It's No Life Without Power

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ that is not great enough to destroy peace anywhere in God's word says things like this let me be your refuge. Let me be your fortress. Let me be your security. Let me be your sake cast all your cares upon you because I care 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 going pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets Velma and I were on the North Shore.

I made a last-minute exit and was glad I did, but the wind noise the devastation and being quite complete and I kept thinking in the beginning you can't get much worse than us, and then the power went out and it was much worse pitch black noise seem even louder and was before and then sometime after two or three days after we had lost power. Velma said something that that is the reason for this sermon.

It's no life without power. Think it's no life without power and then after we lost power. Then we came to the realization that we had lost the Internet and then we lost our cell phones when they didn't work at all since we did that. She said that that I feel like Tom Hanks and Castaway now you're not in touch with anybody. You're just trying to make the best of it. Ironically, I think that God agrees with what you said. But he means it in a very different context. But I think God believes it's no life without power. Open your Bibles to the book of acts chapter 1 verse six writes that when they had come together, they were asking him saying orders at this time that you're restoring the kingdom of Israel, and he said to them, it's not for you know the times of the box was a father is fixed by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you while you say that because we needed as children of God living on a cursed planet.

Among other sinful people. Jesus said himself in this world.

You can have tribulation. Some of it like covert end.

Hurricane Ida we please.

Collectively, a lot of it. We face. Personally I would gonna do with all this to see how we going to do is easy to any power. He said you're going to get that power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Think how often when Jesus tried to teach his disciples how many times he taught them in a storm few storms to teach the idea of the importance of faith. Why is it was because we lose her mind and storms. You see we were so afraid even fishermen on the Sea of Galilee incorporated in a storm and so he uses storms to teach this because her something that he wants to teach us is extremely important to the growth of our faith go with me now to James in verse two.

James says this, consider it all joy, my brother, when a hurricane comes how many of you all joy just overflowing with joy. God said we all joy just an interesting thing. He said why would I feel joyful.

He said, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Let endurance have its perfect results of the you can be perfect and complete, and lacking in nothing. We hate that word. One of the most amazing things that I've learned in studying the New Testament is the greatest measure of your faith that you have is what will you endure that's attached. God always tested what will you endure whether something pandemics or or storms a terrible diagnosis.

What were you indoor it's always been that way because endurance is also something as you endure it.

Grosser faith.

She is such an important thing from God's point of view and if something would rather not have to go through. The mission is from a different perspective. Turn back a couple pages. The Hebrews chapter 11 and will start number 70 that chapter's famous because it's called a Hall of Fame of faith, it's there but is not so much a Hall of Fame of faith. It's a Hall of Fame of endurance. That's what it is, which becomes a Hall of Fame of faith. But this chapter is all about endurance.

You see, and that's what God recognizes and says will go start number seven by faith Noah, being worn by God of things not yet seen the present arc number, but no one lives in a place where there is no water is going to build enormous arc and by the way, when you live in a place that is no water in your building a big boat. A lot of people will ridicule you on a pretty regular basis. So how long did it take him hundred years, because God: two he believed God, and he endured you Adina verse eight and says, by faith Abraham verse 11. By faith Sarah herself received the ability to conceive. They wanted errors, they couldn't have them. As of the 75 years old and God tells them they're going to have a tremendous offspring. This can be a blessing to the whole world, so let's go no God said within a week we mean where year to 25 years. How do you do that you start second-guessing first while you're wondering if you can conceive it 75, but the second thing is 25 years of past what Scott expect of them expected to indoor season. Interesting thought. As you look at each one of these you can go down to verse 22.

By faith Joseph, when he was dying made mention of the exes, the sons you know the story of Joseph and his brothers hated him. They sold him into slavery put into Egypt hands up in prison. How do you endure all that you don't see your father you love.

You don't see your brother Benjamin you're in Egypt you're in prison just endured and turned out he became the Prime Minister of Egypt and all those great things happen. But all those years of loneliness and endurance. He says in verse 23 by faith Moses and then verse 25. Choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people God.

He was the Prince of Egypt raised by Pharaoh's daughter is that all endure the treatment of slaves. Each one of these, about endurance, even a funny one to me is verse 30. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled the going to the promised land took quite a while to get theirs. Remember they were delayed for 40 years, but they get into the promised land, God submitted to be Jericho's okay, let's go get them, is what here's I going to do it. The first they want to assemble everybody get and get all the musicians there and I wanted to play their music I went to the circled the city, and then go back to your tents all want to have seven days in a row now Jericho was a very fortified city and very, very difficult for anyone to conquer that time getting there some heckling going on from the walls of Jericho. Come again. The planar instruments to walk around the city and the Navy, but on the seventh day, several make it different yet. The walk around the city seven times.

Imagine the discussions among the Jews. Here we go again seventh day lap three.

What in the world are we doing here.

He just has us walking I went to see if you will endure this you see in it did and the walls fell, but as you go. One looked on verse 37 it says for many of them they were stoned, they were so wanted to, they were tempted. They were put to death with the sword. They want to bomb sheepskins goat skins, destitute, afflicted, ill treated verse 39. All these, having gained approval through their faith and he never received what was promised.

