Believing Is Seeing - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ is not a naïve position. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation.

He said it.

It's coming pain, suffering, afflictions coming our way he said it is here.

You can count on that.

He's not my what you say that you be of good cheer past with expectation. That's what he says I've set over all the years you have to live with this idea that the worst thing happened to me happened.

What a wonderful thing that is joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us how God's word meets our work and I actually believe last in our language face a difficult word for us to understand.

I think Faith glasses a little bit too abstract.

That's too ambiguous fate. That's why if I can where we always do that here, but if I went to use the word that you understand what faith is.

It's the word trust. That's what faith is. Faith is trust and so that's what we mean. And he says.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. Trust is the assurance of things hoped for. Trust is the conviction of things not seen. You see, when I evidence faith. I have assurance the word for hope for in the New Testament anytime you see the word hope it doesn't mean cross your fingers and hope hope in the New Testament means future certitude something you absolutely know what happened.

It's the assurance of your future. You see I have assurance of my future.

I have assurance you see of a certain hope that will happen to me and I have conviction for the present. That's what he says, trust is or faith is the assurance of things for the future, the conviction of things in the present. That's what Paul had. That's what Elijah had. They saw life differently and see it like the attendant a solid through the new lens. In other words, I think the way to look at this and hopefully the way you remember it is this believing is seeing. Now I know you know it the other way. Okay, but that's not biblical.

This is biblical believing is seeing. That's what got us trying to tell us believing is seeing. While will then how do I grow my faith.

How do I get more of this how does this work because I know that I have some of it but I don't have nearly enough and whenever suffering affliction of pain come in ring my doorbell. I kinda Lucite will go to me now to Romans chapter 10 Romans chapter 10, one verse, verse 17, Romans 1017, Romans 1017 says this so faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God or the word of Christ by hearing the instrumentality by the word of Christ faith comes by hearing the word of Christ. In other words, and this is the ream of Christ the Raima and its spoken word but it's the written word as well. That's with the lenses. By the way, you see, what is the lens God fits you with after you become a child of God.

The word of God.

You see in the word of God does what it focuses what life really looks like.

You see toes what the world really like it tells you what you really like and now I've got it in a sense that's what happened. So the word of God becomes absolutely paramount. Think of the great Psalms like Psalm 19 and Psalm 119. There just dedicated to the word of God and Psalm 119, one of the things the psalmist says is this that the word of God is a lamp unto my feet and it's a light unto my path. What's he talking about seeing you see from living in a dark world or I'm in a dark place. What do I need I need like so was the word of God. It's a lamp to my feet.

It's a light to the path. In other words, now I'll be able to see where I couldn't see before. That's what the word of God is. That's what he says happens the word of God changes your perspective on almost everything. How else could Paul call this momentary, light afflictions, some of us would go through 1/10 of what Paul did and all we would do is complain every day of how horrible our life is in your Paul calls it momentary, light afflictions, it can't be compared to what's going to come down the road for me. I see beyond this, you see, his site is different than ours. The circumstances on any different at all. That's what the word of God because it changes the way you see things. All of us.

I think know of people that we have love that have died and we know what the grieving process is like and how sad and painful. That seems in. That's the same for all of us for years and one month ago. My best friend.

I and as this is gone by and I think about this from time to time almost. Sadly, less over time. I miss him.

I just miss him and I could go online and say you know I'm missing my best friend in four years and one month or I could put the other lens on it's a then I'm four years and one month closer to seeing my friend forever.

You see him for years and one month closer, and I'm sure of it, we mean you're sure that Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but by me.

