Spaghetti Map Thinking - Part 2

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

Is there any anxiety you everywhere right, just imagine how you if you are totally peaceful. No matter what just totally only settle the Lord for that work.

Peter wrote about this. Someone may ask you to give an account for the hope Peterson you should be ready for the what's he implying Peter supplying the because you're questioning you live in a very different life.

Somebody may ask why are you this way there's an opportunity for the joining of today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our world. The compass always no matter where you take. No matter where you take me or you should point our thought should always be on the look to the Lord always. He has all the authority he has all the power of everything that's going on.

So my thought should be about him, not about what's going on.

I can what's going on and I could pray to the Lord. How would you want me to react to see how do you want me to react in a store because that's the only thing that matters because I'm really anxious how many times we commend in Scripture not to worry or be anxious for nothing, over and over again. That's the Lord telling you that and here's your reaction to my you know what's going on. He does know what's going on fact even tells us something about what he'll do with what's going on, all things will work together for your good.

I don't feel that I don't think that mean what if they hit yes I got said this works it take covers everything. What if I got the worst prognosis possible because people do, but what if he told me I have six weeks to live. When I got this to be gaps in the body be present with me in my father's house are many dwelling places.

I going to prepare a place for you where I am, you will be also receive you to myself to the last day of your life can be the best day of your life. Are you so would you think I need a second opinion. I need to find another doctor. You see, we end up thinking this way because the worst thing that could happen you can happen to you. That's the point. She that's our faith. And if it's not.

This is, I can tell you something. It's going to be that. And if it's not now. It's going to be then so please be at peace with this, that and then is going to happen to you at times that everybody you know. And God says I got I got this. Just think about me just what one me not know what's going on and remember the apostle Paul in Philippians, he was asked a hypothetical question, but he was asked the question.

Paul, if you were given the choice to die today or to live on. What would you choose Paul said, I choose the guy what, why, to be best in my to be with the Lord. But notice what he said that but for your sake, I'll stay is that God wants me to stay for your sake, I'll be happy to serve, but he wants me home. I'm happy to go and the funny part is nothing can change member. This Psalm 139. The idea were fearfully and wonderfully made. Remember, he said, while I was in the womb, God new every day of my life before I was born so he knew how long I live when I go meet with them.

He knew all this know what's going to change my career change when God knew no but I should be a piece of sealant that I'm not afraid. You see, I'm not afraid and I'm not to live my life foolishly I don't mean that weight if that's what you're saying.

I think what I do is just kind of the Sabine River bridge and jump off because it was not my day right looming status. It would be your day okay and you would've been officially died of stupid okay but I don't mean it that fatalistic way. I mean I trust God in this and that takes away the anxiety and fears that I feel because I'm thinking differently about it. That's just the way this whole thing kind of works. It's and it's a really and very real sense to me it just an interesting phenomena notice when he goes on and says that such a minor things above, not on the things of the earth, for you have died in your life is hidden in Christ in God.

I died and was crucified in this my life is hidden in Jesus Christ.

So if I let you know say this book is Jesus Christ.

This is the book. This is Jesus Christ. Now no one else could see it. They would even know it's there, but if you look carefully, there's Bill, my life hidden in Jesus Christ so sure.

You may only see the book of my life's in here you see from God's point of view.

I died when he died. I'm hidden in Christ. You see, that should be reassuring.

That should give me tremendous peace, but it won't. If I'm a spaghetti map thinker go with me to John chapter 10 for just a moment. John 10 verse 27 Jesus speaking to the Jews of the temple, and he wants to say something here that's very important for us. Verse 27 he says my sheep hear my voice. I know them, they follow me. I give eternal life to them and they will never perish in England to go one more step no one will snatch them out of my so who's going to snatch her eternal life.

Knowing that ever. He said my father, who is given them to me, is greater than all and no one was able to snatch them out of my father's hand. Nine the father one.

I'm a child of God, and you know what can change that nothing nothing. That's why Paul wrote in Romans eight you looking separate meet rate me from the love of Christ. Nothing. Nothing in the past. Nothing in the present. Nothing in the future. Nothing in the physical world. Nothing in the spiritual. Nothing. I'm in the hand of Jesus Christ and God the father who's going to get me out of that Hannity says no know what should they give you peace that you give your tremendous peace.

