A Thinking Faith - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. Estimate love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.

Now think about this and I say to you, you need the love God with all your heart or soul, does that mean there's an emotional real love God.

Just like I love my wife or my children are my friends love God with all my heart and all my Valley City but it says here all your mind that you meet all your mind. 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 that's going pastor Bill Gebhardt. Now once again he shows us how God's word meets our world may ask you just power Jezebel taken God who has the most power here.

Billions and billions and billions of times more power, trillions and trillions of times more power you see who has power you nothing about that he's thinking about she strike me oh my goodness she's going to get me.

Now I understand a little bit about his dilemma here. If you think about what he is gone through your I think the there's no question he's he's found himself in a really unique and difficult situation. He said the greatest experience of his life.

He's also I think you'll see later, he isolates even F himself from everybody else, even a servant when you get isolated in your own thoughts is not good.

Thirdly, it's also likely he was physically and emotionally exhausted. I can imagine just imagine when he went through just that the run to get the Jezreel and then he gets lost in the same thing.

You and I get lost in self-pity. He gets lost in a watch what happens. Notice what he says in verse four it says he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down on the juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die is the greatest moment of his life he might die and here's what he says it's enough now, Lord, take my life.

I'm not better than my father's pity party is this terrible. I just feel terrible why Ahab spent three years trying to hunt them down and can now jet Jezebel threatened somebody's panicked notice over to verse 10. He said I have been very zealous of the Lord, the God of hosts, the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, they've torn down your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away. Reporting on the only one God. There is anyone but me and got so patient with this amazing God's is not the only one there are 7000 in Israel who have not bothered me to bail but think about that for a moment on the whole planet. How many believers are there 7001 exit is not a lot considering that, but God's patient with them, but notice what happens you find him, getting himself into this terrible precarious. But it's all because of the way things it if I said you is Elijah man of great faith you have to say yes right I mean think this all the way in James in the New Testament James five.

It said the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months and he prayed again in the sky poured forth rain muncher think about this man, this is a great this is considered by many the greatest prophet of Israel. Now if it happens to him. Is it possible what happens to you see this works if you do that, would you do that and of course you would. And so what I we can really struggle on this, our thoughts can end up destroying just completely destroying our faith.

We have to be so careful with this, you see, we have to be so You're having a spiritual high. Things are going well in your life you have your annual routine checkup and then he says I'm I'm real concerned. I'll call you back because back insisted come in tomorrow you come in tomorrow and it says it looks like you have about 18 months to live. While that effective does it affect your thinking does affect our thinking doesn't. All of a sudden it's like, wait, wait, wait, now were not Elijah. I think it is is worse because he's just so I got did with them. And God usually doesn't do that with us. But the point of it is, but we are like him. All of a sudden, our thoughts begin the change know what would happen at that same incident you had that you came home and the Lord walks into the room and said I just wanted to I heard you got a bad diagnosis today. Yes I did I just let you know something. Your your simple person living on a cursed planet and you realize that all human beings are going to die and I know that and I know that was scary but don't let whatever you need to go through this. I provided for you. You come to me in prayer to the throne of grace, and I'll give you grace me explain something.

My grace is sufficient to handle the stage for I can handle for you okay and I will let you know so that I won't leave you and I won't forsake you. I'll be right with you the whole way. When his last moments come the last day of your life will be the best day of your life and I'll receive you to myself and I'm going go and prepare a place for you. So where I am Mary will be for always with that affect you for the next 18 months, and if you know what right he's already told you that you see is already set all of everything I just said he already said you see it but you know how that lots. You see, we don't let that enter our thoughts and that's exactly what happens to Elijah so what happens to him. His thoughts are beginning and do destroy his own faith know the second point is our weak faith can destroy the way we think just the opposite.

Go with me first to Matthew 22 Matthew 22 versus 36 and 37 and this is one of those trap situations. It happens more than once piercing comes talks the Lord and says I could you tell me what the greatest commandment of always what is the greatest little on the Lord's given some different answers are always short ones like this but notice the Pharisee says to them what which is the great commandment in the law and Jesus said to the Pharisee, you shall love the Lord your God with all your hard with all your soul and with all your mind is the greatest commandment love the Lord your God with all your hard order soul and all your mind.

Now think about this when I say to you, you need to love God with all your heart or soul. What does that mean to you so you feel it. There's an emotional tug is under I have to really love God, love God.

Just like I love my wife or my children are my friend. Love God with all my heart and all my soul, but now I see you but it says here all your mind, I don't know how to do that we meet all your mind.

