An Open Door Mindset - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ tie Timothy Young Esther was the wrong gender. Gideon was the wrong tribe and and Jonah said you send me the wrong city whole idea is to remember by the open doors of God provides simply this. If you're not good done 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 and ours. Once again he shows us how God's word meets our world know what seem like a perfectly easy environment.

As long as the child was in the womb.

All of a sudden now the child is in the room and when you're a first-time parent you know exactly how you feel what you have to have a thought, I'm not ready for this. I'm just not ready now, second, third, fourth, it gets quite a bit easier. After that I no question but you see feeling ready is highly overrated. Very few people have ever felt ready to go through an open door told me to Exodus chapter 3 Exodus chapter 3. Speaking of the nation Israel, speak of the great deliverer.

One was a type of Christ.

Moses, verse 11, God speaking to the burning bush tells Moses. I've opened the door for the doors open. Moses 80 years to do this.

Moses First Response verse 11 but Moses said to God, whom I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt, you got the wrong man I have a lack of identity.

My answer is God's is whom I see once I pick it you think I made a mistake. That's the implication that's the way we make that implication often ministry opportunities come your way in your life and you say hello my whom I to go and do that you exactly the person the Holy Spirit convicted. This is an open door at that moment will be a closed-door mindset.

You don't within chapter 4 verse one then Moses said what if they will not believe me or listen to what I say, for they may seek the Lord is not appear to you not only live a lack of identity Moses that I am a lack of authority. I mean Seattle tell tell them sent me.

You have to have credentials to do ministry have to go to like Bible college seminaries to do ministry have credentials really nothing against either, but that's not the way it works. Verse 10 chapter 4 then Moses said the Lord. Please Lord, I've never been eloquent, neither recently (at times past nor since I've spoken your servant prime, slow speech and slow of tongue.

I don't have the ability, lack of ability I did. I just I don't think I could do that. You see, I don't know how what I ever teach first graders.

I don't know I just don't have that ability that's perfect for closed-door Christians. That's a perfect mindset.

I don't have the identity you see I don't have the identity I don't have the authority I don't I don't have the ability and the truth of the matter shows up in verse 13 Moses then says the God but he said please Lord, now send the message by whomever you will what is it he really likes it's right there lacks faith. That's what we always really like you see he was afraid he was afraid of the Egyptians going back.

He was afraid it these rings again like he's afraid he's afraid he might fill a void for people that are close minded.

They hate that. What if I fail to be the worst thing people would think less of me that's perfect. If you are close minded and closed-door human being is not that unusual in Judges chapter 6 remember Gideon. I come from the wrong tribe like the worst guy in the worst family and the worst tribe I can possibly be a judge not like to Lord but it's amazing you see how that works. Nevertheless but I like the safety of the closed-door Abraham was too old. Jeremiah was too young. Isaiah said he was too sinful.

Esther told Mordechai, this is too dangerous what your excuse. See what your excuse see an open door in front of you, what your excuse I can take one is it isn't new got her tomorrow evening was choice of servants, you know, I think we respond so poorly in this area. Open doors for ministry that that's why churches become so programming they have programs that mean much this, the church finds a door of ministry and then tries this push you through it. So we have this opportunity to push him again beginning no but you know I can't be the best of the choices. Every one of you were indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Everyone of you are child of God. Everyone of uniquely gifted by God. And I gotta believe in your life. God has put in a whole variety of ways. Open doors in front of you for you to go through my for you to be coached or prodded and pushed through. You see, you have to be ready. The Lord didn't say go when you're ready. He said go and I'll be with you. You need to be ready.

You can't let uncertainty bother you. You can't let uncertainty bother you told me to Genesis 12 Genesis 12 now the Lord said to Abram, go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house to the land which I will show you and even tells him the results.

I'll make you a great nation a great people. There's the door while you know when you coming to Genesis 12 and you read the first 11 chapters of Genesis.

There is a stark change that happens here Genesis 1st first 11 chapters are about the biggest issues of all you got issues like creation, I mean that's an enormous issue. You know, we have the issue of creation, but you also have this idea here of the flood fall judgment, sporting a man throughout the earth. All these things occur in the first 11 chapters, and then in chapter 12.

