Fully Engaged - Part 1

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

This idea letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly is whatever you there is an anything in life that you would do that this doesn't happen. The reason Paul was saying that because he wants to get the verse 23 nieces and whatever you do, do your work heartily for the Lord rather than as an amazing statement twice in verse 17 and verse 23 uses the same word.

Whatever the word is costs means that in other words, what is your relationship with the Lord and tell every every intelligent, white, husband, child, parent, boss.

You are the kind of employee it doesn't matter whatever there is in any aspect of your life and mine that doesn't fall under this every single thing falls on whatever you do, he said that's the way this works going out today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word.

Our world seizure where the pandemic is raging over the world and certainly here in America some new things are being added all the time. I heard earlier this week that a term called flu wrong. I may say there's a lot of people that have a combination of the flu and the coronavirus that's been very difficult for them and just this morning reading the New Orleans paper. The new word from several doctors in this area was dealt. Aurora and that there is a hybrid of the virus, which gives you the symptoms of Delta, which were bad and the contagiousness of Corona and so Lester's hope that's wrong always seems to be something going on here at sort of understandable why everywhere there such an enormous long-term effect on people as theirs trying day in and day in a month and my back trying to deal with this, but something's been happening that I watched that sort of bothers me. It appears to me not for everyone, but for a lot of folks that how the coronavirus is affecting the country is almost identical with how I hear it affecting the church. It almost has the same effect on the church people as it does the country and I find that the regrettable in that sense of it. It appears that Deb many Christians really believe that the only relief the court ever get in this situation is herd immunity. That's us. Keep praying that you only relief were ever going to get. In other words, the answer to get relief is out there now.

I don't know if you know this, but there are several people who call themselves experts. It's a, they're not sure that could never be herd immunity with this particular virus, so you may be waiting for very long, long time, but we keep thinking it's outside that circumstantial and the reason that that bothers me is that I don't I don't believe for having peace through this virus has to do with the circumstances outside. I think you for having peace through this pandemic is what's going on right here what's going on in your heart what's happening in you is good have a much greater effect than what's happening out there. Then we give an illustration that are used throughout this message this morning.

I want to drive a car with a manual transmission with a stick shift which meant I learned to drive a car that had a collection for those of you only ever been in an automatic car, you have no idea what I'm talking about except you knew there was 1/3 pedal down there, but the whole idea of the using a clutch of the manual transmission, is that whenever you engage the clutch you disengage the engine from the drivetrain. You see, and then at that time, the transmission changes to the next gear and then you disengage the clutch you see the whole idea of the clutches is extremely beneficial, but the clutch needs to be fully engaged and then disengage if you do that you're right through the gears and you end up moving forward in a very good rate. Now what can happen with some people is that the you know there's only two positions on the card should fully engage swords fully disengaged, that you should ever have. So you have choices when you think about it. The first would be that never engage clocked to start the car once it's gone. Just leave it there now. You'll go 8 miles an hour and about 5000 RPMs. You know, but that's all happier never get out a low gear then there's another thing people sometimes do is they decide the halfway point would be good. In other words are just partially engage the clutch and you can do that. And of course you burn the clutch and once occurred clutches burn up. You're not going anywhere.

At that particular stage or you can do use the clutch the way the clutch was designed to use push the clutch all the way in and then disengage it. The clutch has to be fully engaged and if it is fully engaged. The benefits are enormous. Not your believer in Jesus Christ to try to save you this morning is if you want real progress in your Christian life and you want to be able to deal with something like this pandemic that were dealing with. You must be fully engaged, and if you're not, you're never going to get there you must be fully engaged.

I just start today with by looking at Colossians chapter 3 and verse 23 the book of Colossians chapter 3 and verse 23 the context of this particular part of Colossians, starts in verse 16 of chapter 3.

