John chapter 13 the night before Christ was crucified. He wants to leave one lasting impression to the disciples so you think the night he was crucified and tell them you have any idea what to face tomorrow you have any idea what it means to become sin on the cross be separated from God.

Do you have any idea of the depth that I'm in have to pay when I hang on the cross give any never talks the they get up there and are so preoccupied talking about themselves.

He takes the form of the lower sermon he washes their feet and he says I'm leaving you an example to follow. See that's an example and then he says this in verse 34. He says a new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you love one another.

By this he said all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another while over a dozen times in the New Testament. He says you need level and succeed in putting up the level when early plane. We always know that by waving an early plane how to get along with her siblings, and always so easy is it Lisa with us. We need a love one another. In fact, 50 times in the New Testament God gives us a one another commandment.

50 times he says all the way to the New Testament, we subject ourselves to one another comfort one another careful one another. Forgive one another edify one another, encourage one another and exhort one another, admonish one another. You need to do that because you're on the same family are all children.

Notice what he says its effect is by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you really love one another, just be honest how we doing with this. How many people you run into unbelievers and said I don't believe what you're saying but I know some the by Christians constantly love each other. Anyone ever told you that why, why hasn't someone told you that because we don't. It's just that simple. We don't love one another. That will say we do persona test but were not going to do in life. Jesus is. This is the best pre-evangelism.

You can have love each other the way I love you and we have the capacity to because when the Spirit of God should be natural for us but is not necessary that way. We have the same destiny with me to first Peter chapter 1 verse three, first Peter chapter 1 and verse three.

Peter writes this, he said, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the dead versus amazing God cause this to be born again into his family and it's to a living hope and I say this over and over, but when you see the word hope in the New Testament, the Greek word doesn't mean what we think.

Let's cross our fingers and hope the Saints win, that's not what it means it's a future certitude it's it's an absolute certainty in the future. The second coming of Christ is called the blessed hope of the church is like what I hope it comes back and means he's coming back and he says you when I have a living hope in our future. How do I know that's truly sad because they raised Jesus from the dead. You see, that's because I raised him from the dead and then he goes on and says this to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, it's reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time there is our inheritance. Notice what he says about this.

Our inheritance he's in.

Our inheritance is imperishable.

It's undefiled, it will not fade away so what's going to change that nothing, nothing can change in he said this is imperishable is undefiled. You can't follow no one can do Pollard's my he said it's reserved in heaven for you. You got reservations so why, how does that affect you and your reasoning your child of God are part of God's family. Now you see it makes such a difference. Jesus knew he know we are afraid of death he know we struggled with dying in John 14.

He said let not your heart be troubled.

I don't want you to worry about this. He said you need to believe in God you need to trust me in any tells us that he said it in my father's house are many dwelling places.

He said if that were true, I told you he said I'm going to go and prepare a place for you and so that where I am, you may be also. And then I'll come and I'll receive you to myself while you think about that as a reminder, I have to have for myself. I've said this over the years. I love the thought that right now in heaven.

I know what the metaphor is to say, there's a door there and when adored, says Bill 10. That's my it's there, it's reserved in heaven for me so I got it right here for you that you have an effect on us. See that you have an effect on the season. What would be back to my shoe that's going to happen. He said, who are protected by the power of God that reservations and I have a new habit protected by the power of God. Nothing can change that. Nothing ever will change that he should all be reviewed at the last time. Notice in verse six.

Then he says this in this you greatly rejoice greatly rejoice that should be RMO. You see, that should be what would people think about you and me what they think about God, leader of the joyful people's amazing how joyful they are and why when we were children of God say, why don't we have that joys and you greatly rejoice and notice the next part of me paraphrase in this you greatly rejoice in your life stinks today. That's what it's as much as more.

It says even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials she liked and give me a lot of various trials, but it should be able to steal my joy and it's all because I'm a child of God.

I'm not just a believer in Christ. I'm a child of God and so are you.

While there's only one way to be a child of God you have to put your faith and trust in Christ in your born again into the family of God and that Jesus words not mine. It should be a great joy to us to be a child of God were free from the slavery of sin were adopted into God's family we cry. I pop a daddy to God, we have each other to love and there's one more thing. You and I have this tremendous privilege of enlarging our family we can enlarge the family us God's chosen us to enlarge the family. He said how myopic a family when I want a big family. A lot of kids subdue you to see if you want to do this.

That's our job that's a responsibility we have, because the children of God go with me to the book of acts chapter 1 Jesus is about ready to ascend. It's a big moment and once again the disciples disappoint the lot like us. The biggest concern the disciples when Jesus is going to send his prophecy.

I just love prophecy, don't you. I just love prophecy. That's what they want to know Villanova prophecy while so they saved him.

In verse 60 when it come together. They were asking said Lord is at this time even restore the kingdom to Israel. Are you going to be the messianic King out of the David's line instead of the kingdom of the whole world will get big jobs. Scummy great is this it is this one is going to happen. He never says anything, but I wonder how disappointing it must be from he said it's not for you to know the times or reports which the fathers affixed by his own authority.

Look coming back.

That should be enough to start talking. But before we get all. We still don't wind up in was asked not that long ago.

You know will be closer than ever someone semi-testily closer than ever to the rapture the church. Yes, ever close.