Something changes. It all boils down to one person. Don't changes is this person the king no profit, no priest, no, what is he just an ordinary person like you and me, and although small, these big things this one ordinary person and this is a guy who lives in Ur of the Chaldees is just a guy living there.

You talk about an unclear door Marissa doors on usually that clear.

Go go forth from your country, go forth Beaver city.that's all he says.

Doors open go wow your closed-door personally think and I know no way I got a lot of questions and a lot of stuff ago to get worked out here so we can hope it is just the way we are.

The implication, by the way, go to means you have to go from see that's the implication you gotta go from her and you understand this 2000 BC is probably the greatest largest city on earth. It's the greatest city advanced beyond belief in God says I want to go. Then he would tell more and by the way, we know where because we read the rest the story little patch of desert and palms called Canaan. It's not that would be like God, saying, if you live in downtown Manhattan go and you find out you end up in a wink exes West Texas little town. Thus, the every day. That's what happened but you know what makes Abram so special is an open door believer. Is he just got to go, then I'm going to go open door people are comfortable with ambiguity and risk the comfortable with that Abraham never asked him there's no questions. You see, he shows a lot more of an open door than Moses did you see it has no questions at all.

If I wait while we have to leave well in Joshua 24 Joshua tells a nation is really God had him leave her because in Ur was worshiping pagan deities God wanted to isolate them and take them to his own land. Just imagine the culture shock your Sarah I you're married to a guy who lives in a really prosperous city. You start walking my way.

Water lines 1700 miles. First, why would you just go what how to walk with her husband for some rain or mousing won't tell you where you going, I mean think about that and then you get there. I land filled with knights Canaanites Jebusite every night. You can imagine, is there and it's just there's nothing there and you get there you see no city, just land your city person. Just imagine what the culture shock is like C but there's no word about that.

That really bothered Abram at all. See the open doors often more about where my insides are the were my outsides are it's usually an issue about me on the inside. You have to be ready. You have to expect uncertainty and you have to think beyond yourself. If you and I go through an open door of ministry, for the glory of God always have to think beyond yourself. Notice what he says and verse two and three of chapter 12 he says, and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and I will make your name great, so that you shall be what a blessing I will bless those who bless you, and when it curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of leaders last, you will be a blessing. She always have the think beyond yourself. If you going to do something for the glory of God and you're going to do a service or ministry for God is always the bless others. You can be a blessing. This is such an interesting perspective that I know that word doesn't mean much anymore linguist Deborah Tannen says this Blessed is used now where in the past. We used to use the word lucky all your blast, Jessica Bennett, New York Times article just written last year about which he writes there is nothing quite like invoking holiness and blessing as a way to brag about your life, but calling something blessed has become the go to term for those who want to boast about an accomplishment while pretending to be humble see I just beat the daylights out of that man in the boxing ring and I'm so blessed I just been blessed all the time. Abraham was in about the humble brag. There is none of that receive the gifts that God is giving you and allow your life to be a gift to others as a blessing is you know his heart was like. He started right away. Remember who is this covenant with Abram who was it not with what what just got to go along because Abram brought them that's a blessing. As lamia then they get into the land and they going to decide where to live. What does Abram do he says a lot. You choose where you want, I'll take what you don't see that it got us a way to make this about me. People need to know how important I am. Course lot chose the beautiful area of Sodom and Gomorrah going through an open door requires a spirit of generosity toward others, it makes sense those God's mission is to bless us so that we become a blessing to others. That's his mission. That's what he does.

There's a great difference between being blessed and being a blessing best illustration ever English literature, movies Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge was blessed he had tremendous wealth. That's the way the beginning in the middle was of that whole story, but when it ended, what happened, he became a blessing. Question is I have for you which Ebenezer Scrooge are you you see are you the one it's mostly just thanking God for all the blessing, but not being a blessing. Be ready. Expect uncertainty always think beyond yourself and never ever hesitate because of your imperfections. Never hesitate because of your imperfections. Remember how God said he was less than a new beginning all we knew was really blessed in the whole world going to bust a gut, and any so by Glenda, bless you through you and your wife Sarah you're gonna have a little baby. Remember the first time Abraham, her daddy fell down laughing by the waves shows another thing about God's patience.

