More Miles Down A Very Dark Highway - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. He doesn't see it that way. But what's happened to Wallace's we've ended up defining ourselves as children of God, as believers in Jesus Christ, when it comes to this, we take virtually what I call you to respect Ira Gile and YouTube say and that's where we go. And so it ended up causing all kinds of secondary and difficult issues in the context of the church 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 meets our work very long trip say to a destination like Canyon Disney World and that you have children in the car and so as you go along. What you end up hearing is a familiar course from the backseat. Are we there yet are we there yet well for the last 17 months we've all been like those little children all anticipating the end of our journey here with coping. We there yet are we there yet but it's clear to me that I have to deliver some obviously bad news, and that is that we have more miles to travel Don a bad road. It's all ahead of us and my children were running out of patience as a people and to make it much worse. From my point of view is simply this, that other issues are beginning now to surface that I don't think I would've ever expected, especially as it deals with the church of Jesus Christ. Last Wednesday we had a surprise visitor come to the offices and he was part of our church way back in the beginning of when we started, and then decided little bit later in life, even to go to Dallas seminary and say what the Dallas seminary graduated and he and his wife have been serving the Lord. Ever since and up.

He attends him a mega church very very large church in Dallas and that we were just talking and then all of a sudden he said how sad it is to see what covert and vaccines have done to the church.

He said brothers and sisters in Christ are now emotionally divided in conflict, and then something very profound.

He said I'm afraid that the enemy is find a way into the church and is dividing the body of Christ. The next day I was talking to a friend and he had told me that just two days before or that day. I think it was. He had breakfast with the pastor Dallas grad middle of Texas large church and he said that pastor told him that it's cost him a lot of people in the church. It is a tremendous division in the church how my son goes the church in Georgia and he's talked to me about what's happened in their church. Something is going on. That's have an enormous effect on the church, which you should never have. The question is what we do about this and I how do we handle it and observed an approach of from the side door instead of the front door.

I'd like you to open your Bibles to first Samuel chapter 16 first Samuel chapter 16 chapter 16 first Samuel is one chapter ahead of the David and Goliath story.

So that's a very famous chapter for Samuel in the context of chapter 16 is simply this, Saul has become a complete and utter failure as King of Israel.

In fact if you look at the last verse of the last part of the last verse of chapter 15 it says the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

So Saul has. He's done he's finished so the Lord wants to talk to Samuel, who is one of the most unique characters in the entire Bible. Samuel was high priest over the nation Israel and is also a prophet of God, so he had two of the three offices you could have been. And the Lord said to Samuel, how long will you grieve over Saul since I have rejected him from being king over Israel.

Fill your horn. He said, with oil and go and I will send you to see Jesse the Bethlehem light, he said, for I have selected for myself. Among his sons know what's interesting about that.

The king is going to be selected from Jesse sons scandalous first response is so human.

He said how can I go and Saul, here's a video kill me. So we know are paranoid. Saul was so God says no don't do that way.

Go and say you're making a sacrifice is the high priest in Bethlehem and are all be covered so that's what he does and then it says in verse six when they entered, he looked at Ellie. That's the oldest son and he thought surely this is the Lord's anointed before. That's the way did look at him.

He looks like a king.

Now this is the high priest and prophet Samuel. Now think about this. What that's all look like the king. The people looked around and said he's the king, the head taller than everybody had submitted the king he looks like a king but he wasn't a king. Cecilio makes the same mistake. He looks at LAM with what I call, and it becomes important in the context of what I'm talking about this morning. Worldly wisdom he looks at it the way the world looks at. That's just the way he sees it and so he said the Lord said to Samuel in verse seven.

