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October 13, 2021 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. John 16 is your life choices in Isaiah 41. He said I'll be there time of life. John 14.
He said I'll give you instruction so you know the way to go in and Proverbs 2 is that I give you a list of second Corinthians 1. A set of John 14 is says for a just some of the problems you put those altogether hastily thinking about this. This is revealing the nature of Christ. This is what Christ is like going out today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart fellowship and words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhart now once again he shows us how God's word. Our world there's been a question that I wrestle with very long time and it's difficult why do so many Christians, or even so many of you live defeated life is just it just bothers me. Why do so many Christians live in a defeated life. I mean after all Jesus and I've come to give you life and have come to give it to you abundantly and I'll be as honest as I can. I don't know a lot of Christians who are living the abundant life, a life overflowing with joy and peace and hope. I asked myself the question, why is that why don't we live that kind of life.
A lot of us live lives that night that I've come as a pastor to find out are filled with regret and guilt, and anger and anxiety and fear, and one time I think I always thought well the culprit in all this is just sin, but I don't believe that anymore.
There's something else that I'm convinced has a lot to do with you and I never living the life that we should once you open your Bibles to second Peter chapter 1, second Peter chapter 1, I started in verse three, Peter uses a normal typical salutation. He says grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
And then he says this seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness when to stop, look at that God has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, not some things not most things, but he has granted us everything.
It's interesting that he says that he has done this. He said through his divine power that his is probably first the Jesus and the end of verse two.
How much power describe put in our lives. John one says that Jesus had the power to create the universe. Colossians 1 says the same thing. That's a lot of power. Ephesians talks about the fact that he has.
Resurrection power to bring back the dead.
That's the power and he says by his divine power. He says God has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Wow, that's God's part, giving it everything that you could possibly have. There's no limits on any of this. It says that he has granted to us the great word is the door enemies and the interesting part of it is the grammar. It's a perfect passive participle and on this program a lesson for you. It just simply means when you see the perfect tense in the Greek it's something that happened in the past but the results of the action. Go forward for eternity. They never stop.
Once he does it. You always have it the day you were born again, God has granted to you by his divine power. Everything you need. According the life that's God's part. I'm giving it every single thing you need from that day forward while in the word.
Everything is interesting in the Greek it's put up in the front of the sentence, which means it's I can! They didn't have! Punctuation. He says God is everything God has given you. Wow, that's God's part.
That's an amazing thing. What's the conclusion. The conclusion is that you will never lack strength for anything that happens in your life.
Never you will never lack strength for anything that happens in your life that's God's part.
So the question is then how we get the power and how do we tap into this power goes on.
He said, seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. We get into the true knowledge of him, which again is Christ.
She said you get this power. You tap into it by having a true knowledge of Christ know what it means is, what is the truth about the knowledge of Christ, not what you think of Jesus or your neighbor thinks of Jesus, what the world thinks of Jesus, but what does the Scripture say about Jesus, the true knowledge of him. He said that's the most important thing in the word knowledge or normally is a warlike gnosis. This is a compound word called epi gnosis. Some translated super knowledge but putting everyone it means it's more than just knowing about.
It's not just cognitive Chuck Swindoll says it's heartfelt knowledge. It means intimate relationship. And I think he's probably a lot closer to the truth of that he said that's the kind that you have a true knowledge. He said of him who called us now that sounds pretty good except how do I get the knowledge and if I get the power because I have the knowledge how do I get the knowledge he said here's how you get the knowledge the word for the explanation. He said for by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises said you want to know about Jesus read the promises of God is at first of all, they are precious to me on us means valuable magnificent as megastars means greatest the greatest valuable promises was what reveals the knowledge of Christ which gives you power in everything in your life you think about that very much this week as I was thinking about this. I thought about just some of the things a goddess said in Romans chapter 8 he said I give you spiritual life in first Corinthians 15.
He said I give you resurrected life in John three said I give you eternal life. Ephesians 1.
