A Blessed Life - Part 2

Today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

Day after day week after week, month after month you have your how many times is not that we acknowledge our sins first on one line, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us more mercy, just what I deserve no, it's what I get all the time. As Christians in counseling situations. Just refused. It's always about you don't understand how they hurt. Now I don't know the Davidson anywhere close to the magnitude against you, that you send against you love receiving mercy is 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 Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our work. These are week is nothing we could buy any of these, but they are meek. He said blessed are the meek, because the idea even with my own strength and power. I am under control any setting, you will inherit. He says the earth. Then he moves on and he said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied there any stronger motivations in human beings like that hunger and thirst, hunger and thirst, and I don't mean hey I'm already starting to get that tug for lunch okay.

I don't mean that. I mean, when you have a need for for five days. We haven't had water for one or two days when human beings capable anything murder, cannibalism, these are the strongest urges we have, as a human being.

Hunger and thirst. In fact, if you think of the whole advertising industry. Their job is to create hunger and thirst, and you that only their product can satisfy. That's why you're sitting in your recliner watching TV you watch a commercial go by, and for some reason, I believe you said you want to order pizza like what happened when no one pizzas the hot seat that they just showed you something and I think that's pretty good. That's what advertising does advertising. I mean, you see the coolest guy in the world you know driving a brand-new car and you think I could be me. You may get the car but the coolest probably not see, but the whole idea behind it is, it creates that hunger and thirst, so he says happy is the person who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Now what does that exactly mean again.

Hold your place here and go with me to Psalm 63 Psalm 63 this first verse by David is in the wilderness is being hunted by Saul's life is been on the line for months or years is a horrible place. He's on the run, he says, oh God, you are my God, I shall seek you earnestly. My soul thirsts for you.

My flesh yearns for you in a dry and worry land where there is no water. What is it David seeking God, was he hungry and thirsty for God is in a dry and weary land circumstances are terrible is that I hunger and thirst for you.

That's what I do say go back and look at it that perspective back to Matthew five and he says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, that we satisfied you be fulfilled. God won't disappoint to give you what you need to interesting thing as a practical application. I see it often that when we go through terrible times and I think there's so many of them right now happening on a big scale, but even the smaller scale. What we really hunger and thirst for Dorn circumstances Weatherby covert you know what that's like I know what we hunger and thirst for your vaccine as a hunger and thirst and hunger.

That's what that's what I want my God, I gotta tell you, probably in the middle of Vita had six hours of the wind, which I just want to stop which I want God to terrible prognosis about some medical issue.

What I want cured when God she that's the righteousness I hunger and thirst for righteousness. I hunger and thirst about my relationship with you. He says look if you do that if that's what you do. He said you you will be. He says you will be satisfied. He then moves on.

After he says that and he says blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy again today if I said to you is a good to be merciful. This is America, 21st century. Most of you would say absolutely back at this time the Jews the Greeks and Romans would say, are you kidding are you kidding mercy was frowned upon in all three cultures.

One Roman philosopher said that mercy is a disease of the soul. You don't show mercy, that in that world you want justice you don't show people mercy seat. I fed us in the past but it's going understand grace is God's unmerited favor. That means you get what you don't deserve an mercy God doesn't give you what you do deserve to see grace gives you what you don't deserve mercy God doesn't give you what you do deserve and how many of us love having God show mercy to us. If this wonderful limit.

Not only did he save me and I was spiritually bankrupt.

Not only that I bring nothing to the table, but in a lot of ways of been pretty disappointing since I've been say and God still gives me mercy in that mercy. Wonderful it is, but God sets up a little bit different to us here than the others, he said blessed are the merciful, and no receive mercy. Jesus says another spots of the gospel to if you want to continue to be the recipient of God's mercy. You need to show mercy to others as you received it and really like it and I think what you say is I think I do that I hope that when we sure see we are not giving people what they do deserve.

Let me use another cinema mercy, forgiveness, forgiveness.

You remember the stories the rabbis taught Israel the time you forgive someone three times. That's the ultimate you can do after that.

Shame on you. A dim justice. So Peter wanted to impress Jesus and Peter said how about up to seven times. Peter Sam comes over twice the spiritual was a rabbi and Jesus just shook his head and said no. 70×7. An infinite number.