Do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for God sees not as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart while what's God saying there. I don't see life like you do all you see for what you see. You look on a horizontal plane and you come the conclusions I don't do that because as I don't see life like you see life. So then I brought a couple more on God said no no no and then verse 12 it said he sent and brought him David in this is now he was ready with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance and the Lord said, arise anoint him. That's the guy now think that this reader carefully look at it at first you look at and see in God. This dude then what Samuel did notice the description you get a David he's ruddy auburn hair reddish tint to it. Beautiful eyes and his handsome know what's interesting about it is his family thought so little of them that Jesse could even have in their he's the last of the sons. He's tied to nephew sheep.

How I can be one of them. It can be the one where he is. But when you look at this little bit closer. You come to the realization that's not the case. Let me read from Psalm 78 versus 70 to 72. This tells what God saw. He also chose David his servant and he took of the sheepfold from the carry of the use in suckling lamps. He brought up to shepherd Jacob is people in Israel his inheritance and so he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and he guided them with his skillful hands. That's why God picked the point that I want to make from this.

So is we look at everything including covert on a horizontal plane.

God doesn't look at it like that at all. He doesn't see it that way at all. But what's happened to us is we've ended up defining ourselves as children of God, as believers in Jesus Christ, when it comes to this, we take virtually what I call a YouTube perspective. I heard a guy on YouTube say and that's yeah we go and so it ended up causing all kinds of secondary and difficult issues in the context of the church.

God sees and very different than we do. And so what we have to do when we go on this covert journey is I believe we have to start seeing ourselves and seeing our role in this, the way God does not the way we do. And that's caused almost all the problem. Let me illustrate just many put out the first question you know the answer. This covert, 19 surprise God when did he know before the creation so there's no shocker or what's going on. It's not like he knows but me ask another question. What is come from, how do we answer the big fighting debate among people about this. Okay it either is man-made city or its natural guardsmen and other animal right so is fighting about using one of ramifications have different opinions as to however let me look at it from this point of view. Why is this important. I have heard people say to me that that and take one view and say I hate those people made this but they don't usually say that way though say I hate those people and then a use of derogatory adjective to describe the whole nation.

I hate those people okay when Jesus say he said love your enemies and pray for them and hear Chris and say that I hate them Jesus, and you love sees perspective is completely different than our perspective when it comes to something like this. We take a completely different perspective. How bad will this get and how long will last night and given my someone I don't know. I don't even care because it doesn't mean a thing to me that way but I know knows go with me to first Peter chapter 5, first Peter chapter 5 starting in verse six Peter says therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time is an interesting thought. All through the New Testament. If you want God to approve the viewer exalt you in life. The one thing you could do is humble yourself.

You see it over and over and over again. You humble yourself.

God will exalt you. You exalt herself, God will humble you, he says, look, you got it you got to figure out how this works. He then goes on and says, casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

We have much anxiety in our country or in our church. Yes, the studies are shown right now than the last 17 months. The mental health of Americans at an all-time low.

Americans are full of worry and anxiety, saying we should be at all. But that's what they're coming to the conclusion. Unfortunately, I think many of us are decently sober of spirit be on the alert.

Your adversary the devil Prowse around like a roaring roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. He says it in any kind of situation you find yourself in. Lucifer is going to have an agenda and he has one when it comes to covert and accordingly what's happening in the church right now it's working he's dividing the church's amazing over this issue. He said resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world were so myopic.

A lot of Americans think this is our issue. That's a joke. That's why we had Ranji deeper here from Delhi is not only an issue in India for 1.4 billion people, but it's infinitely worse than it is here it's an issue worldwide. He said yeah believers are suffering this all over the world hears God's answer and after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be dominion forever and ever.

Amen. So how long would gonna go through this from God's point of view little that's God's point of view. Now I can tell you this because I know enough of you. How many of you think 17 months is a little not a little while. This is all God's line is God's wrong about this. He doesn't understand from God's point of view is an eternal being, no matter how you and I suffer it's a little while. You see, it's a little while. No matter how long it seems to us.

We get preoccupied with the temporal gotchas know have a better perspective and pulsated to money when he said I don't compare the sufferings of this world can even be compared to what's awaiting me that's a perspective that's a godly perspective so I don't know how long it's going to last. God knows exactly how long it's going to last.