The apostle Paul was speaking and he says in verse 16 he says and let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the father. He says let the word of Christ has to indwell you richly, it's the exact equivalent of what Paul says to the Ephesians when he says you and I need to be controlled by the spirit of God that you and I need to be under the control of the Holy Spirit of God, because the results are identical, so to be controlled by the spirit of God is exactly the same as letting the word of God indwell you richly and notice what this touches everything he said wives, be subject to your husband's husbands, love your wives, children, obedient to your parents. Fathers do not exasperate your children slaves in all things obey those who are your masters. You see, he goes on, and he says this affects every aspect of your life that you see that in verse six and verse 17 when he says what ever you do. So this idea letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly is, and whatever you do, there is an anything in life that you would do that this doesn't happen. The reason Paul was saying that because he wants to get the verse 23 nieces and whatever you do, do your work heartily for the Lord rather than for men. It's an amazing statement twice in verse 17 in verse 23. He uses the same word. Whatever the word is poss means everything. In other words, what does your relationship with the Lord and tell everything everything entails a kind of wife you're the kind of husband.

You're the kind of child you are the kind of parent you are the kind of boss you are the kind of employee art. It doesn't matter whatever there is in any aspect of your life and mine that doesn't fall under this every single thing falls under this whatever you do, he said that's the way this works now. Whatever includes whatever or everything, so let me just say this are whatever includes the last couple years of our lives, pandemic this whole idea of covert. I mean, you know, this is this any shock to God's word that come from who I blame God knew exactly when and where this was going to go. He knows exactly how far to go, and how long it'll last.

And he also tells us in the word am sovereign over everything and so from that point of view that includes the circumstances and see what we keep thinking as well. I know I'll be a lot better once you circumstances change when trying to say to you this morning you'd be a lot better right now and that's when you want to be a lot better.

You see, her face a little different than we often think it is Mark Batterson.

He wrote this he said when can we start believing that God wants to send us the safe places to do easy things that faithfulness is holding the fort that playing it safe is safe. This is Jesus Christ, and died to keep her safe. He died to make us dangerous. Faithfulness is not holding the fort. If storming the gates of hell the will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan and the complete surrender of your life to the cause of Christ is not radical, normal fully engaged. He then says it's time to put living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death's door was interesting. It's time to go all in and all I for the one who was all in all being fully engaged. That's what ends up happening, we see how this affects almost everything in our life. This whole idea of whatever. It's everything mundane that you could imagine how tomorrow morning you show up at work that's part of the whatever I don't like my job.

Okay, that's a part of the whatever, changing diapers, whatever you see.

It's every kind of thing you do, there's nothing you do is not covered in this how you drive. Same thing highlight what kind of patient MI for mental hospital and also in this. Whatever you see that's what I'm all in.

That's the way this whole thing works.

Martin Luther King Jr. said this once one of his sermons. If it falls on your lot to sweep streets in life sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures sweep streets like Beethoven composed music suites sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry, sweep streets so well that all of heaven and earth will have to pause and say here lived a great street sweeper. He swept so well is exactly right doesn't really matter. It's a whatever you see any goes on.

Then he says whatever you do, do you work hard at me. What's that mean first of all let me say it's not the word heart that's not the word heart's word can be translated that way.

The word Sue K Sue gaze the word for soul are so voiceless were mind, emotions, and will bar our solution. Sue K. He says notice you have to do a heartedly is from the inside out. See you never will. You will never be fully engaged, thinking you know what I got to be fully engaged and I'm just going to do them how much I hated that. That's religion.

This is something I wanted to see it heartedly.

Someone 031 bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me. Everything I have. It's all in all, Deuteronomy 6, you know, the passage you shall love the Lord your God with what you with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. New Testament added with all your mind. Jesus asked was the greatest commandment. He said that's it.

Love your neighbor as yourself with what's his implication. It's all when it is fully engaged is one of the problems we have with so many of us will or Christianity is were not fully engaged were partially engaged.

We have this life, and then we had to Christianity at all different levels of commitment.

I meet some of us are just happy were going to heaven, we have fire insurance and so that's it. I did that made my choice.

I did that and that's all I want my life like and tell you if you're not close the fully some of us treat our faith like it's our favorite hobby. One of our favorite hobbies like that's not my life but I have a I you know hey look, Jesus is now my favorite hobby I like it even more than golf.

Well, unless the guys are golf on Sunday morning, then maybe not that you see you can't treated this way. It's God's expectation of you and me and was seated clear as we go.