He said I'll give you my Holy Spirit to indwell and empower you in Romans five he said I'll give you abundant grace for every situation of your life. In Galatians 5 he says I give you joy for your life. In Psalm 18 he says, I give you the strength to face anything in your life.
In John 16. He says I give you guidance in your life as you make choices in Isaiah 41. He said I'll be there to help you through the most difficult times of life in John 14.
He said I'll give you instruction so you will know the way to go in your life.
In Proverbs 2 is that I give you wisdom the skill one living that you need to live a life in second Corinthians 1. He said I'll give you a comfort when you go through difficult times. In John 14.
He said I'll give you heaven at the end of your life, and he says in first Timothy four. I'll give you eternal rewards for your life. Those are just some of the promises you put those altogether and start really thinking about this. This is revealing the nature of Christ. This is what Christ is like. It's interesting that he says if you do this all happened to you. That is, you realize, of the buying power that you have become super knowledge of Christ which is revealed in the promises of God and then he says, which is interesting in middle verse 44 by these he has granted us his precious and magnificent promises, so that that's a result, because what's the result of all this, he said, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
If you do this you become partakers of the divine nature that were partaker is our church's name, it's Corey in the fellowship means partner, you become in a partnership of the divine nature God's as I put the power in you when you do this you become a partaker in the divine nature.
Now the problem, as were reading along as he says, look, can't you see how good this is for you and it does look good. There's no doubt about it. He said in verse five he said now for this very reason. Also, applying all diligence. He said in your faith supply moral excellence and in your moral excellence knowledge and your knowledge, self-control in your self-control, perseverance, and your perseverance, godliness in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness you get the love is. These are all the characteristics the show in your life that God provided but there's even more to it. There's two results, one in verse eight.
Four of these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have a meaningful and purposeful life is in your life comes and makes a difference. He said you have a fruitful, meaningful, purposeful life. And then he says that in verse 10, notice the second thing, therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent he said to make certain about his calling and choosing of you for as long as you practice these things you'll never stumble. He said while you're doing this you won't stumble, no matter what's going on your life no matter how bad the circumstances are, how bad your health is how bad the relationships are whatever is to the turmoil of your life is is you won't stumble.
It sounds great. I mean really, it just sounds like this is terrific but there's something we miss when we look at this ring. I told just what God says I'll do, but most importantly is what will you do it's right there in these verses what he says here that I find so interesting. He said verse five now for this very reason, applying all diligence by applying all diligence. He said in your faith well is it. Did you have to play all diligence men in verse 10, he said.
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent you gotta be diligent. Now I find that a very interesting thing that he would say something like this that you and I have to be diligent in this wound, but how do I become diligent how I applying this how does this work in the context of my life. You see, applying all diligence, the word applying means make a strong effort in diligence means to determine zeal just got have both of those now I want illustrate this with me back to first Peter chapter 1 and verse three. First Peter one in verse three, Peter is going to do the same thing. It's different but it's similar. He starts off by what will God do what does God do in your life. Goes he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He said, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled it will not fade away, it's reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation ready revealed in the last time three things he says right there. God caused us to be born again to obtain an inheritance that can never be taken away. It's reserved in heaven for you and that we are protected by the power of God great things and noticed the condition. Verse six in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials live a lot going on in their suffering is it's okay doesn't matter if you're suffering these things work out to be true even if you're suffering and then he tells him again what they should be doing at the beginning of verse 13 of chapter 1 of first Peter he said you want to know your part.
Comes therefore, prepare your minds for action. That's an American Standard, prepare your minds for action.
That's what being diligent needs you have to prepare your minds for action.
Actually, I like you literally better than what the normative standard translators. Literally it says this gird up the loins of your mind, gird up the loins of your mind you have to do that.
Anyone gird up your loins what you talking about well if you're going to run, but especially if you going to do battle in Peter's world. You can't do it unless you gird up your loins.
