Closed Doors - Part 2

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

God said, which enabled God to say yes to everything in the trust in his son. Closed-door knowledge of the closed door can be a great joining us today on this additional fellowship in the work. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana going Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Now once again he shows us how God's word are oral this past week I was reading a biography about a young man who was born in abject poverty and resolve that one day he would be poor.

He was a really hard worker and not miss teenagers on when he worked, no matter how little he was paid he always find a way to save some of it so we saved all that he could and he decided that he wanted to go into business for himself, so he took his savings and he had to put it with two other things he had to put it with a partner and he had to borrow as much money as a lender would give him to start a grocery store now.

One of the problems he ran into that his partner was an alcoholic and that created enormous problems.

The other thing you ran into his. He did know the first thing a running grocery store and so it was a absolute total failure and he says in a biography. I prayed every day for this grocery store, to succeed that I would lose my life savings that I finally get out of poverty, and it failed miserably. So after fidelity realized should never be an entrepreneur. So you decide to go back to school when he went back to school and study law and had an average or decent law practice and then decided from the law practice to go into politics and then in 1860 was elected president United States. It is interesting that when you read Lincoln from Lincoln's point of view. One of the things that amazes me. Sort of like what happens with Joseph in his second inaugural address in 1864, one of the things he says and that addresses that he had great confidence of how God is at work to bring about an outcome of that war that Civil War with infinite wisdom, rather than the will of two sides were praying every day that they went my fight he got. That's the way it works sometimes God has plans that you don't know about happened in my life it's happening yours. I think of all the plans of the heavenly finally went to seminary and we're going to go into ministry and going to a church I one of the plans we had was the planet church in Plano Texas and so we were planning it and it seemed like the perfect deal we had about 2025 people but the people were uniquely gifted. We had people had financial resources that would say will do whatever it takes to make this work. We had people had spiritual wisdom and experience we had people would giftedness with children and teens with people that could sing and play guitar play piano in. I mean really looking back must've been Mickey.

I just thought of that. Anyway, but I was praying about that on a regular basis, and the door stayed close and failed. I remember once getting a chance to may be applied to a church near State College, Pennsylvania, and I was really excited about that. Sent off my resume prayed about it fervently, not nothing.

I never even heard of Metairie, Louisiana nine look back, I think, well, all the blessings all the people that have crossed my path all the chance to influence so many people for Christ. When traded for anything in the world ever. But see, that's the way God is he the door shot, but it shut for a reason, because he knows what we don't know in a very different way. You remember many years ago Garth Brooks sing a song thank God for unanswered prayer. It's a gimmick song in a song with the lyrics with Garth, one of the things he says that he goes back to a football game is high school and he meets the girl that he was just crazy about at that time, and as he meets her and he's walking by.

He says he he whispers under his breath.

Thank God, not what's funny about that as I read the story an account of a pastor who is writing a book is pastor gave the store and it's pretty neat and he said them and I want to have that story can really apply to your life.

He said this is the young pastor. He said I was at my reunion some time ago and I saw a girl that I had been nuts about in high school. He said them.

Now, years later we saw each other in that same prayer was whispered. Thank God he has.

I know it was whispered because I heard her whisper, you might be somebody's unanswered prayer and thank God for that. Sometimes were knocking on the wrong door.

Sometimes God has plans that we don't know about and sometimes the doors closed to help us grow and help us grow not only in our walk with the Lord the ability to serve him more effectively. Turn with me to second Corinthians chapter 12 we just look at this chapter in our Bible study on heaven and midweek and what I want to talk about a salute middle of this section, not the beginning and the beginning of the chapter, the apostle Paul was saying look I know you're Corinthians are impressed with people who brag in I could brag if I want to because I was taken up in the third heaven, he said no.

I heard inexpressible words on never be able to speak. No man can, but he said I was there I was in the third heaven, he only uses as an introduction for something that the Paul is much more important and so he gets in verse seven he says this because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations he was in heaven he said for this reason, I don't miss this to keep me from exalting myself. There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me to keep me from exalting myself now. Again, this is hindsight I believe Paul is looking back and he says now I know why I thought about enough so that it will exalt myself to remember something we all have a propensity to sin in a certain area.

We all have spiritual weaknesses. My own opinion is that the apostle Paul's pride, he was Saul of Tarsus spoke many languages. He was not only a form that I drew from the tribe of Benjamin, and he had all that working form, but he was also taught by Gamaliel the great Rabbi Paul was an amazing human being from an earthly point of view and if you had a problem. It probably would've been pride and so what ends up with is this thorn in the flesh. He says and it's causing him notice in verse eight concerning this.

I imported that word means with tremendous intensity. He said I am poured the Lord three times that it might leave notice he's knocking on the door three times. Lord, please do not I but I could be more effective. I think I Lord I can't do it meant so much pain all the time now. The difference between Paul's closed-door and yours and mine is God gives Paul the reason audibly, which is really great, but really, where he said he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, Paul. I have enough grace to get you through this and then he said, for power is perfected in weakness. You see Paul if I'm going to be powerful through your going to have to be weak. You have to be full of me, rather than for view. You see, that's the way it's going to have to work from his point of view. So Paul's conclusion is he says. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me, he said. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses and with insults and with the stresses and with persecutions and with difficulties for Christ sake, he says, for one, I am weak I am strong positive I get it now listen when apostle Paul showed up in a town and they were going to arrest them in a hurled abuse at him and he took him to come out and beaten with rods.

