Defeated Lives - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. 10 million $10 million in and then I came to your house. I said I want to have. Why you gotta do the work diligently to ask just knowing would you be somebody gave you a few acres of said bearing on this $10 million and it's yours.

How many days might going out today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt fellowship and words the radio ministry of social monitor located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Now once again he shows us how God's word. Our world like how does this work in the context of my life.

You see, applying all diligence toward applying means make a strong effort and diligence means determines the 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 similar.

He starts out by what will God do what does God do in your life. Does 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 readily 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 available a lot going on there suffering he said 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 as 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 and literally better than what the numerator 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 the floor and so when you got going to battle. You picked up the front of your clothing and you tucked it in your belt that's called guarding your 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, 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 us gird up the loins of her mind and I believe that's why so many of us live defeated life certainly 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 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. Are you rich, yet why you gotta do the work. You gotta be diligent, I may ask you, just knowing it would you be 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 would be an issue. What it now, after all taiga lights for nighttime. I'm doing all the time I'm digging and that's nothing compared to what God. In your field. He already buried just at the 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 just 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. You 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 to Timothy. Timothy gotta be diligent.

You gotta go and get this, but I don't think most of us do not diligent were 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 end of my study and learn something new about Jesus Christ. 40 years later is not like what I read that last year I got I found 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 diligent there's no real growth see some Christians and I hope you're not one of them. But golly, 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 for me, the note, diligence, and that was nothing in that there's another aspect goes me to James chapter 1 verse 19 here. James is writing a notice what he writes. He says this. You know, my brethren, my beloved brethren, that everyone must be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger for the anger of a man does not achieve the righteousness of God. He said look, therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility, you have to receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. That's what the gospel did and then he says this, but prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves to there's tremendous delusion and hearing the Bible you think you've done something I heard what the Bible said. I've gotten something you've done very little. You see, you've done very little. He says look if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looks at his natural face in the mirror and once he has looked at himself and gone away. He's immediately forgotten what kind of person he was, but one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and he abides in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this manner be blessed and happy in everything he does. The only thing they can help you. By the way, is the do the word of God when it comes to temptation.

What sort of God say Ron see Ron flee get out of there as I would you do whenever you're tempted you said, gotta get out here.

I might see something I shouldn't see, I might say something I shouldn't say I'm getting out of here. So would you do know you know the word does it help you know doesn't help you at all because you're not going to do it when someone insults you just hurt your feelings.

Jesus said if they slap you on the face. What you do see Jesus in you turn the other cheek. Do you go online and do that can assault me give you one back you're not doing the word of God. You see in you can reap what you sow. Let no one kind word come from your mouth anybody sending unkind last week that anyone about this Jesus said do not be anxious about your life. Do not be anxious about anybody having anxiety. See yeah Jesus and Nonno don't be anxious.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness to be fine. See what happens as we don't do it. We just simply know it. But that doesn't help us all because were not about to do the word all that's the problem that we run into the Bible tells me what to do in the Bible tells me what not to do. See, I need to know what those things are, but I have to do those things if I'm going to reap in the my life.

The power that God's already placed inside of me. What we don't do this and many of us don't. Let's go back to where I started second Peter chapter 1 I skipped the verse verse nine verse nine second Peter one. He says this for he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. If you don't apply all diligence, Peter says you're blind or what he calls here shortsighted. We know it's nearsighted what happens when you're nearsighted what you see things that are near right. What don't you see well anything is not near anything as far away I don't see it. You see, all I see what's right in front of my face. That's what I see and that's when ends up happening to so many Christians. They only see the things that are close to completely lose perspective seek whining. Why do you think the Bible has so much prophecy in it. Then have a point. I was any point minute is tremendous point house the world out there. Nice place good place I should feel wonderful about getting better and better every year. Right it's not every day were facing with were faced with a noose woke up this morning and Velma said to me.

She said they shot 11 people died in canal 11 people were shot happens every day, all over the world. It's not a great place their terrorist everyone. There's all kinds of stuff going on. Okay, that's true. So much prophecy tell me it's not going on forever tells me God's in control. It tells me it's all going to stop that the tells me there's a second coming of Christ. You see, it tells me that you may think the whole world's going to hell in a hand basket because it's so terrible out there and he says yes is going to be terrible and stay terrible until I come. What's a give me perspective that gives me site. I can understand. I'm not afraid of the world. You see I know what the world's like it's okay because I know what he's like I say that over and over how many times I said to you. I read the end of the book you when that's important. And on a personal level. How important is this music that I have a long-range perspective that becomes an extremely important thing for me but if I have terminal illness.

What if I have stage for advanced cancer is a tough days.

Yes, you know what else I have surety of heaven, I'm certain my Lord said let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me. My father's house are many dwelling places. If were not so I would've told you I going to prepare a place for you, Bill, so that where I am, you may be also in outcome and receive you to myself. I need that if I'm facing state. I need that I mean that surety of the long-range. The trouble was, if you will apply the diligence and you're not in the word of God. You don't get it. And all you see is what's in front of you and the circumstances terrify you if you have horrible circumstances. You have horrible days because you can see down the street you don't see ahead think this is terrible. This is terrible.

This is terrible.

I love when he says you're either blind or you're just nearsighted. You see one more nearsighted we become reactive and as long as everything close to us is nice. It's a good day, but when everything turned sour close to us. It's a terrible day. We just react to what we see and we don't see much but when you have long-term vision. It's proactive, I can filter all of the bad news personal bad news national bad news I can filter at all through my vision of what's ahead.

That makes a big difference in my life. That's why this is so important, why is it that so many Christians live defeated life is not because we don't have the power, I'm just telling it's not because you don't have the power we have the power to cover everything that life has to offer us everything you and I have the power to face anything that life has for us. God is granted to us every single thing we need this power comes through our knowledge of him, and that is revealed through his promises. But, and that's the help for the words, but we have to play all diligence of the powers of the war lives have to we have to gird up our minds for action.

We have to be doers of the word of God. That's the thing about being a child of God.

If you and I are not growing on the word of God were not growing because were not growing, then we don't have this victorious abundant life filled with hope and joy and peace then of that stuff happens to us. We live lives that are circumstantially driven live defeated lives. So I'm saying this morning is don't be shortsighted. Don't be nearsighted. Don't be blind to the truth, and whatever's think about yourself. My living the victorious life to live a life it's mostly defeated the spring father. These words are so important affect all of us and had father, it seems to me that so many of us never really apply this to our lives.

You provided everything we need, not just for heaven but for life here on earth, everything according the life you've given in your power to us, but you will not change the way we think unless we change the way we think father that's the challenge here for each and every one of us, we have to ask ourselves the question, am I really growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ in my maturing as a believer do I have a piece about life and a joy about it because of the increasing depth of my relationship with Christ through his word father only. Each of us can answer for ourselves, but it such an important thing. My prayer for each and every one of us that we become more diligent in the days because not only would be for we will truly be like so this pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you disable 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 her previous audio program that Fellowship in the Word.

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