Fully Engaged - Part 2

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

None of the benefit of the grace of God be yours in a day in day out basis unless you fully do not fully engage remember that's what he's trying to say.

I urge you, brother, by the mercies of God and others mercies of God, I think is readable saving grace of the love of God earned by the grace of the grace and love and got of the most wonderful things to never exist in international. This is just got in his mercy, God doesn't give us what we do. Joining up today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt fellowship and 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 picture frame your life is your all when relationship with God and God. You're not letting that happen. You're looking at the circumstances when you look at the circumstances. This is really sad.

He said that the prophets tell you this stuff.

That's what God said. 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 sad. Notice then then beginning with Moses and all the property explained to them the things concerning himself and all the Scriptures and approaching as they approached the village where they were going, he acted as though he were going farther but they urged him, saying, stay with us but is getting toward evening and the day is now nearly over.

So he went in to stay with him 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 what 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 when our 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 I'll return to Jerusalem and find gathered together the 11 and those who are with them 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 took him all day to get there. Another head back that night. I think they were tired and on about using the Waupaca ran back to see what change they just 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. You see, that's what God is telling us now.

The heart is a completely different kind of hard and they find themselves fully engaged twice, and for so many of us it has to do with our heart. This extremely important to God.

Go with me. The end of the Bible, Revelation chapter 3 in verse 14, Revelation 3 and verse 14's amazingly prophetic for our times. This is the angel that to the angel of the church at Laodicea write the amen the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says this I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, but I wish that you were cold or hot and interesting what you say you're lukewarm but I wish you were cold or hot seat. I wish you were all out are all in, but you're just sort of lukewarm see that your heart is not fully engaged. You're not totally it. He then goes on and says so. Because you are lukewarm either hot nor cold. I'll spit you out of my mouth while that's pretty abrupt. Admit see what what is the great offense. Lukewarm not engaged so many people think that this is Christianity before I became a Christian I can still remember a relative of mine and all that was ever talked about is you need to go to church. You need to go to church or need to go to church. You need to go to church or need to go to church at all the time in my thought was, I don't believe there's a God so when you go to church for. Then I was converted and then I find Jesus and the response I got in the same person is what's wrong with you. Why are you like this. You see wife on the meaning of life, the son of God.

I guess when you go to church in a sense, but that's a lot of us would go to church. We think that's it. No, that's lukewarm at best. There is no all in engagement of this. There's nothing all in notice why he was on explains why because he said you say I am rich I become wealthy, and have need of nothing, I'm successful and that's how I measure my life. You see I measure my life by my bank account. My neighborhood when I drive. I'm a very successful person is Jesus perspective you do not know that you are wretched and miserable, poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy. He said from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed and ice that will anoint your eyes so you finally see to those whom I love is that I reprove and discipline. Therefore, you better be zealous and repent. Jesus said you don't understand success at all. You have no wealth at all. You see where you all in a mall and in the world as were my all in his but the only problem is some bizarre happens out there that all women won't give you peace I mean the stock market crashes and people jump on Windows why I'm all witnesses everything.

This is life is life. That's not life at all. Now it may be a wonderful blessing if you like, but is not life but they said I don't have a need of anything, but they did. They had a need of an all in relationship with God himself.

That's what they really needed.

You have to see sort of God in everything and a lot of us have this week you read about Johan Sebastian Bach and I read that he he actually wrote 256 cantatas that we know how involved the cantatas as I go. My goodness, that be life's work for sure. His music had an incredible ability to touch the soul people and up his toccata and food day in the minor called the mass in D minor is considered one of the most inspiring pieces of music ever written and most people would think you know why box of genius who would argue that is a genius, but would argue that, but would say I didn't write music like that because I'm a genius. He said I like that kind of music because it's a result of my prayer life really. Yes, every piece of music that Bach wrote on the top of the page. Here's what he wrote just in shorthand, JJ.

