Running Out Of Gas

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ we have a tendency to run out.

I guess is why when I get forgot about on one thing about this joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill go for now is once again he shows us how God's word are past several weeks have been taking another pandemic is not the risk of getting covert, 19, not the civil unrest is not the sagging economy. The only way I can describe how I felt his arm running out of gas. That's I felt like. And for me it's a perfect picture. The idea for me of laying out a gas is an assault on my maleness and assault on my humanity.

One thing I always filed you never want to run out of gas. As far as I know my wife may correct me. I never ran out. I never carried a gas can, to a gas station but this I know the only way that you can prevent from running out of gas is get gas is the only way it won't matter how much pity you have for yourself.

Doesn't matter how much complaining you do, it won't even matter if you're denying it or not — but somewhere along the line I began to feel that I was a sort of running out of gas. You know, and I thought about it I thought many of you must've felt exactly the same way. This is a marathon for all of us with no finish line incited all I mean the questions, you know, like how long or how bad would get theirs were no closer answers today when we were we first heard about all the circumstances, it's all the same. So as I look at Scripture. I find examples of people there that ran out to get and I also found in Scriptures, where God said book okay exactly where the gas stations are, and what he can get the gas so that's what I want to look at this morning I want to talk about. For some men who ran out of gas Mark chapter 6 and verse 30. The disciples Mark Wright since the apostles gathered together with Jesus and they report him all that they had done and taught and then Jesus said to them, we buy yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while not understand this, the disciple said were exhausted. We want to tell you everything. It happened in Jesus offer some gas. Jesus is not just this go away to a secluded place to be able to rest or get some gas but didn't turn out that way. This is there are many people coming and going. They do not even have time to eat their overwhelmed and they went away in a boat to a secluded place by themselves and the people saw them going and many recognize them any ran there together on foot from all the cities and they got there had so the secluded place and were going to go to in the boat they never got to wasn't secluded by the time I got to the crimes of their when Jesus went ashore, he saw a large crowd and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach of many things and it was already quite late in the disciples come to Jesus. Now this is kind of a really interesting thing there exhausted there.

I guess this is get a committee and let's go talk to.

I wanted to see what they're really saying to him that that's really just what the words are the very first thing that happens is this a said this, please is desolate about this, who picked this place. Secondly, they said is quite late.

Somebody has been teaching too long, referring to Jesus and then they said send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages, and buy something for themselves.

The next moment they're telling Jesus what to do but get a committee to get rich.

Tell Jesus who picked this place has been teaching so why don't you just send them away and let them get their own food. You gotta love the Lord's answer. You give them something went right where I gas were exhausted.

We haven't even eaten. Cannot you tell us to do it. There's thousands of people here in Jesus just says, that doesn't seem to help us all fact that's why I'm on a gas ministry is making me go.

I guess that's what they're saying about a gas here's what's interesting about. I think with me and probably with you, and certainly with them.

They should know better. This is the Lord Jesus Christ. They saw the water turned away.

They saw the boats filled with fish they saw a man walk on water. They saw a little girl little boy raising the dead sea they saw all of this, the adequacy of Jesus Christ was overwhelming to them. And yet, because a kind about a gas there exasperated just like us. And I certainly know me what is going on in my life for my early 20s, mid 20s when I came a Christian God's hand in my life is been so evident in so many ways for so long and now I find where my going to do how mega leaders church where we the house is going to happen. I don't have answers Jesus like him right here is the point we have a tendency, we would run out of gas.

We remember the circumstances and we forget the greatness of our God. That's what they ended up doing.

That's why I ran. I guess I forgot about that just forgot about on one thing about with the circumstances. So God's roof started leading me to some versus the want to go to is the book of Ephesians verse 20 of Ephesians 3, Paul writes this not to him who was able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. You don't mind upgrading that had put in a minute, then look at the words that he chooses now to him who is able to stop there to do far more abundantly beyond scope for different things. He describes here. It's far it's more it's abundantly, it's beyond any said it's beyond all that we can ask or think. So how much gas can God provide peace of what I can tell you this. It's far more abundantly beyond anything you could think it's very different one of us according to the power that works within us, to him be the glory and amazing thing.

Second Corinthians chapter 9 right here in this giving section pulses of a very interesting verse eight he says this and God is able to make all grace abound to you know he didn't say God is able to give you some grace and say that he said God is able to make all grace how much braces are made, how much grace is there all grace, God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that there's a reason God makes all grace abound to you so that always having all sufficiency in everything what is again the superlatives so that always that should've been enough to limit always having all sufficiency in everything. Sounds like it's covered as much is something to be covered. It's an infinite amount of gas cuts as I got an infinite amount of gas for you. That's what it means all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything you have an abundance for every good deed you have more gas than you need to go anywhere you need to going to do anything you need to do because it all comes from God giving all of it everything you can imagine, you can think you can imagine it I'm given it to you and notice he says for the end that you have an abundance for every good deed, she gets very difficult as you read these verses to keep thinking you know I think of when I gas I think that's the case at all from the Lord's point of view.

