Wisdom And Doors - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ assaulted almost everybody, even people who don't.

When God in the lives of all whenever there facing a terrifying decision. They pray now's the time to pray. So Saul figures, now's the time. I'm going to entreat him I'm going to pray and you didn't get an answer by the way, if you don't really have a sincere relationship with God and God is adversarial.

Most of the time and then you facing a difficult decision is scary. Now you want to pray, don't be surprised that God is not eager to answer you joining us 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 Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our work.

JK Rowling says this is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities. Wayne Dyer writes our lives are the sum total of the choices that we have made. Why don't you know that virtually everyone in here if you're one of those really happy content people, and most days, for you are all good days and you look back your life with a great deal of joy. You made a lot of good choices if you're one of those people that boy you look back and you see a lot of regret, and you think of some of the choices you made and those choices were so profound that they've made your life difficult.

From that moment on we really are the sum total of our choices. The question is how do we make the best choice. How do we go through the right door should I or should I not be dating this person should we get married. Should I take that job. What school should I send my kids to what should be my major. How should I take care of my aging parents which specialists should I see was church I attend, and on and on, from ancient times, people been so overwhelmed by choices that they have consulted what they hope would be supernatural sources to help them make the right choice in the know the future, they consulted people who could read palms and other people who said that they could read the stars some said they could read tea leaves and even if you said they could read the intense times of animals and help you make better choices. They consulted oracles in those days. Not much is changed, we have people in our day that are still looking for Terra cards to help them make an important decision. Ouija boards are not quite as popular as they once wore. In fact, in our day. You can call this psychic friends hotline, but if they were psychic sent. They call you, God made it clear to the nation Israel that he would not tolerate that kind of decision-making. First of all because it didn't work, but most importantly because from God's point of view, there is a tremendous difference between faith and superstition and so he was forbidden from Israel to ever use those kinds of sources to make decisions, but by the way they were a lot like we are. They went and did it that way anyway when you look at one of the most bizarre examples in the Bible making a bad choice. First Samuel 28. The context is found in the first couple verses it says there that it came about in those days of the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war to fight against Israel and a piece who was the king Inc. he said to David, no assured me that you will go out with me in the camp.

You and your men and David said a geese very well.

You shall know what your servant can do and so achy, said to David very well. I will make my bodyguard for life, not the story of this is David is hiding out with the Philistines. He's hiding from Saul, the Philistines of the arch enemy of Israel. Remember David even feigned madness among the Philistines and so he says will go into battle with Israel and by the way, if you really want to be one of us, you're going to do battle with us and David said okay.

Just imagine, from David's point of view, the place that put them in and nothing Davises wrote David was very sincere in his remark, but he said it anyway. There's another set of circumstances.

A very important verse three. Now Samuel was dead, so the wisdom of Israel was Samuel. You see he is the he is the kingmaker. He is the prophet priest. He is a very important person says that he was dead and is all Israel lamented him and buried him in Ramah. His own city and Saul had removed from the land. Those sewer mediums and spiritist sounds like Saul is doing the right thing. He said okay I'm getting all these people out everybody see everybody on the psyche friends hotline out. He removes a lot of it seems like he's doing something right, but not really.

And then it says the Philistines gathered together and came camped at shoot them and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped at Gilboa and when Saul, Saul, the camp of the Philistines. He was afraid in his heart trouble greatly high is approaching the door, he just realizes their army is way stronger than he ever anticipate and you know what that made him the same thing.

It makes you whenever you're facing an enormous decision. A decision about how you will be employed where you live, who you marry, how you will face whatever diagnosis of disease that you have notice immediately before you get into that decision, when you feel you feel fear is fear is overwhelming.

It says that he was afraid in his heart trouble greatly its emphatic care when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him either by dreams or by the euro more by the prophets.

Now Saul did what almost everybody does. Even people who don't want God in the lives of all whenever there facing a terrifying decision. They pray now's the time to pray. So Saul figures, now's the time.

I'm going to entreat the Lord I'm I'm going to pray and he didn't get an answer by the way, if you don't really have a sincere relationship with God and you kind of you. God is your adversary. Almost all the time and then you're facing a difficult decision that something's kinda scary. And now you want to pray, don't be surprised of God's not really eager to answer you. That's what happened to him. He got no answer. He got no dreams for your home is a human problem of the high priest could say yes or no type of thing to it or prophet. No one help them.