That's what he said all your hard augur. Soul and all your mind see what's happened in modern evangelicalism in America is we start viewing the heart and the mind are enemies of each other that we need to be people of the heart, but not of our mind.

That's ridiculous. In fact, some people have described modern American evangelicalism as mindless Christianity doesn't matter what goes on your mind is good. I feel this thing you gotta feel what that some of the Scripture says I think for a lot of us were sort of like the 10 men in the Wizard of Oz. You know the wizard story another 10 man needed a heart and and the scarecrow needed.

What commuter brain. He needed a mind right then a dialogue to man said the scarecrow what it wanted to walk around the whole and in that the scarecrow said why didn't know enough. He said my head to stop a straw you know and that's why I'm going because I'm I'm been asking for some brains.

OIC said the two men, but after all brains are not the best thing in the world have you any the scarecrow said no and then the tin man said. He said I should rather have a heart all the same, said the scarecrow, I shall ask for brains instead of a hard for a fool would not know what to do with the heart if he had one.

I need to have a brain and the tin man said brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world that sort of way. We often are you doing engage brain you know you want to get you don't want to engage your brain. I can still remember years and years ago to person our church was involved in a discussion with a person in Baton Rouge and he said that the they were in a discussion and argument about some truth of Scripture and the person from our church was quoting me hope accurately but quoting me with the person and this person is some of the verses and the guy said to him, he said yeah yeah I know you went to Dallas seminary and you know what I know he's I know he's right biblically, but it's a dead right to miss that it's a dead right.

It's not a heart right it's a head right. That's what we do. That's how we change things you see it's only in my heart how I feel. But Jesus doesn't give us the latitude he says look it's gotta be all your heart, all your soul and all your mind and there's no exception to that. That's what he says now let me illustrate how this can work. Go with me to Mark four and verse 35 Mark four and verse 35. Know what I find is interesting here is it says a very famous verse on that day, evening came and he said no. Don't miss this. Let's go to the other side and leaving the crowd. They took them along with them in the boat and just as he was in the other boats were with them and there was a fierce skill of wind and the waves were breaking over the boat so much of the boat was already being filled up, and Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion and they woke him up and they said teacher or rabbi.

Don't you care that were perishing, and he got up and rebuked the wind and he said harsh.

Be still in the wind I got became perfectly calm and he said to them, why are you afraid you still no faith, want to see this point, our weak faith destroys our thinking now. Can our thinking on our faith, but our weak faith can destroy or think. Notice how this started out know who is Jesus okay is the son of God, right, and of the disciples seen anything to prove that they've seen thousands of things the prove right I mean that he is the son of God, he is God incarnate. Now notice what God incarnate. Says let us go over to the other side.

Now, if God says do you.

Let's get in the boat go to the other side.

What do you think's going to happen. What do you think Scott I hope we make it. You see others work of God says you going to the other side you're going to the other side.

By the way, Jesus knows that that's wise, asleep.

Why I said going to the other side when I speak in a stroll, they panicked. There's another thing, then the other time they speak, they say to him, teacher, don't you care that were perishing not on Carol about anybody.

I don't care about people I don't care about you, don't you Ask the Lamb of God.

Don't you care what is wrong with people who think like that.

The thinking. You see what they're thinking thinking were not going to make it and you don't care, and notice what Jesus says this what the key diagnoses and says you still have no faith. You see, that's the whole point of God says something to us.

If women have any piece from it. We have to actually believe it how you think determines what your life is going to be like one more passage to Ephesians 4 Ephesians 4 verse 17. I want to see what Paul says to us about the way we should live. Paul says so this I say and affirm, together with the Lord that you walk no longer as the Gentiles walk that you live differently than unbelievers.

He said his momentary you need to live differently than unbelievers. That doesn't seem far-fetched force right but what 20 says, in the futility of their what their mind to why why believers live that way it's the way they think.

Notice in the futility of their mind being darkened in their understanding that's their thinking again excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them see what is the unbelieving world live that way because that's the way they think there excluded from the life of God. You see, that's the way so there's no reason to condemn them for their living exactly the way they think, when you think of all the cultural things and I'm always bothered by this. When people in our culture who don't know Christ decide they're going to live in a certain way. I don't understand why Christians believe that this is so terrible for us and this is so terrible for people should be allowed to live. Why do you think they live that way because that's the way they think they can live. That's the point they're different, maybe more importantly, were supposed to be different. That's what Paul says, the thing that's alarm you and I is not how terrible the world lives out there, the thing it's a bother. You and I is how terrible we live in here.

