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February 15, 2022 7:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. The other tool that God uses that he gave us no you need to make that constant discipline of your life.
When God speaks to me and I internalize and meditate on his truth and his word. I need to pray that God got so I remind myself of God's because my stop reminding myself.
I get very forgetful when I get very forgetful and just like PCI stop listening to what God said and I start looking at the circumstances 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 to get out of Egypt I will award God did miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle against the most powerful nation on earth and needs to make his slaves get to go free since just think of what they've seen.
Unbelievable.
Just incredible. I mean if you see the Red Sea open up your walk-through and dried landing in a close on chip. You would think that would impress you, but it tells us about what could have… Just waved his hand and lands empty. Go get it done. All the test you can be discouraged even to be faithful see you to be discouraged. Are you going to show courage for you to make an effort to do something test see God could have done this with no problem at all. These are just the heights the ides on the Egyptians doesn't work that way. It's an amazing thing. But God says of all the different tests I can give you this might be the most important in your spiritual life and no matter what happened in Egypt has no bearing on what's going to happen now in the promised land to test no matter off. Think of how many things God has brought you through your whole life.
Now the next time you're facing discouragement is that all you think about new nothing to him on this thing about now I find myself almost embarrassed. How many times Gotto test me to see if I get discouraged and I still do is decide what is wrong with me. You know about Elijah, probably the greatest profit. Elijah went to disc and read a couple things just phrases here. Elijah God answered his prayers and he made the rain stop.
He prayed and arranged for a long time God fed him by ravens bringing him bread and meat, so the bird showed up and brought him food and he was sustained by that he performed miracles by the power of God. The widows barrel of flour and jar of oil never ran out ever Emma supply the lives of their doing. He raised the widow's son from the dead, that get your attention of what God is done through you. He called on fire from heaven, and consume the water soak sacrifice, and then he took a sword he killed 300 priests think of what this man has done five Jezebel threatened his life and fear struck his heart became totally discouraged and he was so discouraged that he said I want to die. I'm not fearful and he did the worst thing a good doing to discouragement. He isolated himself and then he thought and he said to got I think I'm the only one left of first Kings 19 surgery.
There's this pretty party that's discouragement for me. God told him no set up the 7000 that have been bothering me to bail so is at least 7001 of you how to get that discourage that fast. I don't but Jezebel scared of achievers on but nothing else did, and he knew what God had done in his life incredible things and it didn't make any difference. He still find every test to be unique on his own in the Jezebel test. He got an F1 I'm totally afraid I'm so discouraged. So what characteristics then should we look for in her own life only find yourself we think were starting to fall into discouragement when they show up. Parent numbers numbers 14 one start crying a lot so weeping never been so discouraged weep. Yeah, we just are crying. Paul told her so even if we agree, we don't grieve like those who have no hope. We should never grieve like someone what discourages you because you think you have no hope there is. What could we don't grieve like that we trust in God is God of hope. Chrysler hope then 14 two here's a sign of a discouraged person.
They complain and whine a lot. Some people are so discouraged, over all the years of ministry have done that, virtually, it seems to me almost every conversation I have starts out with them complaining and whining about some yet, and by the way, if you love complaining and whining. You live in the right place. There's always enough in this world to complain about me goodness your computer.
Surrounded by all these people seek and you complain about them. Yes, I mean that's the whole point we can complain and whine and that's what they end up doing. And by the way, these people were complainers. You go back to Exodus chapter 15 and all they started complaining of God sent him to get to the promised land to get out not that far away in a good thing were Thursday were Thursday or so Thursday and again one next chapter were hungry were hungry even after they had manna what happened.
We don't like it says one item on the menu we like quail certain God-given quell.
Yes, you see, but the point was what we just start this whining, complaining, it becomes part of us move the 14 three why is the Lord bring us into this land to fall by the sword, our wives and little ones would become plunder would not be better for us to return to Egypt where they said God is killing us.
What's that mean God is not good.
He's not as good as I would be if I were God, see we start doing that you can see how this works. They have at that's open rebellion against God, I mean the next verse, so they said to one another. Let's appoint a leader and returned to Egypt. What's wrong. I can't tell you how many levels whoever said this might be hard for an American.
