Follower Or Consumer? - Part 2

Today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ doing is always figuring a way that I can force the hand of God in the situation where I can take his will and I can support his will eventually end up doing and it shows up so often in our prayer seed shows up that way. Yes, we can pray for humanity that's not the problem. We feel the real question comes down to how do you react when God doesn't give you what, she was a many of us do we just push them aside joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana going faster now once again he shows us how God's word meets our world. Verse one. Jesus therefore, six days before the past he came to Bethany, where Lazarus was Jesus raising the dead and so they made him a supper there and Margaret was serving so we know Simon will operate Lazarus that family or close mother was serving the Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him and Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume, pure nard and anointed his feet. The feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair in the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples who was intending to betray him said this.

Why was this perfume not sold for 300 and Mary and given to the poor while now we know started this Judas and why not remember, he's the right guy because he was the guy they most trusted, with money can imagine when I had to have a treasure because people gave them money from time to time and kept all 12 of these guys out on the road for three and half years. They say look one of the guys is going to have to be the guy who handles the money we needed treasure. Now I don't know what the discussion was like someone probably symbol not Matthew okay he's not going to be the treasure that was the most trustworthy guy I said Judas is the guy by the way, when Jesus even said in the upper room. Some is good, betray him. No one said Judas.

In fact, most of the guys realizing just how shallow they were said is it me.

You see, it's a different kind of thing but Judas is the one it says this now notice what John writes now. He said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief and he had the money box and he used to pilfer what was put into it.

Therefore Jesus said letter alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. He said for the poor.

You always have should not always have me now when I go back to Matthew passage Matthew again back where we were.

Matthew 26. This is astounding.

Judas's personal agenda.

His idea as a consumer to use Jesus was so strong that he could be with Jesus. 24 hours a day seven days a week for 3 1/2 years and still use Jesus to pursue his personal agenda.

Look, I got the money I can make here she's going to give this to us. I can make a lot of money off of this. So back here in verse 10. Now Jesus speaks again a little different but similar.

He says Jesus is aware of this said to them, why do you bother the woman, for she has done a good deed to me for you always have the poor with you but you not always have me for when she poured this perfume on my body. She did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel was preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be spoken in memory of her. That's amazing what I just read that last verse you know what I just spoke no member Jesus is the son of a carpenter. He's from Nazareth. He is nobody and he's kinda from nowhere. He's never been more than 50 miles from the epicenter where he was born.

It's currently it doesn't have a passport all the countries visited no one's ever heard of Jesus at all by the way in the future when they tell the story and waiting until the story diesel then tell the story the whole world. Everyone the whole world is going to hear the story you just heard it today in Louisiana. You see, that's the way it works. Jesus knows exactly what's going on. He knows exactly where it's going to go. He talks about how great it is.

What this woman did it. When I think about that. I thought how costly this was for, but what was she really doing not just preparing them for burial.

Maybe I look at it this way when we always talk about giving often what we end up doing his will say to people like you all here is a need.

Would you like to give to meet the need, and in your said yeah okay I'll give meet the need. We do that and there's nothing wrong with that. That's not what this is. She gave as an act of worship.

She gave worship him and think about the cost. Your worship here one year's wages. All this perfume and she gave it that way to the consumers, especially to Judas, who is a consumer of Christ. This is what he can't stand anymore. This is when he says I'm done. I am completely done with this series is what happens then one of the 12 name Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest and he said what are you willing to give me to betray him to you.

Literally it says what are you willing to give me to hand him over to you. The NIV is right there, they idea what he will and give me and I'll hand them over to you see the problem they had was we can get near. He says yeah but I'm one of the inner sanctum on one of the 12. I know when will be no one else around them. No crowds.

I know right where he'll be.

So now you're going to have to really be prepare for this. You're probably going to have to have the temple guard and swords and porches. I can lead you to Mike and get him that's what he is saying.

He said what are you willing to give me to hand him over to you. You realize how absurd it is. But that shows you when you have a consuming mentality. You're only consumed by the way, with yourself. That's how you see your faith Judas as I can hand him over to really Judas can animal work but see how many times in all the Gospels, was it said that they ran to seize Jesus to grab them. The rest of minutes is and he disappeared either Mitt often no. By the way, and this is Jesus meet. Think of this, Jesus is a guy he spoke to the weather is that he said be still in a storm becomes completely call.