It says and then Saul said to his servants, seek for me, a woman who is a medium wow that was fast. Did the apostle Paul said in the New Testament. You should pray without ceasing. I mean, isn't that the point something I would have time for that.

I pray you to give me an answer. Find me a medium we would never do that would really desperate people do desperate things and so he says find me a woman is a medium in my me go to her and inquire of her and his servant said to behold there is a woman who is a medium in a Endor which is right near Mount Tabor.

There's one I know… Was kinda famous. Saul then disguises himself by putting on other close and he went any two men with them and they came to the woman by night and they said conjure up for me, says please and bring up for me whom I shall name to you. The woman said to him, behold, you know what Saul is done. How is cut off those who are mediums and spiritist from the land. Why are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death, the very person that she says is her archenemy. King Saul is the person who's dressed up to try to forward insist could you help me please any port in a storm.

You see, the idea that I can go to someone like that. The arch enemy of God. Personification of evil someone who deals with in a sense demonic spirits all that. Could you help me. I'm so afraid I just don't know what to do. I don't know what choice to make here in the woman's likenesses. This might be a set up Saul vowed to her by the Lord. That's hello will sink he filed to her by the Lord. He entreated the name of the Lord and said, I promise. For heaven sake on the name of God while Sal bowed to her by the Lord, saying, as the Lord lives there shall be no punishment. Come upon you for this thing. Then the woman said that. Whom shall I bring up for you and he said bring up Samuel for me.

There's a there's a lot of problems here, but that's a big problem for cc much more used to your grandmother UCR and uncle you had an end.

Whether it was actually involved with evil spirits or she had someone in the room and got all dark and and you dear, you know, Bill, Bill, this is your uncle Louie is that she's used to that kind of thing. What am I going to do was Samuel, first of all, I'm pretty sure this fellow, no Samuel, and he knows what Samuel sounds like you one of my going to do here. I met I can't really do this stuff. So when the woman saw single.

He comes no notice. Saul is the one who conjures him up, not the woman. Saul said conjure up for me.

Samuel has another thing that you think of when I get to do it all was a nurse. Samuel, this is when the woman saw similar, she cried out with a loud voice. She was surprised. It scared her stuff doesn't happen in the woman spoke to Saul and said, why have you deceived me your Saul.

She's up with her both going to get me here in the King Center. Do not be afraid.

He says, but what do you see in the woman said to Saul, I see Elohim coming up from the earth, Elohim see it says they're in English a divine being.

Elohim is the most common name for God in the Old Testament Elohim. It it can apply to God. It can apply to angelic beings.

It does in the book of Psalms. She said I see Elohim a divine being sees this shock by all this and he said to her, what is his foreman. She said an old man is coming up and is wrapped with a robe and Saul knew that it was Samuel and he bowed his face to the ground and he did homage you have to ask yourself the question is this one most bizarre sections of the Old Testament. Why why did this happen to see what was going on here. I don't want to speak for God, but I think that God wanted Saul to hear the truth one last time he's going to hear the truth because when Saul dies by the way, you can find in the Old Testament says one of the reasons that Saul dies is because of he went to the medium in Endor God so that's enough of you for Saul, but Saul is going to hear for the last time, just the shocking amazing passage. So then notice what happens after that. Samuel said to Saul, why have you disturbed me in bringing me up and Saul answered.

I'm greatly distressed. The Philistines are waging war against me and God is departed from me and answers me no more. Even though the mother through the prophets were by dreams. Therefore, I have called you that you would make known to me what I should do. I have a decision to make and I don't know what to do and I'm afraid, but in that statement did he already answer his own question.

He said God doesn't walk with me anymore. I don't know what to do. He answered and himself. Sam was going to point that out. Samuel said doing, why then did you ask me, since the Lord is departed from you is become your adversary, what do you possibly think that I could do for you see it's an amazing statement so he tells him he says to me said the Lord has done according as he spoke through me for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and is given it to your neighbor, to David and he says, and as you did not obey the Lord and do not execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover, he said the Lord will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines.

Therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me is a euphemism you will be with me. Indeed, he says the Lord will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines and then Saul immediately fell full-length upon the grinder was very afraid because of the words of Samuel and there was no strength in him and he had not eaten food all day and all night.