But what set. Well, that's the issue you help me, Jesus, help me write this page at the bottom of every page. He wrote SDG in Latin solo DO Gloria to God be the glory you see his relationship with God, had an enormous effect on even his craft and what he did. Everything is under the Lord. You see, he was all in. That's what we need to be with our lives start every day off of Jesus, help me and end every day with the God be the glory of that cyst.

That's what it means to be all in. If we ever live that way the benefits would be enormous. Not really. God be glorified. But for the for your own good and the amazing, the question is, what's the first step you take the first step in this being fully engaged. How do you take the first step go with me to Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 it makes sense that it's here the book of Romans is called the Magna Carta of Christianity. If there's one biblical book that explains what Christianity is. Romans that's what Paul's whole endeavors is going to tell you what it is.

I mean E Eddie covers every first eight chapters, he covers everything. What about man God has a case against man what you mean God has a case against him moral sinful men, and we all say amen. These are all okay. Secondly, God has the same case against moral men all third case, God has the same case against religious moral men with this conclusion.

All send fall short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one.

That's a conclusion God's answer is Jesus Christ the grace of God, and he ends up telling us we are saved through our faith for the power of the grace of God. He goes on and tells us that he tells us why we were all sinners, because were in Adam and then he also tells us that God won't leave us alone. He gives his Holy Spirit to lead in our lives. Then in chapters 9, 10, 11. He goes on in those chapters, and he actually says what about God's covenant relationship with Israel and he answers it. And then when he gets right to the end of chapter 11. It's interesting what he writes. He just gets down there and he says for who is known the mind of the Lord became his counselor or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again.

He says for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. That doxology and the whole book before is why he writes this verse and he says therefore fermenting you have before. I urge you, this is Paul encouraging her almost begging us. I urge you parallel we get word call Paraclete members called the Paraclete, the spirit of God the Holy Spirit. Same work parallel, I urge you see what what he is saying look I told you what Christianity is. Now you know is that helpful might not be. He said that's going to come to how you relate proposed until us and ours. Look, I urge you to be fully engaged. That's what you have to be none of the benefit of the grace of God be yours in a day in day out basis and leisure fully engaged. If not fully engage will never get the benefit see that's what he's trying to say. I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God when others mercies of God, I think, is read the book it say the grace and love of God. See is the love of God earned by us now, which is mercy about the grace of God.

Now the grace and love of God, of the most wonderful things to us that ever existed. You dinner and the law. This is just God that in his mercy, God doesn't give us what we do deserve it gives us what we don't.

He said I urge you, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, so one time action sinners tent point action I need you to present your bodies and that word present which I find really interesting when he writes the word present there. The exact word that is used this purpose to me it's a technical word for priest who makes an offering. I want you to make an offering, you that's what I want I want you to make the offering. Now the Jewish believers knew this, they knew it inside and out.

According to Josephus, it on the like something near the day of atonement for the Passover. For example, hundreds of thousands 200,000 he said.

Plus sheep were offered in at the temple every year. Another offer all your long but every year so they understood an offering. You take that the sheep whatever it is, boric is best without blemish and then it dies on the altar and this priest execute. They know what that presentation is missing amazingly morbid thought to us, but he is trying to say, look, that's exactly what I want your priest to Peter tells us.

Now I want you to make an offering by the weight you you need to offer yourself up to God uses a living and holy sacrifice, I first became a Christian and I'm not sure the more I thought about it. He missed my having J. Vernon McGee was the first guy ever say is you are was a dearly beloved and I would always say that he's again what the problem is with living sacrifices they keep calling off the altar and you know is exactly right because every sacrifice is final. When you get on the altar.

That's it. You see, once he sacrifice that she doesn't come back and that's what he's trying to say you see this I want you to make yourself. That one time offer. And then he goes on, he said, let me tell you some about that. That's acceptable to God. In other words as something God would want you to do I except the offering at propitiation is the Greek word I'm satisfied with offer yourself now to me and then he says, look, which is your spiritual service of worship is the real worship is not necessarily getting together on Sunday and sing a couple tunes in this message.