This is Jesus.

This is Jesus and man is dead for four days and says Lazarus come forth is CNET.

He saw a dead man come forward. This is Jesus using this is Jesus who said all your blind all I can help you give me some mud not packing on your dry and he could see, this is Jesus were the lame walk.

You see, this is Jesus who fed 5000. This is Jesus who walked on and he said I can hand them over to I could. The arrogance of a consuming mentality. That's what he says.

Then we see this, he says, and they weighed out 30 pieces of silver to them, nieces, and from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus's got us 30 pieces of silver. Now let's go to chapter 27 verse one of Matthew. Now when morning came, all the chief priest and the elders and the people conferred together against Jesus to put in the death and they bound him and they led him away and they delivered him to pilot the governor. Judas never expected this. That's not what Judas was in for Judas thought what religious leaders need to get control of him. He's not been very favorable to them at all, but they can't do too much harm to the Jews have no authority to execute anybody they really can execute anybody can expect that. And by the way, he knew all the leaders of the temple and hated the Romans so the never work in some kind of a conspiracy with the Romans, but it turns out that's exactly what happened. Now notice verse three. Then when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he felt remorse and he returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. This is not what I bargained for. The Romans can crucify him. Then he said this, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.

This is not worthy of a Roman crucifixion but they, the leaders of the temple, said to him, what is that to us seated at yourself so he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed anyone away, and he hanged himself while terrible, horrible ending to this, he hanged himself. He felt remorse. You know what, there are some decisions that can never be unmade. You just have to face the consequences of what you decided to do with interesting to me is that he didn't even want the money anymore. You thought maybe is all that's is terrible but it would pocketed the money. He is filled with remorse. You see, he learned the lesson of very hard way that you and I can learn without doing this he learned this lesson and is the lesson of the morning for us. God's hand cannot be forced in God's will cannot be thwarted. God's hand cannot be forced, and his will cannot be thwarted when you have a consuming mentality about Jesus in your life. That's what you're always trying to do what you end up doing is you're always figuring a way that I can force the hand of God into a situation where I can take his will and I can support his will. That's what we end up doing and it shows up so often in our prayer. You see, it shows up that way. Yes, we can pray for humanity that's not the problem. We can pray what we feel. The real question comes down to how do you react when God doesn't give you what you want to see was a many of us do we just push them aside. You see, we see what was the point, give her do that. What's the point what's the point of me playing. What's the point. I mean, if God isn't going to deliver on my agenda. What's the point of all this will never deliver an urgent if it ever turns out that way. It's a coincidence God's hand cannot be forced, and his will cannot be thwarted. Now you gotta love religion. In verse six, the chief priest took the pieces of silver, and they said this.

It's not lawful to put them into the temple treasury since it's the price of blood, and they conferred together and with the money bought the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Those are people who came into Jerusalem from all over the world for the festivals and died in Jerusalem. We have a place now to bury them is is for this reason that filled has been called the photo blood.

To this day.

Matthew writes all his I see you gotta love religion. First of all there's nothing in the Old Testament that says you can't do that so it's not a biblical law is a law they made up a tiny little law that's attached to another tiny little all they made up and he said look we want to be right with the law so I don't think we can take the money now because it's that blood money's been in the sanctuaries we have to keep it away from the temple not these are the same people that arrested Jesus by night, illegal put Jesus through one trial after another all the trials illegal and then they went and paid witnesses to give false testimony to lie which is illegal and immoral basic and we got to keep the lobby. Gotta be careful with his money went with the money.

The touch isn't that religion you see religion misses the beam in its own I looked for the net when it's amazing when you think about how they said we wanted cake stay right with the law. I love it. Matthew writes, he says. For this reason that filled has been called the photo blood. To this day he's 25 years later, few, short of the field you see the actual filled with this really happen is a by the way French that I can show you an empty tomb, and that would mean you important in the field to see then verse nine, than that which was spoken of through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled as they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel and they gave them. He says for the potter's field is the Lord, he says, directed, that's an illusion. By the way, to what Jeremiah, he is considered the lead profit by the Jews, not Isaiah and the code actually comes more out of Zachariah so he says oh by the way it and it was 500 years before Christ. There's something there when you think about it. Judas was so unhappy because Jesus would meet his agenda. The Jesus would be part of his plan of how he saw his life turning out so Judas ends up betraying Christ and he really feels terrible for the commit suicide, but isn't it kind of interesting that all Judas became was an instrument in God's hands. 500 years before it happened. God said that there be someone betrayed him and it would be the 30 pieces of silver, and it would be used by potter's field.