What yes just not natural. Paul took it a step further. You and I are to forgive others in exactly this way same way God has forgiven you in Christ all my time just got forgiven you beside the ones. How many times how many sins day after day week after week, month after month, year after year. How many times is God forgiving you if we acknowledge our sins first on one line, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's mercy. Is this what I deserve now, but it's what I get run into people all the time.

As Christians in counseling situations that just refused to forgive.

They refuse to forgive.

I am not forgiving and it's always the butt, but you don't understand how they hurt me. Now I don't but I know that they didn't send anywhere close to the magnitude against you, that you sinned against God, and you love receiving mercy. You just don't want to give it to anyone.

She that's a real test for us and I'm sure the Pharisees. Pharisees didn't show mercy to anybody.

The Pharisees would do anything to is a letter of the law.

It's all about the letter of the law that you keep the law. Rome wasn't exactly known as the merciful Empire you threaten Roman crucified her to resist the Roman Concord's mercy was not popular and Jesus says that you can receive you'll receive even more mercy. That's a very important thing that we are to be merciful people. He goes reversing says blessed are the pure in heart go see God wound pure in heart when the world does that mean well it's kind of the authentic you the real you hold your place. Go with me to Matthew 15, verse 18, Matthew 15, verse 18. Jesus once again explaining a parable you see in Matthew 1515 Peterson explained a parable to us just love the disciples, I'm in for three and half years. He teaches in parables is that I do that, so they don't understand so you can but when you read them in the Gospels that was never understood explained that to us. So Jesus goes on. He says I love his first line. Are you still lacking understanding, like I think that implies you should know better by now, but he doesn't. He said in verse 18, the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and those defile the man, for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication staffs, false witnesses and slanders. These are the things that the following man, but to eat with unwashed washed hands doesn't perfect examples where the Pharisees did.

I never eat anything without my hands being ceremonially clean. That's all right. I am before God. Jesus like that has no bearing at all life when you wash your hands and I'm no bearing your heart.

You see it's all by your hard Pharisees never got this because it were so religious he called them white wash sepulchers, you were a whitewashed tombstone your beautiful on the outside and your dead men's bones on the inside there's no reality and you see that even addresses that over time because they decide if you do the externals herein. He says here. Blessed are the pure in heart. The heart is work.

My will is the heart is the solution nature that we all have. That's what defiles us and he said you need to be pure in heart, you need to have integrity, authenticity in your heart you have to be purely motivated. You have to be honest. You see, one of the things that having a relationship with God is and this is just a cheap piece of advice, but it works always, always be honest never attempt to be deceptive. Why, he's God, he's God I'm lucky to be honest with God, now you have to sins to go with the one you did in fact they are trying to manipulate God you can do this. God says just be pure with me. Be honest. Be authentic.

You see, when I send tell you what I think I'm disappointing. Tell me already knows. He said that's pure in heart. I have a sense of integrity about the way I do things. Then he says, blessed be the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. What does that mean if you see two kids, little kids fight in the toddler room to break it up your peacemaker. I don't think so. I think that's what he means. I mean it's a certain air supernatural peace.

It's possible Jesus and my peace I give you. Not as the world gives peace but I'll give you supernatural peace pulse that it's beyond all understanding that kind of PC you can have the also said if it be only up to you. Be at peace with all men by limitation. Paul was never hardly a piece with men was in his full that's what he said every time Paul went into they wanted to hurt him, and when the stone they wanted to kill all that happened. The positive it's up to you. You be at peace but I don't think that's what it means a person who is a peacemaker, reconciles you reconcile one of the most important things for us as believers is this how do we reconcile sinful people in a holy God. How does God will use us to do that is called the gospel that's the gospel.

The gospel is the good news is he the gospel is that I can give someone the words of the word of God and they can be reconciled with a holy God. They can be born again into God's family and they can have eternal life. You can when reconciliation means you make peace a peacemaker is somebody who is able to tell others as a witness would God is not in their lives.

I think the gospel is what he has in mind here, the ability to take I'm holy people and make peace with all holy God. I believe that's what ends up happening. I think the idea of being a peaceful person is also in it. St. Francis of Assisi had this written prayer that he left he said, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, let me, so pardon where there is doubt. Let me sow faith where there is despair, let me sow hope where there is darkness.