That's how he came. That's how I come. I have the assurance and trust in the word of Christ. He said to my father's house are many dwelling places I go and prepare a place for you, so that where I am, you may be also. That's where he is and that's where I'm going you see the difference. The damages which lends him walking through. That's why Paul said we agree, but not like those who have no hope. It makes all the difference in the world how you look through that lens of Scripture and the faith that you have in that lens of Scripture, the lens of Scripture allows me to look beyond. It also allows me to look with great expectation. Go back to Romans eight with me a moment much. Romans eight in verse 18 Paul is trying so much to get believers in his generation to buy into this the way he has to see life the way he does. Verse 18 Paul says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared. What a statement Paul, how would you compare all the suffering versus the future not worthy :-) I can compare and there's not anything worthy about he said with the glory that is revealed to us. How does he say stuff like that because God told him that through Scripture is a God told him those kinds of things. Notice he says them explain what I mean for the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God waits eagerly. It's a great picture by the way, waits eagerly, could be good translation but the word has a picture to it and I'll alert JB Phillips explained that JB Phillips was this great Greek scholar, he wrote the Phillips paraphrase many years ago of the New Testament and he does a great job. It's probably the best paraphrase ever written because of his great background. He thinks that person.

I just read and says the whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own cassettes await eagerly as it's a picture below your tiptoes.

He says the whole creation zone of tiptoes. It's all coming.

Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is revealed only tiptoes I expect this.

You see, that's what life really about.

That's the truth of this.

This could be a new heaven and a new earth.

There's no more sorrow and there's no more tears or eternal bliss. There is joy and peace and hope and meaning beyond your imagination. You see, that's what you saying that's what's coming down the road. This expectation is great expectation. But did you see it seem afraid we don't so nearsighted. We love our old lines. Everything is fuzzy. You see, we don't see it the way it is. That's what he's talking about. That's how we should live our life. We look beyond we gazed beyond we have this great expectation of what's going to happen every day for a believer in Jesus Christ should be exactly like Christmas Eve is for an eight-year-old boy viewer been on an eight-year-old boy and Christmasy right they can't help it. They just can't help it. You know I had two of them and so middle of the night getting up morning yet clearly not. But the whole point of it. You see, that's kind of the whole point, why, why is he so excited he anticipates what's coming.

It's what God wants for us when we anticipated when we excited about it. Paul is the circumstances on any better than ours. In fact, probably worse than almost all of ours.

He sees things differently than we do. This is not a naïve position of all. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation. He said it. It's coming pain, suffering, afflictions coming our way he said it is here. You can count on that. He's not naïve what you say to be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. See the past that with expectation. That's what he says I've set over all the years you have to live with this idea that the worst thing that could happen to me can happen to me. That's what a wonderful thing that is see if I see my life that way. Now there's no doubt that we still fight face and deal with the suffering pain in the present and so not only do we have this look beyond you with great expectation.

But when suffering and affliction and pain come into our life. We now experience a new normal. You know that's like if you are someone you love the family member a child or sibling, spouse, you now live in a new normal or not there, you see, you may have physical affliction were now you have a new normal in your never will be what you were before. That's your new normal. But the question is, and how do you see it. How do you see this new normal. Do you see it as an obstacle or do you see it as an opportunity go with me now to second Corinthians chapter 1, second Corinthians chapter 1 verse three. The apostle Paul says this Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and then he says this, the God of all comfort, who comforts us occasionally. Then say that doesn't, who comforts us in our all our affliction and that's that would be nice. Is it because he loves us and that's great. I need to be comforted and he would say amen to that. That's true. But there's another reason, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we will be able to comfort those who are in in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ you seek when you suffer, you go through pain.

It's not simply just the idea that it's an obstacle for you to endure what the Scripture says, out of that lens. It's an opportunity for you to have you see if you are a cancer survivor.