God's never ever supported Democratic leadership. Please understand that democracy is not God's idea, it's the Greeks idea.
It's not.
There is no democracy in the old or New Testament who appoints a leader. God does that mean that this is this take about in surveys that we went appoint somebody else would love somebody else to do that from see it. It's so easy to turn discouragement into open rebellion to all Christians have great marriages. Nope, I mean some new, but I don't that's amusing when I see and I have seen and I mean this in the right way for completely non-biblical reasons people become so discouraged in her marriage to save them to find someone else. I'm going to divorce his person about another one. So God says no.
But I don't understand how I understand it's discouraging you know to be really discouragement notice are discouragement can lead us in the really bad choices that happens all the time. The other thing is, it can go even further. Let me read on here. He says in verse four.
They said to one another. Let's appoint a leader and returned to Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel, and Joshua the son of man and Caleb the son of Jeff Luna and a set of those who would spite out the land and they tore their clothes and they spoke to all the congregation, the sons of Israel. They said the land he said, which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us in the land and give it to us. Linda flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord.
Do not fear the people of the land where they will be our prey, their protection has been removed from them. The Lord is with us. Do not fear them.
What's the response that's called good sound biblical insight counseling. Now the response, the congregation said that's just how things in an interesting God speaks to people I get some stones when Achilles guys he said. Then the glory to God appeared in the tent of the meeting of the sons of Israel and the Lord said to Moses, how long will this people spurn me. You can see what's happening now.
The consequences of discouragement that happens here, he says how all of this people spurn me. How long will they not believe in me despite all the signs of which I performed in admits I will smite them with pestilence, and dispossess them.
I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they take about a visit test understand this of leadership who's the leader Moses. So who should intercede for people. Moses and that's what he does when you read the book of numbers by raising a comedy book Moses spends more time in his knees and couldn't numbers. I miss this endless people sin, Moses intercedes people sin, Moses intercedes people sin. Moses intercede. What 20 does this time Moses said to the Lord. You gotta love this, then the Egyptians will hear of it and and he says, for by your strength.
You brought this people from their midst and they will tell it to their inhabitants of this land that they have heard that you will Lord are in the midst of the people for you, oh Lord ours are seen I die while your cloud stands over them and you go before them in a pillar and a clouded day and the pillar of fire at night.
Now, if you slay the people was what is one man, then the nations who have heard of you have your fame will say because the Lord could not bring people in the land which he promised by them by oath. Therefore he slaughter them in the wilderness. Please understand what he's doing. What don't you think this is bad PR God menu God, you overcame Egyptians came in going to the land of the ice house I make you look, I mean this is interesting how you could save his God.
Moses does. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great. Just as you have declared.
He said the Lord is slow to anger, abundant lovingkindness, forgiveness, iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting iniquity of the fathers and the children to the third and fourth generations partner. I pray the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your lovingkindness. Just as you also forgiven this people, from Egypt even until I went also remind you God who you really are. That's exactly what God wanted to hear this weather's intercession, Moses gives a day is an interesting thing by the way, God standard for leadership. I don't know, maybe 20, 25 times people go in complete disobedience and every time Moses intercedes, then finally he's just so sick and tired of mechanical city Texas Stephanie smacks the rock soon as he does God social alignment of the promised land. That's a failure of leadership.
Too much is given much is expected to people got forgiven countless times. Moses once you get to enter the land to an interesting way that God views leadership. So in verse 20 the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word. I have pardoned him again and it doesn't seem to help much done. Verse 26 the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron said how long shall I bear this evil congregational grumbling against me.
I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against me say to them as I live, says the Lord, just as you are spoken in my hearing so I will surely he said due to you, your corpses will lie in the wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from 20 years old and upward.
Those of you have grumbled to me.
Surely he said, you shall not come into the land which I swore to you, except Caleb and Joshua, your children, however, whom you have said would become pray I'll bring them in and they will know that the land this is the land which you rejected. But as for you, your corpses will fall in the wilderness.
