A New Year Resolution, Part 2

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

Not at all. It can withstand the hard times. And in whatever he does, he postures. Only in America in 2020 or in the last 20 years would anyone interpret that the way a lot of American pastors do now. It means you're going to get rich. That's what God means.

That's just so sad. It doesn't mean that. It does mean your prospering relationship with God. Your life will be full of peace and joy and hope. No matter what's going on around you.

Because you're still bearing fruit. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's Word meets our world. The book of Proverbs says, As a man thinks, so he is.

And that's what happens to us. This gets into our thought process. Notice, secondly. Secondly, he says this. He said, Nor does he stand in the path of sinners. That word, stand, means a confirmed and an action. And a course or an action. He's now aligning himself with the ungodly. And that's how I live my life.

And that's how I make my choices. The word sinners are simply those who miss the mark, which is all of us who sin from that point of view. Again, this becomes epidemic.

We start taking a sinner's view or the ungodly view of life for us. Let me illustrate this. I got a text from someone this week and I'm not going to mention any names of anything, but they had pictures of four men there. And these four men are nationally known men that we would all know. And these are men that get very high, favorable rankings in the evangelical community. These are men of great power. OK. And these men have got a lot of their power because they stand for a couple of things. They stand for strong marriages.

That's what they stand for. And strong marriages of only a man and a woman. And they have very, very strong family values. And that's how we love them. Those four men have had 13 marriages and publicly were found out for at least four affairs.

These men who stand for strength in their marriage have had 13. You know what that's called in the Bible? Hypocrisy.

That's all that is. That's hypocrisy. And yet we say we admire how they stand. Why?

They don't live at all. The unbelieving world looks at us and says, you know what's wrong with you? You talk the talk. But you don't walk the walk. You see, you don't have and I don't have a platform when we live this way. I can't tell someone about the good news of Jesus Christ and how to change your life now and forever when he says your life looks exactly like mine.

You do the same things I do. And the sad part is he's right. Everybody from George Gallup to Barna who have done polls say evangelical Christians live exactly the same as their unsafe neighbors.

No different. But we talk differently. And it's hypocrisy. We end up standing with sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. What happens to us when we live this way? To sit in the seat of scoffers, we become cynics. That's what we become.

We become cynical just like that. In fact, in Proverbs, in Proverbs, chapter one, listen to what Solomon writes. Solomon says this. He says, how long on naive ones will you love being simple minded and scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge? Solomon said it's so easy to be a scoffer. It's so easy to be a cynic, but it's not the way of God. It's the way of the culture.

That's the way the culture thinks. I mean, you could turn cynicism into a TV reality show. You could anchor a news station by simply being a cynic. Just everything that you hear, you're skeptical of and figure about. When you see anything or hear anything on TV, how many of you have real trust in what they're saying?

Not many. Then we become cynical about it. And he said we start scoffing. And I think what's interesting about it, the scoff ends all the way back to God and his word. And so you even find believers today that will say things, we have to change in these areas.

This is 2020. The Bible is an old book written in old times and I don't think it means anything now. We have different views now. You do have different views now. But there aren't the views of God.

These are the views of the culture. What he calls here, the wicked, the sinners and the scoffer. He said that's the way this whole thing works. So he says true happiness does not is not found in a life that leaves God out.

It can't be. Make sure when you're making a choice, you ask yourself the question, what does God say? Not what does my colleague say, what does my neighbor say, what does God say? Now, notice, then he moves on and he says true happiness is built on God's word. Verse three, he's going to talk first about. Or verse two, first about their responsibility, he said. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law, he meditates day and night.

That's the responsibility. His delight is in the law of the Lord. The word law of the Lord is Torah is simply the Old Testament can mean specifically the law, but I think he's talking Torah, God's revelation or what we would call the Bible. Now, he says. Here's what he doesn't say, but it's his duty to look at the Bible. It's his obligation. To look at the Bible.

That won't help you. He said this is delight is in the law of the Lord. The word is delight. When I was in seminary, Howard Hendricks, who was a mentor of mine through seminary, the first year I was there, he he said this, he said, men, when you get out in the churches, you're going to find there are three classes of people in your church when it comes to the Bible. He said the first class of people that come to churches like yours are what I call castor oil Christians. OK. And his view was they hold their nose and they get a tablespoon of it and they know it's good for them.