That's what we should be concerned about, not person, but our sin there would they have their excuse they're going up there.

Just fall on their thoughts, but notice what he says about us first 20 he says you did not learn Christ this way, if indeed you learn of him. He said in a been taught him in truth is in Jesus that is in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit and that you beat no notice and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind back to Rome and you have to think differently and you put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God, which was created in righteousness and holiness, and from 25 to 32. He goes through all these all these behavioral changes we should have. But how do we make all these behavioral changes we think differently. We don't think like they think you see, that's the hope that's the distinction between us and occurs between our ears. And I think so many of us get in so much trouble is because we don't think any differently than they do, except maybe on Sunday morning and we think a little bit different than Ada, but we should think diametrically opposed to the way that they think our thoughts can destroy our faith in our faith can destroy our thinking that's what the word of God teaches us see what is the reason for the renewing of our minds so that we can grow our faith. If you don't renew your mind will never grow in your faith. You just can't you think is you've always thought there's a clear relationship between your mind and faith.

As I said, our thoughts can destroy our faith in our faith can destroy your thinking. So if you want to grow your faith you have to change your mind you have to renew your mind, you must renew your think. One last verse, Philippians, just a couple pages. Chapter 4 in verse six and this is very practical for us makes us uneasy and if I asked for hands of everyone it's violated this commandment. I am certain. Every person in this room would raise her hand if they were honest, some of you may be dishonest and you'd want to look righteous but notice what Paul says be anxious for nothing that's commandment by the way, it's not an ideal be anxious for nothing ever been anxious about anything ever worry, deceit, get some menswear were so much this way with it. What is the pie-in-the-sky bind by verse. Jesus saying nappy got me to know he means it. Be anxious for nothing. Jesus said exactly the same thing. There is nothing that can happen in your life as a child of God, that you should never worry about or be anxious about ever. Nothing while he said look, I know your human notice the next verse in everything in prayer by supplication and prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Going tell God how you feel but please allow God to be God here. You see, please allow God to be God. God is infinitely powerful and is infinitely good, so what had happened when I let my request be known to God. What will God do anything he wants that for my good effect. Any say that all things work together for the good. They say that mom is a 28 is and that the promises by which we get to know God touches look everything in your life. I work for good. I redeem everything in your life. I just want you know that right now.

So what am I anxious about. You see, that's why the promises of God should drive anxiety from me notice what he says the next verse, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. You see, how do I get through this guts as I got it.

I've given you everything that pertains the life everything in my promises now type, you need to know my promises. Be diligent going up the loins your mind and you need to believe them. You see now if I do that get well. I get a piece beyond all comprehension.

You tell that to your unsaved friend and I don't how can you possibly have peace now Jesus, you see how you and I have anxiety Jesus you know how terrible this is. I do, but for this I have Jesus. You see, that's what our fee should mean to us, and then he goes on and says this watch I love this.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute. If there's any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about it. Dwell on these things. That's what you there's where our mind should go. That's we should be thinking about what we don't. And we have to be aware of this, our thoughts are thoughts clearly can destroy our faith even the best of us. What was Elijah thinking he's a man of tremendous faith and courage. But the circumstances change and he fell to pieces.

We have to be aware of that and just like with the Disciples of Christ are weak faith can destroy our thinking you read in the Bible when you sort of leniency that probably for other people that doesn't apply to me, that doesn't apply now because you see it does. That's what God is saying to us over and over again.

We have to develop a thinking faith. We have to renew our minds are forever going to build our faith spring father for some reason.

What we end up doing so often is we compartmentalize our thinking process and we take your words and we take the verses and we take the promises. Some of them even memorize them and we know many of the things that you said and then when the circumstances of our life change. We don't think about those anymore. We don't think about the application of those verses we think about how were going to face it we think about our fears and worry in our anxiety we think about these things, father, and we lose peace and were not filled with hope and joy and peace were filled with this idea of worry and anxiety and fear. Father remind us that it has to be a renewing in the way that we think you have told us so many wonderful promises there from you and if we believe those they can change the way we think, which will change the way we live. Father I pray all of us challenge ourselves in this particular area. When we find ourselves starting to feel fearful or stress or guilt.

We have to ask ourselves the question has God spoken to this issue and if he has. Do I believe it that's what's so important father. If we get this right in our lives. It makes our lives infinitely better. Jesus called it the one that I pray that each and every one of them. We are able to live this wonderful life of Jesus Christ I pray this for our good and his pastor broke your heart. The radio ministry of fellowship, nor if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like the message one more time. Remember the good or great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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