I'm in God's hand. Not because I go to church not because I try be a good guy, but because of Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross. I belong to God, he redeemed me he purchased me he owns me. You see I am here as he is mine. That's the way this thing works and once you have that nothing can change that. Certainly not coded that's not changing anything.

Biblical application Shadrach me shack and Abednego remember that what they were going to do. Nebuchadnezzar said you have to worship the big Ido I made and they said sorry sir, we don't we don't worship idols. He said you got worship said no, so will I have control over you all put in a furnace said you can do if you want will make any difference. They saw heat the furnace up seven times what its normal temperature is go at it. They said you have to understand something when I can worship you. He said if you put us in a furnace, and God wants us to live. He is able and if you want to take us home is able either way with God and either way were not worshiping you what happened when the furnace there's 1/4 being in the furnace they come out unscathed and even smelling smoke.

Sip it didn't matter to them either well be with God but were not changed what they have been a pretty frightening time.

Remember the guy standing at the door. The furnace died so much he was outside he died dated about Elijah when he was leaving this earth with Elisha. He got caught up in the whirlwind would be like a tornado that must've been from our point of view while they be violent.

He said no he was was inviting all you want to be in the presence of the Lord.

You see, Elijah and Shadrach me shack and Abednego were just the safe in a furnace or whirlwind as they were in their own bed and so are you.

So my you see, that doesn't change so what am I upset about what am I worried about. Where's my anxiety going all because I think spaghetti map thinking, not because I'm seeking having not because I set my mind on the truth of God. I don't do that I think about on the horizontal plane rather than the vertical plane and I reply thoughts which is a lot of anxious thoughts and fear. That's what ends up happening second question how can I live with confidence in a chaotic world. Well, back to cautions for moment it's right there without even knowing it's there.

He said keep seeking the things above. Set your mind on things above, is that there is is that that's the way this works. What is he mean by that. What he means by that is this what what will occupy my thinking well what occupies my thinking would change completely. My own testimony, we read the Bible. It's interesting to me. What makes the gospel more believable to other people were lost. The number one thing that I see in the word of God and inexperience transform life you have a transform life, people believe what you're saying you don't they're skeptical even have a word for you hypocrite. You see, you know, I told the words I mean, some of us think evangelism is just putting tracks not now. I'm saying a person could get saved if the words are true, but almost everybody I know headed with say because they believe that when somebody was toning because of the person that was telling a transform life makes a difference. Now think about the world we live in a world of global warming terrorism and cobra 19 is there any anxiety out there everywhere right, just imagine how you'd look if you are totally peaceful call. No matter what just totally peaceful.

Only set on the Lord, how would that work. You see, Peter wrote about it and said this, someone may ask you to give an account for the hope that sinew Peter said you should be ready for that. What's he implying Peter is implying that because you're Christian you live a very different life.

Somebody may ask you why are you this way and there's the opportunity for the gospel. You see this this country we live in this disintegrating culture that we live in is producing an enormous amount of heartache. You see you.

God is not mocked.

Whatever you so you gonna reap. So when you so the kind of lifestyles, immorality, all those things are culture does you gonna reap it and when you rebid, you can have enormous pain.

That's a tremendous opportunity for the gospel of Jesus Christ. But why in the world with a want to come to you.

You've given them no reason to seek one of the big terrible fallacies.

It's happened in the church, evangelical church of the last 25 years is that the church is decided to reach the loss to fulfill the great commission in a very different way. The church is decided let's become as worldly as we can and then will be able to witness to the world. That's a mistake. That's an enormous mistake. So, one writer wrote it this way when it comes nonbelievers.

He said this, we need to sort and remove all the obstacles that would offend them.

We must never talk about sin, righteousness, judgment, wrath, eternal punishment are anything that convicts things that indict or things that condemn we need to embrace as many of their ideologies as possible. We need to really be open to feminism open homosexuality, same-sex marriage, sex outside of marriage, social justice, victimization, critical theory, social politics, because that's the things that they're caught up in. He said these are the things that they are advocating now.

And unless we want to be isolated from them. We need to jump on the advocacy bandwagon. We need to essentially accept as many worldly norms as we possibly can.

And then we might be able to fulfill the great commission. That's attack in the church is a growing but not received, people's amazing. It's amazing what we've done and will keep hurting it. The Amat of mega-church pastor set forth have now given up their ministries because of their behavior is amazing to me.