See, that's not it at all book of Jude verse 24 verse 24 now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and majesty, dominion and authority before all time now and forever.

Amen to him is due able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in his presence of his glory blameless with great joy. He said this what God can do to the provision that God has for all of us including myself and for you is the same. It's almost beyond belief.

You have infinite gas and yet we spend time thinking you know I'm I just feel like I'm kind of running out here. I just don't think I have anything more because our eyes on the circumstances and on the greatness of God. There's something going on that we don't do very well here goes me now.

The book of Isaiah chapter 26 this verse. Verse three is spoken to individuals.

Isaiah is talking about the kingdom and then he says in verse three the steadfast of mind, you will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in you trust in the Lord forever for any God, the Lord, we have an everlasting rock. This is written to encourage the individual he starts out by saying the steadfast, the Hebrew word there for steadfast means one who leans on or rest on for support. He says the steadfast the mind that person has the kind of mind that leans on God goes to God for support.

The steadfast of mine and the word mind. There is interesting it doesn't mean mind away a normal word would be for mine it means the verb means to frame so you could say your frame of mind you have ever frame of mind that leans on God for support. He said to that person. The steadfast of mind.

He says you will keep not you might keep you should keep your snow once a person has that steadfast frame of mind that leans on me and I will keep them and in your Bible says in perfect peace, but the Hebrew doesn't. The translators thought it would be a better way to go but the words are there in Hebrew are shalom shalom when the Hebrew wanted to make an emphasis they repeated the word so shalom shalom is peace. Peace. The translators go to perfect peace.

So he says that someone emphasizing so if you have the kind of frame of mind that leans on God. You see, that's what you saying God will give you peace, peace, perfect peace, perfect contentment is I'll give it to you.

I will do this but you have to have the frame of mind that leans on me because as I can do this, he says, look what it takes, though, because he trusts in you by talk in Hebrew by talk means to rely on UI on God's are to be perfect peace is if you rely on God your gas tank full. You rely on me to see this.

Also, the old New Testament, the same thing you just trust in me, you rely on me and this is the way it's going to go God says I will keep your tankful for how long. For as long as your I will keep so what are we doing we started I guy just to my tanks going empty.

I'm remembering the circumstances and forgetting the greatness of God. This is a perfect point of our enemy who does this to us, but God says using the analogy I will keep your tankful to me now to Isaiah 40 in verse 28 Isaiah again speaking to this. Do you not know have you not heard. Maybe I could say this way are you so dense you don't remember the truth.

That's what the prophet is saying do not know.

Have you not heard.

Wait a minute. This is Christianity 101 or believer 101 of the Old Testament you not know this to be true do not know.

Have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable translation. God never runs out of gas. He never slacks often is energy.

He's never negligent about anything. He never gets weary. He never gets tired.

His understanding of our situation, the prophet says it's inscrutable. In other words, God knows my situation infinitely better than I do and he knows yours the same way gotchas I got this. Don't you know this. Have you not heard this I just love the way. Isaiah says it he says let me tell you, tell me again what I mean.

He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might he increases power notices do is I know human beings get weary, but I'll give you strength I'll give you strength, and I'll give you power is the best way this work may says though use grow weary and tired, and a bigger young men may stumble badly, the power, I'm talking about is not the power of youth's nonphysical power. The power gotchas him to give is not like boy I wish I was 20. Again, you see, I wish I had that strength and vitality, gotchas, and that's nothing like the power on God then says this yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles they want to not get tired and they will walk and not he says become weary all these are great versus but there's a catch in it and we often miss. Yet those in verse 31, who wait there is.

I'm waiting for the Lord to make this set of circumstances better.

I'm waiting for the Lord to have meaningful interaction in our nation, our world. I'm waiting for the Lord to put my marriage back together. I'm waiting for the Lord to get me a better job. I'm waiting for the Lord see him waiting, God loves to make us wait because the only way you can wait, is that you trust the measure of all faith is how much trust you have what I have all kinds of faith located see how long you wait to see how long you wait Abraham and Sarah want to wait 25 years for you baby. No, no, and when we delegate you want to wait 10 more years before you get married. No, that we don't want to wait for almost anything.

I want to wait but I have to wait when you read James in the New Testament James is considered all joy, my brother. When various trials come upon you and he said because trials produce endurance.