He wasn't like all this is going be wonderful. I love to be beaten with rods. He does mean that at all what he is saying is that look, I finally can look back on this and see why all this happen if God is going to use me to his greatest extent of his glory. What's best for me is that I am weak and dependent on God. You see, that's the best thing about weakness.

That's one of the great things about unanswered prayer it makes you more and more dependent on God and that's what happened with the apostle Paul. That's the way you sought.

For example, if you need humility like Paul, then nab. Don't be surprised if there's some future endeavor that comes up that's going to feed your ego and the door stays closed. You might not get to be elected president of the club you see your children might not be homecoming king and queen your plastic surgery might not turn out as well as you hoped.

You see, the reason for this is that God says look I need you humble.

You see I don't need to feed your arrogance am not going to. I'm going to keep that door shut. If God thinks you need patients. Then the right now or may stay shot. How many were that way I tell you what I want I want right now.

I want this right now. I want that right now it's gonna happen right now all I don't understand God just keeps the door shut. It never happens right now. Maybe, just maybe he's working on your patience.

If God things you need to be more thankful and more generous financially. He may close a lot of financial doors for you.

You know that can't miss deal that's going to make you a fortune that you going to be able to make so much money that then finally then you'll be secure cuts is your security doesn't come from that.

You see, you already lack generosity. Why in the world. What I give you more to be selfish with sometimes doors like that. Just stay shot. You see, because again, sometimes God is wanting you to grow and he wants you to serve him more effectively. Sometimes were knocking on the wrong door and sometimes he has plans. We don't know about closed-door can be a good thing. In fact, closed-door can be a great thing when I go to the most vivid illustration of that. I know turn with me to Matthew 26 you might be surprised when you see this, but the Lord Jesus Christ knows what it's like to have a shut door.

He knows what it's like to go to a closed-door. He understands that he can empathize with you.

The scene is that the night before the crucifixion.

It's unimaginable to realize what Jesus Christ must've been going through that final day. It's astounding what he did memory. He washes their feet. He'd it's astounding what he does and how composed he stays because he knows what's going to happen.

In verse 31 it says. Then Jesus said to his disciples. You will all fall away because of me this night, for it is written that I will strike down the shepherd of the sheep he said of the flock shall be scattered, but after I've been raised. I will go ahead of you to Galilee. He tells a mom is a future scattered tonight. Peter said to them, even though all may fall because of you I will never fall away. And Jesus said, truly, I say to you that this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times and Peter said to him, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you and all the disciples said the same thing too, because it's unspiritual and that's one of the great things about Christians when someone says some spiritual to somebody we respect.

We all want to say yeah me too I'm going to go to. By the way you think about it.

If they are right that that would mean that Jesus is wrong, never experience how many times is Jesus been wrong. Jesus is your going to be scattered. I'm pretty much sure that's what's going to happen. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray and he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and it says and began to be grieved and distressed. This is incredible. I think we's we don't understand the depth of this. This is a perfect human being. He is the God man completely totally God completely totally man, but we often forget he's perfect humanity. He's sinless humanity he feels is tremendous grief and he said to them verse 38, my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death remain here and keep watch with me.

In other words, I need you here right now.

Lou Gadson says that droplets of blood coming out of the spores instead of sweat or mixed with what an enormous pressure in enormous conflict. The stress is unbearable.

Think of the worst time you've ever felt stressing you never had that happen. It says anyone a little beyond them. He fell on his face and Mark adds to the ground. He falls on his face to the ground and he says my father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, he says, but as you will. What a scene is crying out and he came to the disciples, and he found them sleeping is a good you to stay here with me little bit support me. I'm tired and had a long day. How disappointing that would have been. He said to Peter, he said so you men could not keep watch with me for one hour. Keep watching and praying that you may not enter temptation.

The spirit is willing, your flesh is weak. Watch, he went away again a second time he prayed my father if this cannot pass away unless I drink it.

Your will be done. Think of the anguish of this. It's astounding, but not over again. He came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy and he left them again anyone away and he prayed 1/3 time, saying the same thing once more unbelievable.

This is the most desperate prayer ever prayed from the purest heart that ever beat for deliverance from the most unjust suffering ever known in what he got silence heaven was not moved. Request denied door closed was the result of sin stained bloodsoaked cross one of the father had said yes. Would you be where would I be willing. All of us. God said no to his son, which enabled God to say yes to every human being would put their trust in his son and what he did on the cross, closed-door can only be a good thing, a closed-door can be a great thing sometimes you might be knocking on the wrong door.

And sometimes God has a planet you know nothing about and sometimes the doors closed and help you growing to serve God more effectively and what the closed-door in the garden of Gethsemane teaches you and me is this a closed-door can be a very good thing, not just in the life of Christ.

But in your life and mine is.

Father, I know that there are people this very morning in this room were praying with very specific prayers and the door is not open the door still shut maybe be encouraged by the words of our Lord to be persistent to stay with it, but father, may we also learn from the Scriptures that we looked at the day that sometimes the door stay shut, because sometimes you have plans that we know not about it all and almost always father you use this shut door to help us grow spiritually to become more effective in serving you.

Father, we must come to the understanding that not only are you our creator and your son, our Redeemer, but you love us was such an intense love what you do is always on our behalf.

We need to have a sense of contentment about the closed doors in our life we need ultimately to have the same thing that Job did when he said even if he slays me.

I will trust him.

Father, you are all-powerful when you are sovereign over our lives, but we cannot forget you are all loving you love us as you love your son you love us as your child father. Maybe not today but someday you will always think closed festival giver on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike the sum of the method one more time. Remember, you can Google 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 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 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. 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 defined sermon series are looking you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own convenience and remember all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order