I mean, one right after another after another after another after another, just a couple days ago.

I just found out a mega-church pastor 33-year-old charismatic, handsome guy. Oregon is just giving up his ministry and is reluctant to do so because when he found out was one he was divorced, a people divorce is the senior pastor the church and then he started dating women, and having sex with women in his church okay and they came forward and said this thing seem right to us and so now he's willing to step down for six months amenable back to be in her past there so much wrong in those things I just said I can imagine but you see it over and over again.

Why do you expect that unbeliever to believe what I'm telling you, if my life is a fake. Why would you expect them to believe me I'm lying if I can utilize my relationship with Christ in real life, then why would you want that relationship just going on and on and on in John eight Jesus said this year from below him from above your this world.

I am not of this world you will never find an entire ministry of Jesus Christ throughout the Gospels that he ever once compromising the world ever. James said if you're a friend of the world shared enmity with God, so why would I use worldly pragmatism in order to try to get more bodies in the building.

You see, you can't do that yet.

It has to come down to the idea of a transformed life and what that transform life means less patching him. One look at Titus chapter 2 Titus chapter 2 in verse 11.

Paul says this he said for the grace of God as a peer, bringing salvation to all men as an opportunity, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. There's the transform life looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus gave himself up for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself a people of his own possession. Seles for good deeds. He said these things begin, exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard he's has us look you have to give these things up. We have to look different. We have to be different and their stuff around us in this world you got an immoral culture be moral. You have a very fearful culture be peaceful. You have a very pessimistic culture be hopeful.

You see, now you have an angry culture. Be joyful see it stands against everything that's going on out there. That's when the gospel of Jesus Christ could really be something. Jesus said it this way, let your light shine among men, that they see your good works and what glorify your father is in heaven. In other words, when they see your life. There are much more likely to come to me that's the way it should work. That's why it's such an important thing to start thinking who you are from God's perspective he's called us. He's called us a chosen race he's called us, a royal priesthood holy nation here and got a people for God's own possession. He's called us his children and that is a that's God talking.

The creator brings a batch of your house would not embrace is how do we not think about this. Why when we keep seeking everything I once there, my father's there and meet my heavenly father's my saviors. There my inheritance is there. My citizenship is there. My rewards of their why one day keep going to set my mind that way and see what ends up happening to us is instead of sending arms, seeking it, and setting our mind on it. We got involved in spaghetti map thinking we keep looking on the horizontal plane around and seeing all the opinions in this left us an incredible confusion you see in the truth of the matter is wanting you know about a spaghetti map and they show you in early one none of them are right now. Once I get on that within 24 hours. They all come together is a bit better, but in the beginning. They're not right produce phone projections out there, and the perspective of our culture when it comes all the things were facing what they're saying out there not right and it doesn't even matter if the right doesn't change us all. You see, we have to ask ourselves. Christ has all the authority sovereign over everything I set my mind on him, maybe another way to put it would be this live your life for an audience of one. That's all that is going to matter.

I don't care how successful you are. I don't care how educated you are, I don't care how gifted you are. I don't care how many good things people say to you all that's going to matter forever. As you and I stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and he'll decide he decides only way, Lord, Lord, you understand a lot of people like me they thought it was really a cool guy you understand what success I had. I know about you but all I want to hear him say as well done, good and very certain, because in the end that's always going to matter so you have a choice spaghetti map thinking or just laser focus on your Lord in heaven and I'm just telling you if you do the second you're going to benefit Isaiah chapter 26 verse three says this you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusted.

That's God's promise one piece you one piece. He says keep your mind stayed on him to have the spring father you're very much aware of everything that's going on in our culture and the amount of confusion, anxiety and fear, worrying anger that it's all cost. But all those things.

Father revealed that were not doing one thing were not setting our mind on you were not focused on heaven. We don't live our lives for an audience of one.

We find ourselves caught up in the stream of negativism of sin of all the variety of views of our culture is not been a good place for us. Father I pray that we decide to live a little differently to set our mind when you set our mind on our Lord to look at every situation life, say, Lord, what do you want from me in this situation, others will benefit some may come to him.

Father, we will be filled with peace sure that's my prayer for each of us have to go get her on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like 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 programs as well 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 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 at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that SBC 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 are looking for. You can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for.

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