Your sons shall be shepherds for 40 years in the wilderness, and you will suffer for your unfaithfulness until your corpses will die in the wilderness will be consequences to your sin. I forgiven them, but there consequences for is that fact still alive for snow. Can I do anything in. Gotta forgive me, yes.
Can I doing and escape the consequences. Now this is the consequence that whole generations going to dine the land and Diana wilderness. Every single one of them is an amazing thing. So they tell the leadership tells the people. This is the way it is an typical of God's people.
After gotta spoken judgment on were ready. Lord, what were ready with this go-getter. Amazing verse 39 when Moses spoke these words, all the suns rays of the people mourned greatly in the morning.
However, they rose up early, went to the ridge of the hill country, said here we are.
We have indeed sin but were going up to the place which the Lord's promise let's go get up at tule fees and long-suffering God, but this is too late. Moses said one. He said why then you're transgressing the commandment of the Lord will not succeed. He said do not go up really struck down by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you, for the Amalekites and Canaanites will be there in front of you and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned your back on following the Lord, the Lord will not be with you, but he says, but they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp and then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down struck them beat them down in a killed tremendous consequence to continual discouragement. They never enter the land.
The writer of Hebrews love that idea so much that when he will.
This whole book of Hebrews.
He said that's the danger of walking away from the Lord will never enter the promised land. He called it Hebrews for us the faith rest life never going to go in you'll be a Christian you go to heaven but not going to promise you're never going to have the abundant life. Jesus spoke you just push this too far. That's what they say. So what should we do that is pretty simple for us just a couple things.
One is our faith has to lead to courage. Trusting in God's promises. You have to. How do I not get discouraged. My faith has to lead me to action. It has to. I have to believe in the only way prove I believe something is the do it. Make every effort as he says members Billy Graham said this today many people are living in bondage of fear in a recent study, a psychiatrist, said that the greatest problem facing his patients was fear afraid of going insane committing suicide, being alone, afraid of heart disease, cancer disaster, death.
We are becoming a nation of fearful people down through the centuries and times of trouble, temptation, trial and debridement crisis God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love him.
The Bible was crowded with assurances of God's help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause the human heart to fear today. The Christian can come to the Scriptures with full assurance that God is going to deliver the person who puts his trust and confidence in God. Christians can walk into the future with promise, hope, and joy without fear, discouragement or despondency. So I think that in the second step for us to be simple.
The other tool that God uses his word. God speaks to us and then he gave us a tour prayer we speak to God. You need to make that of constant discipline of your life. When God speaks to me and I internalize and meditate on his truth in his word I need to pray that back to God. That's of God hears it. So I I came back to remind myself what God said because my stop reminding myself. I get very forgetful when I get very forgetful and just like Elijah. I get discouraged. You see, I stop listening to what God said and I start looking at the circumstances of my life. There's a story that goes back hundreds of years, I've heard it ever since I became a Christian, but so appropriate here. They've updated it lately and they called a garage sale and it says that Satan had a garage sale and a city.
Mark always tools with their appropriate price hatred and envy lots deceit, lying and pride laid apart from all these was a rather harmless looking but well-worn tool mark with a much higher price than the rest of buyer pointed out. Next, what is that tool and Satan said that's discouragement. Why is it price. So I ask is it because it's more useful to me than any of the others I can pry open a man's heart with it and when I can't get near to him with the other tools I have I can get inside him with discouragement. Once inside, I can make them do whatever I choose is a badly worn tool because I use it almost everyone very very few know that even belongs to me.
The devil's price was so high that the tool discouragement was never sold. He continues to use it to this day on God's people, discouragement, next time you discouraged.
Think of numbers think of David and Goliath think of Elijah and then react appropriately, whispering father. I'm sure someone in this room is discouraged today.
All of us in this room have been discouraged at least in the past. It's so easy for us to lose sight of what you said and constantly constantly says, sorted, bewitched by the circumstances of our life.
It guides everything we end up doing, and we end up crying and complaining and rebelling against you because we become so discouraged father, let your word this morning penetrate our souls so that we can do a preemptive strike with discouragement when we start to fill ourselves that way. Maybe get ourselves back to your word and your promises and then may we act in faith the basis of what not to pastor Bill Gebhardt 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 the good a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs that Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with 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 a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word.
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