So they just hold their nose and then go, but terrible medicine. I have to have it. So I'll take it. He said the largest group probably in your church will be oatmeal Christians. Now, he said oatmeal Christians know that oatmeal is good for them. So I have to have oatmeal for breakfast. It's good. How many of you, if you were going to list the 10 most favorite things to eat in your life that you've loved, would say I love oatmeal more than anything?

But it is good for you. So I'll do it on a regular basis if I have to. He said then there's a small minority in your church that are hot fudge Sunday Christians when it comes to the word of God. They delight in the word. You see, in so many of us in churches like this, we see the responsibility to the word, but we don't delight in it. I mean, some of us in churches like this, we have a Bible that's in the car. And then when you come in here, because you don't want to look unspiritual or on other people, you just bring your Bible in, look at it while I'm teaching, you do it. And then when you're done, you walk out, throw it in the back seat and you'll get it out next week. That's not delighting.

You see, there's no delight in that at all. In fact, he says, look, in his law, he meditates. David said the same thing.

What's that mean? Meditation on the Bible is an important thing. The idea, if I read something that God has said, I need to think about this. A lot over and over because of so many things that he says are so different than everything else I hear. He says things like on forgiveness, like turning the other cheek.

He says things that no one says out there. I have to meditate and think about that. Now, some Christians, because they have a sense of religiosity or duty, and I don't mean you can't do this in the right way, but many do it in the wrong way, they always talk about the Bible. Like, I'm going to read the Bible again this year, all the way through in one year. I've got my calendar. And then you'll see them go, well, I'm really behind on Leviticus now.

I've got to really go after for a couple of days. Look, you can read your Bible every day, one year at a time, all the way through and have no relationship when it comes to decision making with God. The Pharisees had memorized huge portions, some, all the Old Testament. When the Son of God came and stood before them, they didn't even know who he was. How could you memorize the whole Old Testament and not know who Jesus was?

Because that's all they did. They didn't meditate on it. You have to meditate on the Word of God. You have to think about the Word of God, because it's different in an awful lot of ways, especially as culture changes, it stands against the Word of God. And you're hearing all those voices from the culture and only one voice from God.

So, their responsibility is to delight. Notice then the result. He will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water. He'll be a tree, and it says firmly planted in the numeric and standard.

The word firmly is not in there. The Hebrew word actually means transplanted. He'll be like a tree that was transplanted by the water. The idea that the tree was first planted where there wasn't much water. That's our life before Christ.

Thou is transplanted by the water. And as you and I know, that's where trees grow. I can still remember flying over Texas. It's got a lot of, Texas is often what I would, a Texan described to me, especially West Texas, it's miles and miles of miles and miles.

That's pretty much what it is. But you'll notice if you look out of an airplane, you see these green lines going all along. What are those? Creeks and rivers. Where are the trees?

Creeks and rivers. That's the only place those trees are going to grow. There are mesquite trees, they're kind of a short little tree that grows in Texas. But by and large, he says that's a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.

It's an imperfect tense, yield. It means continues to yield fruit. What makes a tree continually yield fruit?

Its roots. The health of the tree comes through the roots, you see. You go to Jesus saying, I'm the vine and you're the branches.

You see, and apart from me, you can do nothing. But if you abide in me and I abide in you, you'll bear much fruit. That's what the psalmist writes here. He says, and its leaf does not wither.

A great line. When God plants the tree, it's an evergreen. It's always bearing fruit.

It's always green. When does a leaf wither in a drought? Droughts kill trees. I'd call 2020 a drought, wouldn't you? How's your tree doing?

You see, how's your life going? 2020, there's a drought there. He said, look, its leaf does not wither, not at all. It can withstand the hard times. And then it says, and in whatever he does, he prospers. Now, only in America in 2020 or in the last 20 years would anyone interpret that the way a lot of American pastors do now. It means you're going to get rich. That's what God means.

That's just so sad. But it doesn't mean that. But it does mean you'll prosper with your relationship with God. Your life will be full of peace and joy and hope, no matter what's going on around you. Because you're still bearing fruit.