All these examples how long did they endure to. They were dead. They endured a whole life and never receivables promised they died got 100.

He said I wanted to see if you would keep your faith indoor now there's an example for that. If you go to chapter 12 and verse to notice what the writer of Hebrews says fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The perfect example of endurance, son of God being crucified experiencing the wrath of God.

Spiritual death. The judgment of God on all the sin of the world he endured. You can see how endurance is such a crucial thing to God, and that's what make it so difficult for us. All of these endured how we do this back to what Luke said, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon.

See that's what the Holy Spirit does think of his role in our lives and how crucial it is when you became a Christian, you had to be convicted of your own set in a crisis or saver who convicted you of that sin.

The word of God's is the Holy Spirit then word of God says the Holy Spirit regenerated he made you a new creature in Christ. He had the power regeneration then it says he indwells you and me is not in the temple anymore like with Israel. He indwells us.

It doesn't just say that it's as he also baptizes us he identifies us with Jesus Christ. We identified Jesus Christ. It even says more penny sealed us to God forever. That's the ministry again of the Holy Spirit after he does every one of these kinds of things.

Then we find out that he's the teacher of God's truth. The truth of God that we have a work taught us by the Holy Spirit of God, pulse of the natural man cannot perceive the things of God, nor can he understand, so if you constantly go to church, never understand anything it's been said but think about your relationship with God because a natural man can't perceive these things so he teaches us, and then he empowers us to live victorious, peaceful, joyful, hopeful, enduring life.

That's the power that he has. You see there's a big difference between the Holy Spirit of God and enter to your clinical circumstances.

The shut the power off and we don't have any Holy Spirit of God never shuts the power off.

Not ever, but is my suspicion that many of you when you were going through this event and even the covert and everything else you can have the power of the spirit of God, because you shut off. That's our capacity we can shut the power of God off of our lives and we have to be careful with that were even warned about that.

Go with me to first Thessalonians chapter 5 and will begin. Verse 14 he says.

We urge you, brother, and admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the week.

Be patient with everyone see that no one repays another evil for evil but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people cases rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. All of these are positive than this.

Do not quench the Spirit.

When you tell us a because we can. That's what it means that were quench. If I gave you an illustration of it. You got a candle with burning and you just squeeze the top of your fingers. You put the candlelight system do that you turn the power off and we do that all the time. We just turn the power off.

You see, and once we said don't don't do that. Whatever you do in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30 Paul told them don't grieve the Holy Spirit using the Holy Spirit has made you and I a new creature. He teaches the word of God. He wants us to apply the word of God to believe the word of God and eventually to mature spiritually and to be conformed in the image of Christ. That's his goals in our life but you and I have the capacity just to quench, we just turn it off and we don't pay any attention to it and then we don't have any power when we find ourselves in really difficult circumstances. It's just the way the thing happens and it happens often to us that way is grieved by the sin in our lives. That's why Paul said I can do all things through him who strengthens me. When you say that he believes it. I knew all things women strengthens me what you sent. I don't quench the spirit Gen. grievous. I don't shut the power off my life seat and the question is then what does the spirit of God, create in my life when I have is power with me to Galatians chapter 5 verse 22. He said the fruit of the spirit.

In other words, what does the power of the Holy Spirit create my life. It's singular, the fruit of the spirit is one thing, and it's all these it's not the fruit of the spirit.

Notice what he says is love, joy, peace, patience and kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. We often look at. That's why I'm pretty good self-control and I'm pretty good and kindness that is not the fruit of the spirit that just means you pretty good fruit of the spirit is good and always and when were tested, you can see it.

Two. In particular, there for me, one somewhat and one profound peace in patients before the spirit is peace.

So if you were here in your writing the storm out your piece were you peaceful in your heart in your spirit to give real peace with this know if you got at a time. The second one more applies if you drove by the time patients you see to get patients see how this works peace and patience are two of the things here and I gotta be honest I confesses I have not been very patient the last year and 1/2 and much less patient the last three weeks.

It's almost as though I said to the Lord, you know, I've surpassed my endurance capacity. I just so I can stand I can stand no more. That type of thing and I'm dispassionate but I believe when I found that I think is what God said to me, I know Bill, your pastor, endurance capacity, which in the past mine. See you in the past mine just passed yours from well you need to give this to me.

See, the point is the only reason as a child of God that I'm not peace for patient is because I don't believe God it's unbelief. You see, I have no belief. I know what the passenger say, but I don't believe it not. In these circumstances is enough. When the wind howling like that I don't believe it and then ends up become an enormous problem for us as we try to work these things through what I have to do to tap into the power goes me to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 15 therefore be careful how you walk, he's telling Christians like you and me. We better be careful how we live is a gift to possibilities not as unwise men but as wise duly with wisdom or you live with no wisdom. He says any be more specific is a need to make the most of your time, because the days are evil. You can have trouble. There's always there be a storm. There's always going to be something then he says so, then do not be foolish, stop living like a fool from God's point of view. When you have the spirit of God in your life and the power of God in your life and your living a life full of fear, anxiety, worry, dread your full why because you have the capacity you see you've turned off because you've turned it off.