This is real worship.

This is describing what's the God I offer him me more when fully engaged me and noticed it says your spiritual service of worship. But the work is not spiritual or spiritual read pneumatically is not pneumatically it's a log of costs log across the phallic and English word logical. That's the word you see it logical, it's reasonable, it's right to think of it this way, which is your logical service of worship. Is it logical that God did everything he could for you God for all your sins, gave by his grace and his love saved you forever not on the basis of you or anything you could have done. Now if I did that for you and I'm God and you're one of my creatures would be logical for you to be fully engaged with me. Yes, this is an ideological it's like Patterson said earlier, it's amazing that so many people would Christianity view somebody like me and a lot of other people is almost not like I think that's overboard. You're just too committed really, you can't be no one can be. You see, that's the whole idea because I know when Jesus can I come to give you life of liberty abundantly. I know that's a life full of joy and peace and hope the who doesn't want that you know Jesus said that's a benefit of give you now in a day like this with a pandemic like this. Be honest. Would you like more joy, peace and hope in your life. See would you like every day to wake up with a lot of encouragement. I got it God we got today. I'm fine see, but we often respond the same way someone who doesn't have the Lord is oh my goodness this keep the answers going to be out there. We gotta get this, we gotta get hurt immunity. We got to hey if we do, I think it's great if we don't, I think it's great to see because it's undergone sovereign doesn't matter that would change my relationship with him. Now here's our problem and do not be conformed to this world.

I think that's us in spades with this pandemic were totally conformed receive the same way that you avoid this question. Fingers you know look anything it can be done medically to make it better.

It's a wonderful thing, for that that doesn't change my relationship with God. Tension changers as well. JB Phillips a great Greek scholar says do not let the world squeeze you into its mold but we do we start thinking that way.

You see, instead of getting a burning heart from the word of God we get a slow hard warm heart or a hard hard from the newscast. Did you see what was posted yesterday how bad this could get in them. That's what we choose to believe, but we need to believe God. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed metamorphosis. This is caterpillar to butterfly same work metamorphosis we transform the people in the world. Caterpillars, if you have applied his first butterfly. It's a big change be transformed how by the renewing of your mind with what word of God. Just exactly what Jesus did to the men on the road to Emmaus. He renewed her thinking. He told then our hearts burned she to hear God's perspective on this. He said so better with the result that you may prove what the will of God is your that says it's God's will that you fully engaged. It's God's will.

That's what God wants for you and for me, and what ever you see fully engaged in everything in our lives. That's his will is not only his right to have.

It is as well, but it's our blessing because not only is he glorified you and I are blessed and all of a sudden I have peace, worry, anxiety, worry, I am joy when I is sadness and I have hope. When I was so uncertain he said yeah that's what you get out of it. He said that which is good for me acceptable to God and perfect word is telling us it means mature perfect or finished Jesus on the cross.

It is finished telling us same word. In other words, what will happen. I'm in a mature unit that means clutches fully engage someone down the road making progress. You see him making progress. Now the clutches fully engaged look as we all go through this together. I miss telling you I I'm all for every single advance we can make in the medical area.

That's great, but I don't want you to have to endure all this without any peace in your life full of anxiety and worry, all because you decided I don't really know if I want to go fully engaged here. Our two disciple to it. It will be for your good as well as for his glory for spring. Father, I think these kind of circumstances that we find ourselves altogether and are a lot like the circumstances we face an individual tragedy, the death of someone we love, a disease that we did when our lives and economic downturn. We have no control over, and has a profound effect on us.

But father, I think what you're telling us is altogether.

We don't want to be that church. We don't want to be Luke warm. We know how disappointing that is the Lord. So father I pray that we want to have our hearts burned.

We want to be fully and we will offer up to you as a living second is pastoral.

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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 Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find the sermon series are looking for. You can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt thanking you for listening to fellowship in order