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March 21, 2022 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ you have to do is get it started, and God will take care of the rest cemented the Christian life is not a hard life is a supernatural life apart from Christ, you can do nothing for joining us today on this additional fellowship in the work of 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 meets our world.
There was a couple many years ago, and fans of Broadway show and that was my fair Lady boy they really want to see what they do is offer tickets, but they find out when they set off tickets will be almost a year before they could get tickets to the performance I said, well, that's okay. I mean, this is my fair Lady so they sent off the tickets many months passed by the tickets and came due for the time for them to go to New York to get on a plane and fly to New York get into a really first-class hotel and I go to Broadway and AC my fair Lady, watching my fair Lady.
Of course you just the thing in a small wonderful thing there in the center section 7's role in the middle right near the orchestra. It's just great man's looking around in every seat in the place is taken as it is for every performance except the seat right next to him simply so he sitting there wondering about that as time was on the first act and comes down sitting there at this little time of a break or pause. He's wondering I would seek one the best seats in the house be empty to liens across the embassy to the woman sitting on the side of it and says I am beginning to understand why the seat would be empty.
Why would anybody buy a ticket to this show as hard as it is to get the not come or send somebody else in their place, and she says well I know the story of this eco-missing belongs to me is in Georgia will have some sort of. She said this was to be my husband seat. All she said and he died.
He said to her. He said all I am so sorry to hear about that he thought about mumbling back of the seat. He said, but I understand he said this is such an tremendously heartsick to get. I want you just give this either one of your friends took him so why would she said with all the funeral home and always make time for what's important to us always. That's what happens when we become apathetic. CS Lewis says, put first things first and you get second things thrown in. Second things first.
Includes both first and second things is right asking this question.
What are your priorities don't answer yourself. July's especially in church, God is my first priority that my family as somebody who knows you well ask your spouse. Ask a child as a friend to based on what you see in my life as a priority in my life be amazed what you hear what you think about knowing your net twilight zone. Some of your and right now you know when you're just sitting in a car. Stan and Eunice are staring into infinity and your thinking I'm assuming this thinking going on there.
But when you're thinking what you think about what goes on in your head what one of the thoughts you have, what fills your thoughts up in the day when you talk about when you walk up to somebody or offenders. What's the first thing you want something you enjoy so much as much passion talking about to tell you what were your hardest. I remember when I was at Dallas seminary non-smoking teaching classes to get so upset with us because you know we just had this we always had this cadaver thing going for should know you know you pretty much get up in class. You see a guy say no open your Bibles to Matthew 415 today will be looking at Jesus as he is a prelude to the sermon on the Mount. This was written, and it would just going to Dawson again. It was great. Prof. he said what is wrong with you guys.
He said I was just down the hallway coming to this class and the same guys were doing that from the pulpit were talking about the Cowboys. The cowboy game the day before and he said and they got all this enthusiasm and passion. Arms are failing. He said they got all this energy and they come in here and bring to class and to stand and stare at us and preach. He said you know what the problem is guys get more passion for the Cowboys you do for God. He was right. It was white because you are passionate about. You want to talk about what are your priorities apathetic to God. Apathy seems reasonable to us. This can get around to it right now maybe later I think I for myself and have my own responsibility got my own paneling to do here.
Take care my house here seems reasonable are apathy not only seems reasonable to us. But secondly, our apathy has consequences see in verse six he says them you love so much, but harvest little weak but there's not enough to be satisfied you drink, but there's not enough to become drunk people, including but not enough to warm yourself and Hugh Burns earns wages and puts it into a purse with holes. Verse nine. Look for much behold it comes to little when you bring it home. I blow it away. Why, declares the Lord of hosts because my house which lies desolate. While each of you runs to his own house. Therefore, he says, because of you the sky is withheld, it's doing the earth is without its produce may call for a drive in the land on the mountains, on the grain on the new wine on the oil and on the ground on what the ground produces, on men and cattle and all the labor of your hands. Apathy has consequences. God withheld his blessings from them do it from you and for me will hold it was trying to wake them up. He didn't on national level that was dropped and that's huge for them thrusts as a culture we watch Wall Street was the investments. The stock market. We want to know if it's crashing a not all kinds of things are important to us. Words like recession scare us a word like depression terrifies us, but not them. It and looked Wall Street they look to the sky in a cultural society they live or die based on the rain when there's no rain, no prosperity, God said, I turned the rain off that I did that and I was on a national level innocent suffering with the guilty but on a personal level. He says, notice what you have in your life.
He says you look for much but behold it comes a little when you bring it home to like your paycheck is is you you you harvest but there's little to eat yourself.
You're never warm enough more you work behind her.