We were last week last month last year were closer than ever. Notice we have an interest in this. He says this though, but you will receive power due to miss from dynamite. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of book I went to the larger family to be witnesses seem to be a witness. What is a witness to testify right know what to test how should a witness testified they should say what they saw and say what they heard. That's what witness does tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth right you just testify is no pressure and it no hard thing in it. I don't have to try to think of something ought to do is tell the truth. That's what witnesses that's what you and I are together. That's the way I want this to work know what's interesting about that is, is that Christians often will save one library. I don't like to enlarge a family and say that way but is why I don't know what to say. I don't understand what happened of the dinosaurs really are cannot you know I don't understand astrophysics. He has and ask you to please ask you to be a witness in other words, all you have to do is tell someone what Jesus Christ did to you. All you have to. All you have to do is say this is how I became a Christian.

I'll testified that and then the rest is up to God. That's all that it takes on our part. He said that's all I want from you.

You just give the witness you just make a testify is amazing how often we say no I don't want to do that and you gotta wonder like wow if work if where the vehicle by which God is trying to save the people in this world to realize what's at stake for these people not coming to church and ridiculous like that. This is a destiny difference.

This is whether they spend all eternity as children of God with God or they pay all eternity in hell I separated from God. That's what's at stake here and all got ask you and I do is just witness just give your testimony that the rest up to me and by the way, let me see how it works at chapter 1 verse 15 he said at this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren gathering about 120 persons who together so the church started 120 that's the way it started for slave lame Nancy you know I like this. It's like a small church like 120 this not leave the room and we all get to go to heaven, changes look at chapter 2 and verse 41 Peter preaches in SSO than those who received his word were baptized, and that they were added about 3000 souls 3000 people came to Christ on that day. Look at chapter 4 and verse four verse four says, but many of those who had heard the message believed in the number of men came to be about 5000 just probably 10 to 15,000 people can now were up to 10 to 15,000 is not done. Look at chapter 5 in verse 14. Luke writes this, he says, and all the more believers in the Lord. He said in all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women were constantly being added to their number given number is good enough reason are so many I can count. Multitudes are coming to Christ. The family's enlarging and the families always kept allergic and the reason that you're here or somebody wanted to enlarge the family name or faithful witness to Christ and that's how you and I became believers in that particular way. It's also something interesting. All you have to do is talk about what you see your new look at chapter 4. Get in verse 19, Peter and John are told that they gotta stop that witnessing for Christ.

The Jewish leader say there's no more that you can't when allow you to do this so they say. Verse 19, Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it is right in the sight of God, to give heed to you rather than to God.

You be the judge. Gotta love that. Okay, what should we do God's told us to do one thing and you told us to do something else which one should we do what you think. And then I say this, for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and what we have heard, we can stop being witnesses. How can I stop, I know what I saw. I know what I've heard her tell people what I saw what I heard. I will let people know my experience. You see, that's the point when a great privilege we have given have to be an expert. Apologetics there are plenty of those either. Some people are very helpful to you just have to tell someone what Christ is done in your life and by the way, when you tell someone. Christ is done in your life.

No one can even refute that someone can't ignore all going to do that your life know he did that my life that you can choose not to believe it, but you can't refute what happened in my life, you're giving your own experience.

So what a privilege we have them enlarging the family of God.

So I kind of end here right where I started. How we visited people like us suffer low self-esteem. I'm in the be often it's our past is you are yeah you gotta know what I did the past. I know Christ died for all your sins. A lot of times my heritage and he got understand the family I came from. I never knew my mother I never knew my father one of some of us will say you don't understand that I had a parent it was abusive may have one is loving you see, used to be a child of someone else, but not her child of God, and you don't wind up doing, we let somebody in our past who defines us in a particular way, usually for the prejudice and we use that as our self-image, and my dad always told me I'd be no good and that's what I want to believe but God's telling you you're a child of his your joint heir of everything that exists. God's telling you the guy on off I can believe that I like to believe what my abusive parents see that has an enormous effect on a soap who would listen to what were doing when you came to Christ, you became a child of God. Part of the family. When you put your faith in Christ Jesus in your born-again and of my family he saved you by your spirit, and by his word and he feed you his work consistently to help you spiritually grow and then there should be great joy of being a child of God. My sins are forgiven them free from the slavery of sin in my life. I'm forever adopted into God's family.

I'm a joint heir with Jesus Christ gotchas a give you everything you need now and even more in the future. I give you everything now we have the privilege of enlarging the family. That's a privilege it only wants us to do is to witness just testify what we've seen what we've heard in our own lives.

That's all he says you have to do the rest. See, we hope in the series as we going to start believing this. I am who he says I am and he says I'm a child of God.

Spray father. It's amazing how we struggle with this identity will be call self-esteem, and your father. You must understand our struggle because over and over and over again throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament. You keep telling us who we are in Christ you tell us over and over again to make us feel secure.

Make us feel significant. We've given were given a new identity. In one aspect of that identity is where now a child of God. Father I pray that when we wake up in the morning. Maybe we start our day. That way, and just say to you, I am your child, Papa.

I am your child and we understand who we are instead of always letting other people define us. Father, I thank you for this great privilege of enlarging the family. I pray that all of us will feel the joy of just simply being a witness for what God is. That's all you've asked new do the rest. I pray that your faith thank you father that I can call you Jesus pastor Bill Gebhardt 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 the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio program at 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 us monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word.

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I'm Jason Gebhardt. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order