See, that's the point. God's hand cannot be forced, in his will cannot be thwarted as long as you're a consumer trying to get the Lord to help you with your agenda.

You'll never be a follower of Christ. You see, that's what it comes down to, because what he doesn't do what you want them to do your will betray him by doing two things pushing him away or what most of you do, pressing on with your own agenda. Examples you'll marry the unbeliever, you will let you know what the Lord's will is yeah I know but they might convert later. You see, I know that a lot of believers out there, but none of them quite as cute as this girl in your merrier. Why because it's my agenda, then you will pray every day that God make sure this person gets sick and if that person does in your life goes in rule and then you blame the Lord as a consumer you close that deal that you know is unethical to be for the good of the company and supporting a family you make an investment in something that you know Christ would never approve of but it's business you refuse to move the little give you an opportunity, but you'll refreeze the move you will go to another city, you won't go to another state, you won't go anywhere.

I was wondering by the way, if you want to know if you were consumer follower. If you were actually thinking about the word you were singing we were singing the song. I will follow wherever you lead me all over the world. I will follow you really thinking that you would follow. Satan I'm not really not really follow. That's right. That's what a consumer would say I'm not really you see if your readings leaving me somewhere else on that really good. I have my agenda. Jesus said I'm baffled by what you call me Gordon not do the things that I ask whenever you stop being consumer and start being a follower of Christ. I can tell you something, to be the defining moment of your life. It will be more than anything, what's that mean that would mean this Lord anything anytime anywhere at any cost that be your mantra and is asked me what you want. I'll be there. You see, it sounds a little like this when you are follower of Christ. You say I want what you want more than what I want.

That's what follower does. I want what you want more than what I want and the consequences of this are astounding when you are follower of Christ, you could be a young doctor with a promising career.

A graduate of Tulane medical and you might find yourself in the Congo for your life because that's what followers do know agenda not I need Jesus in my life.

I got a lucky rabbit's foot to pursue my own agenda. Marriages that are heading for divorce might actually be healed. Forgiveness may be offered because it's the will of the Lord. Career paths may change ministries to the needy may be pursued because you been exposed to it but I'll use my resources.

The best I can even your giving will become a joyful experience rather than a sacrificial exercise of your will is the one thing I wanted remembers this, Jesus didn't stop Judas from doing what he wanted to do and won't stop you either.

Jesus didn't stop Judas by the way, something you have to know though Judas didn't stop Jesus from doing what he intended to do either because you never will.

God's hand cannot be forced his will cannot be thwarted tried to wake up every morning and say Lord today. I want what you want more than what I want and by the way, if you have an in between her with my many of you probably are consumer. Follower your name between her about this prayer that Lord, I want to want what you want more than what I want because at least that's the beginning, the consumer will never pray that prayer, only the follower but you know if Judas Iscariot had prayed that prayer we might be naming our little boys. Judas, the spray father. I think the most difficult thing about being a consumer of Christ rather than a follower of Christ is we just don't see it is obvious to Christ and sometimes it's obvious even to others but to ourselves. We are so bound in our own agenda that we want you so much to fulfill all of the dreams and aspirations that we have and then we ask your blessing on everything that we do. Whether it's your will or not your will.

Father, I would pray that we would as the disciples eventually did stop being consumers and they became followers. Those 11 men change the world because they gave up their agenda and they simply follow yours father that's my prayer for each and every one of us.

We say so often here that we want to help people become fully functioning followers of Christ, but that requires them to follow. Not to consume father we pray that this day for some of it would become the defining moment of the Jesus name for your pastor broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember that 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 is at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. Yes, all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting monthly with just the one time 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 at fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds of pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series you're looking you can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for.

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