One is an all in expectation yet to be all in this not something you dabble in from that point of view so we know this idea of your heart is really important to God. We know there's an unbelieving heart see that word of God and it's often said that way. There's also a hard heart and that often occurs. He said for a believer who doesn't get things to go in the life they way they want a hard heart toward God that can be detrimental but I want to show you how important the heart is and be in all women. This I want you to go with me to Luke chapter 24 Luke chapter 24 in verse 17 the context of Luke 24 is it's it's the very first Easter Sunday.

It's probably more likely in the afternoon.

Now Christ rose in the dead that morning and there's two men on the road to Emmaus and these men are going home and Jesus encounters these two guys. That's where we pick it up in verse 17 Jesus said to them, what are these words that you're exchanging with one another's or walking not interesting because that's probably a pretty rule spot. All of a sudden there's a guy like walking right up close enough to many years with her talking about. They stood still, looking said said because that's what we do when circumstances are going what you think your way see what is this this is the first Easter Sunday. Let me ask you from your perspective is that is that an important day. Is that a happy day. Why are these guys sad :-) sad circumstances. The only circumstance them and to describe the Jews look. You gotta know why I'm sad. Here we go.

One of them.

Then clear up this answer and said to him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem unaware of the things that happen here in these days and he said to them, what things and they said to him, the things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death, and crucified him, but we were hoping that it was he was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this is the third day since these things have happened, but also some women among us amazed us when they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body.

And they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels and he said who said that he was alive and some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women said, but they did not seem now this is interesting.

So why does it make you sick. Why would that make you sad for this is not the circumstances that we wanted. They put that one verse see we thought he was the Messiah going to redeem Israel.

That's what we thought. I look we got that's what were so sad. This is exactly what we do when we have circumstantial happiness you ever been around anyone or even yourself some this morning said you good morning and what you thought was so good about what so good about his why we got into my circumstances and you get a sad face with some really hard stuff I'm doing with see we allow that. Now notice what Jesus would respond to. It is not compassion. O foolish men miss the next term slow of heart, your heart slow your foolish your foolish to allow circumstances to be the thing that guides your emotions should be sorry for that and the reason that you're so foolish is that you're so slow of heart see it. Your hearts wrong. He said then in all that the prophets have spoken, was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into the glory. The thing that you frame your life is your all when relationship with God and God's word to you, you're not letting that happen. You're looking at the circumstances when you look at the circumstances. This is really said. He said that the prophets tell you this stuff.

That's what God sent the prophets. That's why gives us the word he gives us the words of the were not in the dark were always in the light. Therefore, we don't have any reason to be said notice, then then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself and all the Scripture and approaching as they approached the village where they were going, he acted as though he were going farther but the earth them, saying, stay with us, for it is getting toward evening and the day is now nearly over. So he went in to stay with them and when he reclined at the table with them. He took the bread and blessed and breaking it. He began giving into him and then their eyes were open.

They recognize him. He managed the nursing my worst honor I watch they said to one another, were not our hearts burning heart transplant were not when he just said you were slow heart. Now they sent the hearts of burning why he just explained to them what the Old Testament said about and they believed they believe the word of God. Another hearts burning. He said one hearts not burning within us while he was speaking to was on the road while he was explaining the Scriptures to us.

That's why God gives us the Scriptures. He reveals to us who I am, who we is what's going on in life.

He reveals it to us. He lets us know this should have an enormous effect on the heart. Notice how it affected not just what they believe and they got that very hour return to Jerusalem and find gather together the 11 and those who were with him and saying the Lord is really he said has risen and has prepared appeared to Simon and they began to relate their experience on the road and how we recognize them in the beginning they set aside when did they take off back evening.

It took him all day to get there. Another heading back that night and think they were tired and on about using the Waupaca ran back to see what changed biggest one from this awful, terrible, horrible, rotten day, looking sad and now they're all wound up and excited were changed heart.

Now the hard changed.

See that's what God is telling us now. The heart is a completely different kind of heart, and they find themselves fully engaged tricep for so many of us it has the is extremely important to God. Pastor Bill Gilbert 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, you can Google a 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 her 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. We asked all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just the 100th 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 of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon. You can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series are looking for. You can search by title.

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