You don't get the full of it. He says do not be foolish understand what the will of the Lord is in this he says don't get drunk with wine that is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit you need to be controlled by the spirit of God. That's what he says we have to do. In other words, when the spirit of God teaches me a truth of the word of God. In many convicts me to apply the truth of the word of God that are filled by the spirit of God. She is not mystical. You see it's not that I don't need to go to monastery to be controlled by the spirit of God is not like that I don't have to bye-bye set of rules.

I want to become a legalist in order to do that. That's not what it is. It's God teaches me as truth through his spirit and then empowers me to be able to live that and now the question is, but what kind of power just turn back a page or two to chapter 1 verse 18 is a Paul prays for the Ephesians and for us.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened with the resolve it so that you will know what is the hope of his calling, and one of the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. I want you to know who you are. I want to know what your future is your part of the inheritance your child of God are part of the bride of Christ what had entered everything that he does want to know that. Then he says this and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe the public sin makes not still get signals on these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might. All the power you have is all the might the God as Negroes on which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in heavenly place. So what kind of power you have to change resurrection power.

What power is greater than the power to raise the dead. There's no greater power on W's or her.

The wind in my roof Creek. That's power.

The compares to raising the dead. That's the power you're afraid of you see a says it's resurrection power and we end up going on on St. but I just I can feel it. I know you did if you didn't feel it because you clinched it you started listening to the creaking roof instead of the word of God.

That's what you decided that's what I believe is don't do that. Whatever you do don't do that one more last person to make my point. Colossians 3 verse 16.

Paul writes a parallel passage. The Colossians that is writing the Ephesians to the Ephesians he says you have to be filled with the spirit of God controlled by the spirit of God.

Here he says in verse 16 of Colossians 3. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you that this command let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing other with psalms and hymns spiritual song singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. The consequences of letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly, is exactly the same as when the Holy Spirit fills you in control because it tells you how the Holy Spirit fills you in control.

He teaches you the word of God and then he empowers you to be able to abrade a word of God and reap the benefits of that. It's almost as though the spirit of God says to us in many, many pages of Scripture look is no life without power. You have a power for when tribulation comes your way. Storms of every sort. If all the pieces.

Everything happens you get the terrible diagnosis someone you love gets a terrible diagnosis someone you love dies using.

You can't really cope with it, you find yourself in circumstances professionally. You lose your job you given a pink slip someone you love is run away with someone else and left her marriage. Well I do, how, how can I do this they're all coming those kind of storms are coming and the only way that you and I can do with it is I need to let the word of God indwell me richly.

I need to let the spirit of God, fill me control me by teaching me the word and then empowering me to do this God is provided power for every single challenge of your life from the moment you came to Christ to the moment your apps in the body and present with the Lord.

He is provided the power. The only can stop it is you, you can quench it agreement but then you can use it. Terms like walking by the spirit abiding in Christ being filled with the spirit. Let the word of God and what he richly all saying the same thing every one of them.

Let me illustrate this is if you wrote it out in your house was suspect. You filled your heart and thoughts with him, afraid I'm genuinely afraid was more gutsy coming times is Jesus a fear not, he says fear not, I'm with you and listen since we do, I'm not listening to this I know the circumstances you heard a doctor.

The prognosis is almost surely fatal.

You heard it. That's what you listening to you see that's what we end up doing boy at sometime during the night. You could be thinking this could be really bad. 12 hours or when it's bad enough, but what you were in the middle of this could be really bad. What's word of God say is this bill all things work together for your good, so what you're saying. This could be bad.

I just told you all things work together for your good yet but but not this shut the power off.

You see, that's just the way this works. Often we do this when we find yourself in difficult circumstances. Lord were to go where are you means interesting. I am filled with anxiety.

Where are you is is that he remind you I will never leave you nor forsake you. I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere.

In fact, I didn't move. You did you see enforcing where are you I need where are you is in a more of always been one of the roof fell and killed me sort of got I'm absent from the body and present with the Lord what I said for 20 years. The worst thing that could have a new U Lord's presence was so terrible.

You see, even death is covered. The 23rd Psalm which we had earlier in the service. Even though I walk through the shadow of the Valley of death on the could be afraid of anything why you're with me you seen even uses the term shadow because we don't really ever die.

You see, even the fear of death is not great enough to destroy our peace everywhere in God's word he says things like this let me be your refuge. Let me be your fortress.

Let me be your security. Let me be your safe place cast all your cares upon me, because I care for you when you able to do that is you.

If you wrote this out in the middle of the storm because it tells you something and see that's the one of the reasons you considered all joy when you have various trials, you don't reveal who you really are to God to reveal who you really are you.

You see, that's what the trials for the test for me to understand where I am over and over again the word of God. God spirit uses God's word says the same thing over and trust me I because a life like listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word we are thinking for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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