But I can tell you this, that after have suffered a little while, God will apply his grace once again to me.

The real question. Most importantly, is this what should we remember as we take this trip of more miles than a bad road. What should we remember and that's what I want to talk about today. Five things I want you to remember first one is found in James chapter 1 James just a few pages to your left. Chapter 1 verse two we been here many times is a little different context. Okay, first word in verse two. Consider now what makes that word unusual.

It doesn't mean that mean I kinda consider this an imperative mood.

It's a commandment cut is going to command you and me to consider this is going to give the context consider it all joy, not has some good moments he said, consider all joy. He said my brother and when you encounter various trials. Is this one of those various trials.

Yes, it is this all experiencing this together.

Yes you should you consider this all joy.

Now if you think on the horizontal plane you go what what I I just can't understand. Well God says this knowing that the testing of your faith with God say at trial. Doug test your faith when trials come in your life collectively or individually test your faith. I sent it over the years that a lot of times God a test of your faith or trial. God uses in the spiritual mile marker so that you know how far you have gone down the road because we have a capacity and innate capacity to think were way more spiritual than we are. And as long as the circumstances are life are good. I'm spiritual then they go bad in what you have, worry, anxiety, fear, panic, what, I'm not a spiritual as I thought Emily. God does that not so you'll know how far we are but so will know how far we are.

So we says, knowing that the testing your faith produces.

Here's a word we hate when it comes or trial endurance.

While she went was one of the things God wants you and I to do through covert indoor with your faith. In doing this, and what what what would it take for me to endure this faith. I can look in the horizontal plane can do is eat, but eyepieces notice and then he says this let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, and lacking in nothing that were complete is the were telling us it means mature so God says when you pass the test and you endure the trial you grow spiritually and you become more mature. In other words, God says that a trial is good for you and for me that's God's perspective I trial. That's why I can consider all joy because it's to help me become more like my Savior integral me in my faith. How many times is that thought crossed your mind in the last 17 months beyond. How about this afforded consider it all joy and that's what he says I'll ask a more penetrating question how many times in your prayer life have you think God for covert, 19 serious. How many times did you think. Thank you Lord, I know this is for my good little thing like that. You see little like the idea of enduring and that that did not. When we get a trial. All we want is it we wanted over. You see, I went and eliminated that and get back to my happy way gotchas consider all joy. I mean all joy, not some joy in other words, if you thought just like God things when you find yourself in a corporate trial or an individual one.

You'd be joyful. You see, you'd be joyful in one of the reasons I'm joyful as I know that I'm only going to suffer for little while from God's perspective, even on a even on a terrible prognosis for me. This can be a little while and will be forever with the Lord cc things from a very different point of view than what we say.

So God wants to use this for an opportunity for me to grow.

Secondly, I want you to go with me to Philippians chapter 2 Philippians chapter 2 in verse two.

The second thing that God wants you and I do think like and act like during this covert crisis. The first thing he does. He starts out with some conditions. By the way, that if you don't want to do this you really and bedstead when it comes to your relationship with God, he says. Therefore, verse one. If there's any encouragement in Christ. Is there any encouragement in Christ.

This demands a nine think there is made that makes sense right this first class conditions of assumption you could translated since there is encouragement in Christ, if it's true. If there's any encouragement in Christ, if there's any consolation of log, if there's any fellowship of the spirit, if any, if any affection and compassion.

He said here's what I want you to make my joy complete by being of the same mind maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose with divorce. You and I must be unified. The body of Christ must be unified by the way, over all the sentries house.

The Christian church done this all my goodness, how many denominations are there in Christianity.

How many church splits happen each year. No unity at all. Why don't see it the way God received, we received that's what ends up happening we go by worldly wisdom, not by divine revelation to pastor Bill Gilbert on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the message one more time.

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