What's that mean what they wore clothing and went on basically before and so when you go to going to battle.
You picked up the front of your clothing and you tucked it in your belt that's called guarding outgoings. Now my legs are free. You see, now I can run now I can do battle. He said yeah that's what you need to do. You need to gird up the loins. He says of your mind by Oswald Chambers said this and so profound. He said God will not make me think like Jesus. I have to do it all by myself. I have to bring every thought, under the captivity of the obedience of Christ. I don't think a lot of us do that. I just don't.
I don't think a lot of us are diligent and I don't think a lot of this gird up the loins of her mind and I believe that's why so many of us live defeated life's only not victorious life. We don't do the work. We just don't we pay for. I think we often think as long as I'm a believer in Christ, and I can endure three or four sermons a month were good and oh God, neither good or not, you will not have the resources to deal with life just won't let me illustrate it this way, one of five on the field. A large field a few acres and on it, I buried the $10 million. I buried $10 million in that field. And then I came to your house and I said I want you to have the field. Here's the deed you rich, yet why you gotta do the work. You gotta be diligent, let me ask you just know when would you be if somebody gave you a few acres of said bearing on it is $10 million and it's yours. How many days and nights would you spend shuffling. I'm serious, $10 million for diligence when the initial what it now, after all his acolytes were nighttime.
I'm doing all the time I'm digging and that's nothing compared to what God.
In your field already. Just have a diligence to go and get it.
You see that your part.
You have to actually have the diligence to going get this go with me to second Timothy chapter 2 this.
Take a look at this diligence second Timothy two verse 15. Paul writing to a young pastor about how to cope with ministry and life. And he says an American Standard here noticed his first two words. Be diligent same word gotta be diligent, be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth yet to be diligent is it takes a diligence to handle it rightly handle the word of truth. The new King James version for second Timothy 215 says this study to show yourself approved, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. I don't have to do the work soon if you don't do the work it will help you. That's the point.
It doesn't help at all is you have to be diligent in order to do this. How can this be such a magical cure. Simple. Hebrews 412 says this the word of God is alive powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing asunder the soul and the spirit and it's a critic of the thoughts and intents of my heart. Word of God is alive to see if you want to know it's power in its life. Somebody at some time in your life somebody gave you the gospel from the word of God. They explained to you that sin separates people from God and that you're a sinner. The wages of sin is death, and that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin without Adamic nature and that he lived a perfect life on earth anyone to the cross to be your substitute on the cross. It satisfied the holiness of God. He was buried and raised from the dead and if you put your faith and trust in that truth you will have eternal life, you'll go to heaven and you believed it and you're going to see all you did as you took the word of God and you said I believe that now you're going and it's not like you're improving your life you have an eternal life.
That's the power of the word of God in Timothy. Tim Paul wrote to Tim and he said all Scripture is God breathed all Scripture is God breathed and is profitable.
You see is profitable for doctrine, and correction. It's profitable for everything in life that's the word of God. That's why said the Timothy.
Timothy gotta be diligent. Gotta go and get this, but I don't think most of us do not diligent or superficial is such a blessing to be. I spent over 40 years studying the word of God and I'm just telling you there's hardly a week goes by the number study and learn something new about Jesus Christ.
40 years later is not like what I read that last year I got it down. I don't have it down is alive. It continues to grow as I continue to grow.
There's a life to it, but there's gotta be a diligence on your part.
And if there's no diligence. There's no real growth see some Christians and I hope you're not one of them. But Cali they find themselves in terrible circumstances and and then they said they get the Bible a lot and then they say God help me in this, and in a flash through the Bible God please pick me out say something to me, Lord. When you pick employment Scripture.
By the way, when you do that God does say something to you need to study the Bible think that's nonsense that's complete nonsense. I just find a person .2 and then that's what God wants no diligence in that there's nothing in bathroom number on the radio. Fellowship in the world.
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