You get about us treats a little differently than that is the same thing. You see, God promised Israel that if they went into the land. They were faithful God they would go into a land that flowed with milk and honey to be phenomenal national blessing for them. They were faithful to God apathetic to God because of apathetic the Gotti withheld the kind of blessing Jesus promised us to give us life and he says and I'll give it to you abundantly. A life that's marked with happiness and satisfaction and joy and peace and hope. He says that's why I'm going to give you that life I'm telling you, if you're apathetic to God not getting it right now. You're not satisfied your life feels like it's in a spiritual drought. Things are going as wonderfully as you would hope you find yourself despairing.
See, we just seem to fall short of these kind of things.
I don't think we often think that the reason for that is where apathetic to God. I want to notice that in this whole book he doesn't tell them that their terrible idol worshipers.
Israel did that at times he doesn't say there is some kind of gross immorality. Israel did that plenty of times he saying that their only problem is is that there spiritually apathetic to God and probe preoccupied with themselves because of it. Their life is not what they thought it should be, and neither will yours be that way apathetic to God withholds blessing not there is no peace but to some fear there is no hope of despair.
There's no joy canvas Harley filling what Jesus offered us was so different than it William Ward said real happiness is more of a habit than a bowl more of an attitude than entertainment, is the companion of cheerfulness, not the creature of circumstances. Happiness is what overtakes us when we forget ourselves when we learn to open our eyes and optimism and close the door in the face of defeat. We went happiness when we lose our self in service to others. As I say over and over again. Happiness is giving yourself away because that's God's will for you is to give yourself away to down set a happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes is running matter what's going on. We are the people actually this is amazing were actually will be able to attract unbelievers to us because were so giddy happy they should be drawn to us because they see this overflowing joy that we have. We don't have it. I wonder for being apathetic to God or not overnight said joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts, announcing the king is in residence today that great that someone see someone you did anything mentor must be the king is in residence today in her heart is a joy is overflowing apathy to us seems reasonable but has tremendous consequences in our life we never get out of the life we want what God has for us. I'm hoping that the lovely depressed you I would leave that way the word of God never leaves that way is kinda depressing that our apathy seems reasonable to us. Almost all of us are apathetic.
Apathy has its consequences, of which most of us are experiencing something else. This chapter is wonderful. Our apathy is curable and great our apathy is curable versus seven and eight. Thus says the Lord. In verse seven. Consider your ways verse five now therefore, says the Lord of hosts.
Consider your ways best translation and wish I could come up with. Think about it. I think that's what he say think about it.
Think about life. Think about you think about God.
Think about it. Consider your ways so you start curing apathy. Consider your ways. You must repent your thinking you have to think differently.
That's the trap of apathy, Celexa dates this we just start sinking hundred is a stop and rethink this now.
What's he saying Israel to Judah. This time was he saying to them sing. Consider your ways and stop for a moment and think of all the people on earth, whose people you all were your people call the people you're just big, are descended from so many others was your father Abraham to do with Abram. I gave a covenant now was a covenant that would says you can be our God will be your people and this is can be our land. When I get a Palestinian coming to give the Mosaic covenant give David the great King a covenant to my people under God thought about that to be my people wouldn't do anything you did it all. We inherited their give a clear direction all yeah but told what to do all yes that's a what not to do. Maybe I did that to anything do if you didn't do what you want supposed to do that. I have a way of helping you get through that the sacrifices we did all that well always figured out I got a pretty well figured out will think about it now about us without Jesus Christ where you headed is a lake of fire. We call it hell's separation from God. It's a terrible place that Jesus said is a place he said were the warm distance.
It never dies its place of eternal torment. The horrible placement separated from God. But you're not going there. If you know Christ are going to another place is better than this infinitely better and he says not only that, but I can assure you going to go there because I'm going first go and prepare a place for you to where I am doing the also want gone. He said I'll bring my spirit into you, so you always know that it's a down payment or pledge what's to come. She could have my Holy Spirit cancel the strength of that spirit you can do all things through him strengthens you. I give you my word so that he can even guide your life on the basis of my word. I will give each of you give so you can all together, have much greater strength you would individually like a human body fit together.
I will give you mentally future but I'll give you your present give you peace beyond all understanding, shall give you hope when everyone despairs shall give it to all base, all the work that I do or the Christ is at the cross.