You can minister to people who have cancer in a way that no one else can. If you're a parent who lost a small child. You can minister to someone who's lost a small child in a way no one else can. You can give them cover because you know what that feels like. This past week I read a story of a couple that had a young daughter that was only in first grade and up on Christmas Eve, she had asthma and he thought she was having a slight asthma attack and she died right there in her arms by the Christmas tree and immediately after that happen. They began the look for people who lost the child suddenly so they could minister see they could spend all of their time just saying look at sis so horrible it's so terrible. I can deal with it all. What he said was the man was giving the story and he said the hole in my heart will be there the rest of my life, but this isn't just an obstacle. This is an opportunity I know where my daughter is but this is an opportunity for me to comfort other people how to get talk like that. You see it differently. You see it you see it through the lens of Scripture rather than our natural lens which is always foggy, fuzzy and nearsighted. See, maybe that's why Philip Yancey wrote that it's an honor to be trusted with pain by God. Everything that it's an honor that God trust you with pain. Charles Spurgeon wrote over 150 years ago. God gives his most difficult assignments to his most trusted soldiers. You see, our problem is not the reality of life.

That's not our problem.

Our problem is just like with the original Hubble are lens is faulty.

We are nearsighted. God has provided a corrective lens for us and that will allow us to look beyond the circumstances that were facing right now with great expectation of a certain future that he is promised, and we can embrace a new normal, and opportunity in our life rather than an obstacle in all requires of us is the trust God is he to trust him because that's what the Scripture is it's the lens of reality. What makes the lion, the king of the jungle coming to call the king the jungle right you think of all I'm if you see them dip their big or powerful. I mean they are the predator in Africa are strong but is another thing about a Milliman prides 1218 using a pride so they hunt together, they protect their young together. She then makes them strong, but you know what makes the lion, the king of the jungle. His eyesight phenomenal eyesight Allianz eyesight. By the way, is six times greater than human beings six times now I read about it there. Their pupils are much larger than ours and then enter something I don't understand cones in and out rods and things like that in there.

They have a lot of those okay but they can really see that's a tremendous advantage that they have there something else about an unbelievable Mike vision. If you look at a picture of a lion underneath his eyes will be two white stripes right under the eyelid.

It is same as a likely thing of athletes in football players they put the black blackout on their cheeks. So get a reflection of the sun. The lion has God puts the white line under the lion's eyes so that he does get the reflection of the night sky and the moon. He can take that little bit of light and process it is eyesight is just phenomenal, which makes him in a sense, the king of the jungle. You're a follower of the King of Kings.

That's who you are, your child of God, you're a follower of the King of Kings byways giving you great power, but Paul say I can do all things through him strengthens me.

He told the church of Ephesus that the power that abuse is inside of you is resurrection power and by the way, gave us a pride we have a big pride. Jesus, our pride, what's a pride for to encourage us. You seek to help us to support us right now. Further up the state in the Baton Rouge area. There are people have tremendous need in the body of Christ.

We want to do what we can to help them were part of the pride gives us tremendous strength but there's something else he's provided us with the lens Scripture that's what we have we have this lens of Scripture. It allows us in faith to look beyond the circumstances, it allows us to live with great expectation in our life because we have a future certitude. It allows us to not just indoor the difficulties of our life, but to use and utilize the difficulties of our life to minister to others. All that's right there in God's word came to see it. The spring father.

I must confess that I think for myself often and for many of these people, we almost always see things by our default position we see in the way we've always seen them through our natural eyes were clearly nearsighted. We see life is only we can we make up our own reality. And then we react to it and find ourselves so often, not with peace but with fear, not with joy but despairing and not with hope but feeling hopeless father I know that that is not what you want for us.

You will provided the lens for us to correct our vision to allow us to see things way beyond what's right in front of us to allow us to see all the way future to an eternal life with you in the new heaven and new earth. Father I pray that as we face, especially the suffering and affliction and pain of our life that we are convicted by your spirit. Ask ourselves what lens are we looking through our natural lens of the lens that you provided Elisha in the apostle Paul proven to us that in the most difficult of circumstances, we can have complete peace not because you change the circumstances because now they see you for who you are. That's my prayer father and we see our lives the way you want us to so that we can live our lives the way we must we pray this for your glory and for our good and the name of our Savior and bathrobe. The radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember the little great website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program is not had Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make his broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his 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. 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 that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website SBC Nola.org that SBC and of LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon. You can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking for, or 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 on listening and anchoring.

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