It's endurance and endurance means your face growing so my faith grows in trials because I have to wait for the Lord and I learned endurance when you read the book of Hebrews chapter 11 we call the Hall of Fame of faith.

Everyone is used in their is inner because they waited. Some of them waited and got a great resolve at the end here on earth.

Others of them waited and got nothing here on earth. They got their great result when they went to heaven, but they all waited, waiting becomes a way of proving to myself and to God that I trust them that wait upon the Lord will gain new strength. You see, in the midst of all this while waiting I may not have the result yet, but I have strength now uses your mount up with wings like eagles. That verse means more to me than it ever has to simply because here in Metairie over the last few years. We had a bald eagle nest that that my wife and I have driven by almost every day that they are in the nest that babies, each of the last couple years when you want an eagle flying you're watching some fly using a bald eagle flying a site while that is again this way you'll be sore above it all.

He said you'll gain new strength will mount up with wings like eagles you want and not get tired walking never become weary. Is that true can this work that way. One last for someone to go to is second Timothy chapter 4 in the New Testament in verse one of chapter 4 Paul says this I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is the judge of the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. Let me paraphrase it. Timothy, keep your tankful to see you gotta keep your tankful. I want you to preach the word, but I want to be ready in season and out of season. I want you to reprove with the word rebuke with it, exhort with great patience and instruction. All those are challenging in ministry don't want to insult anybody but there's a reason that God calls us all sheep.

Sheep just don't get it very often and so consequently if you give your life to be in an under shepherd sheep. It can be exasperating and when it is what you want to do God whenever pity party.

I think I'm running out of gas and you need someone younger. I mean assist all the things we say in order to make this happen anyway. He goes on then and he says look Timothy, the circumstances are not can ever be great for you. Watch for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires will turn away their ears from the truth and it will turn aside to myths. Timothy listen to get easier. This is going to get harder and a lot of good contemporary preachers and theologians believe these verses have great application or day whole congregations of people work assimilating for themselves. Someone would tickle their ears, someone will tell them exactly what they want to hear it doesn't matter how long Scripture. What is is what we want to hear is happening all over the country and literally all over the world pulse of the timid. It doesn't change your responsibility. All you responsibilities the same good to be ready in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, exhorting with great patience and instruction preach the word Timothy to Jeff that you he said verse five.

But you be sober in all things. You endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, you hard words stay at it, don't start talking to me about him to your gas tank don't have that option.

That was interesting is the next word is verse six. The word is for the great word great. That's an explanatory gar in Greek. Let me explain Timothy something to you and me illustrate something to you for that's explaining to verse five to Timothy.

I am already being poured out as a drink offering the time of my departure has come when a way to say it didn't execute me.

Timothy, this is the end of the line for me visibly it then these words I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I've kept the faith. My gas tank is full. That's what Paul was saying my gas tank is full. I think of the hardships the man's been through. Just think of this, he walked thousands and thousands of miles he's walked he's an old man and not a Nikes. I mean he doesn't have the same kind of shoe where anything we have. He wanted all. Everywhere he went he was hated so we went to another town.

The Jews immediately hated him and he began to persecute them as soon as they could and if they did, sometimes a beaten with rods and sometimes at one time they stoned him and left him for dead. I maybe got on a boat and about suck. They got bit by a poisonous snake.

Then he had some was so bad that he entreated the Lord three times a let take this from his thorn in the flesh.

It made his life so uncomfortable and God said no Paul when you're weak I'm strong. So Paul said okay I'll keep it to just imagine this old man who was walk all over the world. Is he gone to unbelievable difficulty, all of which he called momentary light afflictions. He said look I fought the good fight, I finished the course, I've kept the faith. My gas tank is full. When wonderful thing is possible for all of us matter how or how young or how tired you are. What ends up happening as we remember the difficulty of the circumstance and we forget the greatness of God, and God says look what I want to give you my greatness is more than you can imagine more than you could ever think it's way beyond its beyond abundantly. He said I want to give it all you you'll never have to worry about being out of gas. I'll provide at your whole life and like Paul, when you finish the course. I'll bring you home that's what I'm going through the word of God. This past week. I'm in good company.

A lot of us run out of gas. But I realize that I focused on the circumstances instead of the greatness of my God. God is provided more gas than I'll ever need. It's all there for me. I need to patiently trust him and continually lean on him and I will never run out of gas until my prayer. I have fun.

The good fight, I have finished the course pastoral gift card on the radio ministry of fellowship in the if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listen 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 in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask 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 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 at Fellowship Bible church 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 to find sermon series you're looking you can search by title. Once you find the messenger looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org for pastoral gift card. I'm Jason Gebhardt. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order