All you have to do is believe me, think about it you think about all that God is done for you and all that God's going to do for you all the Christ is done for you and all the places going to do for you, don't you think that just maybe he should be number one in your life. Just maybe he should be the one you live for and become apathetic about him was given us everything is policy fees and season… With every heavenly blessing is given us everything we can back apathy. That's why said, consider your ways. Think about it. Repent in way you think, been in verse eight. Thought is always followed by action. Notice the clarity go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple could be clearer than that could be clearer than that. He says that's what I want to do. That's what I want to do in the beginning, go up to the mountains bring the Lord build the temple as the result of that, but I may be pleased with it and glorified, says the Lord. That is so wonderful. We have to change our priorities as we sing at the rethink your thinking, repent of your thinking and then you have to change your priorities. You see, if you're a Jew right now your Jerusalem was a number one priority in your life. Go up the mountain. Bring the wood to build the temple got to say make me your number one priority and I will be pleased and I will be glorified in the inference is clear and you will be blessed, wonderful thing is just as clear to us, go and make disciples of all the people baptizing them and teaching them see the same idea. It's the commission of the church. It's our great commission mother so you must keep the main thing the main thing it's real simple. What he wants from us and gives us everything we need God. Once you spend time as word got want to spend time with his people. God wants you to impact the culture.
God want you to go certain places he want you not to go other places. I want you to do certain things he doesn't want you to do other things. It's real clear and the word of God what he wants from you. What he doesn't is the word of God is. It's his revelation. This is what I want, I'll be pleased. I'll be glorified you will be blessed the very things were looking for. We find abundant life was keeping us all over sinking yes open rebellion can false worship can belt a what apathy can do more than any of those we just become apathetic, and they became more apathetic after 18 years of past and the longer you are Christian, the more vulnerable you are to apathy is an amazing thing to see why become apathetic just become apathetic just go through it as though the one through some kind of did ritual because they've lost their love their passion can be renewed.
All they have to do is think about it and make change your priorities and make God the priority seating requires what we would call repentance to be changing the way you live and change the way you think going the other direction. I'm not real repentance. A true change the way you think and live by half repentance that the kind of dear IRS is $550. I still can't sleep us on the rest. That's not real repentance.
Okay, that's we do often with God. I give him a little more than I'm giving you a little more than you're giving want to be first evaluates not hard when he first Jesus said take my yoke upon you, my yoke is light light so slight because all pull along with you. It's like it's not so hard to make God number one we get back. I cleverly got to change my mate got number one in my life know you won't only be better. Our apathy is curable by repenting of our thinking and changing our priorities, but is really getting to verse 12 then Zerubbabel the son of sheltie on Joshua the son of Jehoshaphat the high priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God in the words of Haggai the prophet as their God, and God sent him and the people shall reverence for God.
Verse 14 so the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Hyogo, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehoshaphat the high priest in the spirit of all the remnant of the people and they came and they worked on the house of the Lord of hosts there God on the 24th day of the sixth month of the second year, he says Darius was king 23 days later it changed is doing is a wonderful thing and it was easy to see there's one thing I'm leaving out it doesn't just require you to have a change in your attitude. Rethink your thinking about what God should mean to you and your priorities, but verse 13 then Haggai.
The messenger of the Lord spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people and said what I am with you Stephen St. I am pleased to get to. All you have to do is get it started, and God will take care of the rest.
See that the Christian life is not a hard life is a supernatural life apart from Christ, you can do nothing with Christ you can do all things. The point is he doesn't work using living the Christian life is just like getting in the Christian life you get in by grace and grace alone, you live by grace and grace all its God at work. I am with you. He said I'll do it, but you have to allow me you have to make me number one your will. Has to your will has to bow to me and say go ahead.
Lord take it. Let's do it together. God wants is he he is pleasing, glorified, and we are blessed and he is with us. I am with you, declares the Lord, what your excuse for not being all that you can be in Christ, we use an excuse. Amazing what I hear.
I grew up in a Christian home in the Depaul to have a really bad background. David did a lot of things seems a shame I don't have the kind of people around me to really help me according to the word of God. You have the body of Christ to help you. I don't know exactly what I should be doing well. He says it is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. I don't have the strength of the fortitude to make it. He said I give you my spirit once excuse Michael Ring says an excuse has been defined as the skin of reason stuff July missing a lie is I don't think I'll ever get off the dime is a lie. I don't think I can ever really do all these things. That's a lie. Sounds reasonable is not true. One thing that may be for stopping you from more than anything else in your Christian life is not terrible over sin is not the worshiping idols is to become apathetic to God just become apathetic. It's dangerous and it's reasonable to us but has incredible consequences in her life.
What Haggai's is saying is normally is a good consequences. But that did curable. That's what requires and all that that requires is Lord on their rethink it every day and when I wake up and think about what you've done for me what you're doing for me and what you will do for me and that the best I can. Your first in my life. First last. I answer the point. I go will be amazed.
The amount of joy and happiness and blessing the confluence your life: out of the bathroom on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you 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 to Fellowship in the Word online event website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our 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.
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