What we learn from this. This encounter one would be this careful treating the Lord as your adversary most days of your life. And then when you're facing a really difficult decision think he's going to be real real cooperative with you because finally now you want to pay attention to something I think you learn is that some decisions are really stressful. He saw an enormous amount of stress and if humans were really our decision. You know what that's like desperate people again. Doing desperate things. The other thing I want from here is normally and I get into this a lot with folks you know what most people will say something and mean something else.

Most people want to have really difficult. The worse to walk through their life will say to me I just want to know what God's will is. But when you really talk to them.

That's not really what they want what they really want me to say is, here's what I think they really mean I want God's will to line up with my agenda. That's what I want.

I'm here so how do I get God's will to line up with my agenda and then I say it's God's will see it's wonderful that's what I really want. I think there's another thing to were tempted to use superstition to spur ourselves anxiety see superstition seeks to use supernatural means usually not, though, for purposes, for their own purposes. That's what superstition is. Faith is completely different. Faith seeks to surrender to God's purposes to completely different kinds of things we need to run from superstition. We need to wait Faith. I can remember reading this just a couple weeks ago, in a book I was reading I thought fits perfectly. There was a have a man in the book and he said that he dated a woman for the very first time and he liked her. He really liked her and while they rot on the date his favorite song came on the radio and so what he did.

Then after they had the date the next week. He said to God on a particular day, God, if I hear that song on the radio today that will mean she's the one for me that's superstition. He heard the song, he heard the song by the way, she never dated him again and she married another guy within a year.

So the song really didn't produce what he was hoping you see were tempted in areas like that to do things just like that were more superstitious than we ever think we are probably know that you happily walk under ladders, things like that you should. I mean, not someone's on it carrying concrete block or something no my favorite remarks of the Groucho Marx said this very insightful words, if a black cat crosses your path. It signifies that the animal is going someplace that's truth Princeton philosopher Walter Kaufmann says that many Americans suffer from a word that he is gets credit for the side of phobia many, many Americans are afraid to make decisions. He said there almost paralyzed by decisions and yet choosing and making decisions as part of our personhood. It defines us, and God wants us to choose well, that's the whole point. You see, that's the way God operates. It's kind of amazing the way the Bible really works works differently than you think you will go anywhere in the Bible and see something like this listed six steps to determine if he's the one you will find out in the Bible you will find five ways to choose the best job for you by was not helpful like that. And the reason is really simple because God wants you to grow by making your own choices. That's the whole point.

Part of the growth process is the make choices. We know that when we raise our own children as they go to the teenagers and begone they have to make their own choices if you make all the choices for your child a 25 they will never grow up. You see, they have to do that.

That's why the Bible is not that helpful effect in many ways when it comes to a big decision you make your choice. The Bible won't be any more helpful than Yogi Berra. When Yogi Berra said when you come to a fork in the road, take it Bible sort of like that was and how we helped in this is a running we can find in the Bible yeah great you some very important go with me now to James chapter 1 James chapter 1 familiar passage verse two. He starts with this conclusion. What he wants us to do. James writes, consider it all joy, my brother, when you encounter various trials when you encounter various troubles you see considerable joy like that seems odd to us, but whenever you're facing a trial inevitably you're facing a choice. If you got danger in your life, tragedy in your life. Trials in your life. Every one of those, choices you're facing. It know what you do. The choice is yours. He says consider all joy, my brother, when you encounter various trials.

He said because you understand what's really going on. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. That endurance will have its perfect result that you will be perfect and complete, and lacking in nothing.

In other words, this whole thing is going to help you grow up spiritually so you should be joyful, God is going to use this trial. This tragedy this difficulty and help you grow the world. When we see that we said that's nice but I don't feel that I still don't know what to do. So what you say verse five, but if any of you lacks wisdom, see that's what I need to fund and make a choice.

I need to have wisdom that's what I need I need wisdom. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach given to what Gary says God will supply the wisdom you need to make right choices. That's an amazing promise in the word of God, God will supply the wisdom to make right choices in your life path you will never on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just listen to the message one more time. Remember the good a great website called 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 is at 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 a monthly report 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 of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series you're looking you can search by title.

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