Let me so light and where there is sadness, let me sow joy is a great prayer and a great way to look at it. That's our job. In a sense is a peacemaker and they goes in verse 10 and in verse 12 and it's 11 beatitude here blessed Markie's happy joyful are those who would been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed again Marcos again. Are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me before that she has an interesting thing that Jesus say it keeps tell us will go to be happy and joyful because of the forgiveness of our sins eternal life. Being in heaven with God. These are all great things and oh by the way, you can be persecuted for my sake, he said it in the book of John. He said the world hate you why hated me and hated me. Persecution is part of being a believer is part of it. By the way you disabled people don't persecute me.

They might not. Maybe you try to live your life and talk just like him and live just like him so much. I don't even know your believer. They won't bother you that, but if you stand for Christ like people don't like it. It's been it's always been that way you see it if you talk about grace I want to tell you something religious people don't like you may not like anything you're saying why is contrary to what they believe they don't like this at all. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life now dissents nonexclusive you all by the way, the also said, and no one comes the father but through me this that's nonexclusive you as a as a so how many Americans who are relativist than moralist like to hear that. Not hardly any. I want to hear that weight weight are you saying you're the only way yes that's us crazy. Can't say that all religions are the same.

See that's what they want. That's America affected the American often say Americans aren't very religious, like the Jews work but their extremely moralist when it comes to having a relationship with God to share your faith with somebody and what were they usually tell you is an American. I think I'll be all right.

How do you know I'm not an evil person.

I'm not terrible I'm not Hitler. You see, I'm not.

I'm not a child molester. I'm not a serial killer.

I'm a pretty good person and God to let me use it, you won't get it.

There are no pretty good people all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There's no one they won't like it. People don't like that they never like Christ is the son of God.

How can I expect, and the like me they're not going to persecution is part of it. Paul wrote to Timothy inside. Everyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted extra maybe just within the family. Yes, it might be in a neighborhood or a jobsite, but it could be bigger there been times in history were Christians were just Margaret. Think of the early church that was part of the job description I been reading about a year ago I started reading testimonies of Christians in Iran. Muslims of came to Christ, most of my dreams, but Muslims who came to Christ in Iran and almost everyone when I gave your testimony said this I know I'll be dead in the next 2 to 3 years.

I know will take a short amount of time to find me out and I know that will execute me when they find out, but to God be the glory they knew it.

Jesus said to be blessed noticed the blessing he said blessed are you when people insult you and persecute see false things and because me. Then he says this. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you two benefits of this if people don't like me because of Christ, and I don't mean they don't like me because of me that's a different thing. But if they don't like you because of your testimony for Jesus Christ.

Think of these two things Jesus. This is one you're in good company. Jesus just compared you to Jeremiah and Isaiah. Just like the prophets didn't like the prophets, and like you, that's an interesting thought, wow, that's pretty good company. Secondly, notice what he says. He said your reward in heaven is great.

Now the question is what is that no idea, but I know the son of God said great, that's good enough for me was what Scott saying I will forget that I don't let that supply I reward you for that.

You see, that's a reward it's reserved for you so you can be Markie ice you can be happy.

So when you look at these things of what he's really saying he saying look if you have a relationship with me.

This is what I'm saying you need your see yourself spiritually bankrupt. You need to mourn for your shortcomings before God. You need to be meek power under control before God.

You need a hunger and thirst for God.

You need to give mercy to the undeserving in your life, you need pure motives before God, and you need to help make peace between man and God, and you joyfully suffer under persecution for others, for God. Jesus is that's where the kingdom person is now people hearing it didn't like the Pharisees hated and then he's going to start in verse 13.

Next time we go through all of the activities of religion. First of all the activities of child of God and he's going to deal with and so as we see our lives.

Jesus Christ is going to tell us in this, but especially in these Beatitudes. It doesn't matter what happens on the outside. If you think God can accept you because you do certain things and you don't do others. He won't. Jesus said it's an inside job, you have to change your heart toward God and toward yourself and allow the love of God, the grace of God and the mercy of God to see that partially, totally sitting in when you get out of it. Mark you happy now happy then it's an inside job spring for the words of Jesus Christ here were so extraordinarily different. For the first people that ever heard it, but in a lot of ways is just as different for many of us, we just don't see a relationship with God. That way it's easier for us to put a list of externals together and just simply do them and then no, we didn't were right with God. But Jesus, it is not true, our heart has to be right with God, our heart has to see God for what he's done and to see ourselves for our tremendous need that we have that's what our Lord Jesus Christ, we should examine our own hearts and say, are these the things that we have in our lives.

Thank you for these profound words of Jesus Christ, his name Pastor Boulevard on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just listen to the message one more time.

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