He was 75 and she was 65 and God said he told him he thought that was funny then and then he had to wait 24 years got so you're not ready yet mature enough to have a baby at length with you 99 but I want to think about Abraham. What kind of guy was he mother became a drama Lance what he do instead of trusting God, he took off for Egypt. He gets into Egypt gnosis is really a knockout says that Pharaoh's house is going to want you so how about if you say you're my sister and work the so I'll be protected. He might even give me a bunch of stuff. What kind of man would do that sinful man man with imperfections.

By the way, when he decided that God saves. Gonna blossom through hearing series and I'm a better plan. How but the maidservant you see how but if we have we created her own baby so wise I didn't know. Why would he do that imperfections by the way he gets to repeat before Abimelech the same thing you did and will Egypt after all those years without always got all figured out. Now he does. Assuming you lie to them.

You tell on this.

Imperfection after imperfection. Never hesitate because of your imperfections. See what makes Abraham so special is God's ago when he went and opened door and he went. That's why he's the champion faith because he was such a great manner. Such a spiritual man Scriptures don't work like that were always tempted to give these kinds of excuses Abraham to sit down to old just excuse Moses tongue tied Timothy to young Esther was the wrong gender. Gideon was the wrong tribe and and Jonah said and you send me the wrong city see that whole idea is thing you gotta remember about the open doors of God provides simply this. If you're not dead you're not done yet understand it when you are home with the Lord your done. But if you are home with the Lord. You don't ever use the excuse well you know I'm too old. While I might have been the children's and I think Abraham told me that one and I'm not asking you to have a baby. I'm just asking you to do some ministry using to bring some glory to me all the great characters of the Bible were flawed but when God opened the door even if it was reluctantly they went through it. That's what they did. Be ready.

Expect on certainty become a blessing and resist the temptation to hesitate because of your imperfections when it comes open doors there two mindsets open and close.

If you are a closed mindset believer that I can tell you what your life will be like and what it's like right now God will call and you won't answer will be risk you'll never take don't be obedience that you never offer there will be generosity that you never give and there will be adventures of will never happen in your life. All that adds up. By the way, to regrets you know when we were young you regretted what you did do when you're old you regret what you didn't do walking through open doors keeps us from future regrets the divine goal comes in the life of every single believer you see you not just baggage hanging on God puts in front of you all kinds of things. These are opportunities you might want something a signal I don't think that's right. I think subjects to be done about that a friend may tell you about an opportunity that the volunteering doing something seeking like I think that makes a lot of sense.

All of these kinds of things past tobacco make an announcement about all these things could simply be God.

Same doors open. I'm not going to shut it but you have to walk through it. You actually have to get up and walk through it you have to do something with it when I say yes he will use me in spite of my imperfections the next time we speak on this subject, I'll deal with the process and what it takes to go through the process. The best possible way. But none of that's been even matter. By the way of your closed-door person you should be just words of bounce off a hardened heart and change a bit distant dorm for little while and then forget but God still calls God still speaks God still sends God still gives his children opportunities for service in this kingdom. God does this. Be ready. Expect uncertainty become a blessing and resist the temptation to hesitate because of your imperfections. Dr. Carol Dweck's research allowed her to stumble on a biblical truth. It's all about your mindset spring for this particular area touches every one of us in a touches us on a daily basis. I fear that so often we just ignore these open doors. These opportunities to serve you. Father, I love the fact that you tell us who John that one of the reasons you give us the open doors because we are weak we have very little power.

And that's exactly the way you want us to be so that you can use us for your glory. Father what we have to be as we have to be willing. We just have to be people that will refill the conviction of something that could be done for your glory and for other people's good. We will walk through the door. We will allow you to use us and we will view it. Father is one of the great things in our life. The things we look forward to an opportunity to give back to you because you've given so much to us through you, but we pray this in Christ name for ourselves. Pastor broke your you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just think of a smoother message one more time.

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