You're still green-leaved. All of that is still happening with you. He said, that's the way it works. It sure reminds me when the psalmist says the same idea in a different way. He says, delight yourself in the Lord. He probably memorized this. And he will give you the desires of your heart.

It's hard to believe, but there are men out there teaching right now. That means you're going to get a whole bunch of stuff. If you delight in the Lord, he's just going to give you stuff. The truth of the matter is this. If you delight in the Lord, the stuff you're going to want is the stuff the Lord wants in your life, not the stuff that you want.

See, this isn't a get-rich-quick scheme at all. So he ends up saying here, look, you can see this as clearly as possible. Your happiness is based on God's Word. And it lasts, enduringly. Nothing can change that.

Not COVID, not anything. Many years ago, we used to go every year to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a men's retreat. And at the retreat site over there is a live oak. It is enormous live oak. It's got cables all over it because of the branches weighing so heavy, you go down to the ground.

I mean, it's enormous trunk. And there's a little plaque there that says, we've studied it, and this live oak was likely a seedling in 1492. 1492. Columbus leaves Europe, and the seedling's on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

And there it is today. How many hurricanes do you think have hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1492? I mean, we know Camille was a five. Right through the eye is where the tree is. We know what Katrina did. I mean, we know the storms. How many of those storms hit that coast since 1492? That tree's right there.

What does that tell you about the root system of that tree? You see, what a perfect example of enduring through the storms of life for all of us. He said, that's what happens.

Then he moves to the third point. True happiness is not found in a life that leaves God out. True happiness is built on God's word.

And true happiness is found in a life that takes eternity into an account. He says in verse four, the wicked are not so. The ungodly are not so. He said, but they like chaff, which the wind drives away.

They'll never hold up in the storm. Now, understand what chaff means. He's thinking of wheat being harvested in Israel. And up on the top of every little hill is where they harvest because there's a breeze up there. So they take the wheat and a winnowing fork and they throw it up in the air. When the wind blows, the wheat falls to the ground and the chaff is blown away. He said, that's the way it is with them.

With the ungodly, he said, when the wind really blows, they'll just drive them away. That happens often and it's frustrating. Have you ever wondered about so many people in our country that have achieved enormous success? Especially in entertainment, music and all that. But enormous success, worldwide recognition, tens of millions of dollars.

And we always say this about them. They died too young. How many of them died too young? How many of them died at their own hand?

How many? Just enormous. Some of the most talented people on the planet and they're dead. Apparently, all that fame and money didn't do it. It didn't make them happy. They weren't happy. They were miserable.

The wind blew and it blew the chaff away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. There's the future perspective. The ungodly will not be there. Hebrews 9 says that it's appointed once for man to die, then judgment. That's coming for everyone. I often feel very sympathetic toward them because of the judgment of God, but please understand something here. It's their choice.

That becomes a very important issue. Many years ago, I read a great quote, there were so many of them, from C.S. Lewis.

And C.S. Lewis said, when you get to heaven, you'll find it filled with people that look to God and say, Thy will be done. And he said, if you went to hell, God would look at a group of people and say, Thy will be done. You choose to live without God in this life. You've also chosen to live without God in the next. That's the point of the judgment.

That's what makes it so tragic. That's why we share the gospel with the good news of Jesus Christ. He said, For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. And what he means by perish, not annihilation, but total separation from God. So this year, when you're making a resolution, just think of Psalm 1.

True happiness is not found in a life that leaves God out. I'm begging you, don't listen to people who don't speak the word of God making choices in your life. It inevitably is wrong. In fact, I'll take that one step further.

Be careful not to, and this is very important to us, go with your gut. Jeremiah 17, 9. The heart of a man is desperately wicked. It is deceitful above all things.

That's quite a category. So can I trust my heart? No, I can't. You see, I think this is right for me. You probably do, but it won't be. See, the question is, what did God say? What has God said? How did God say I should handle this? What choice should I make from God's point of view? If you want to be happy, that's the choice you have to make. Secondly, true happiness is built on God's word. You have to meditate. You have to think about it.

You have to think, has God spoken on this issue? And if you delighted in the word and spent enough time in it, you'd be amazed that God's word speaks to almost every issue of life. And lastly, true happiness is found in a life that takes eternity into account.

You and I are spiritual beings. You're going to live forever. Every human being is going to live forever. Now, I don't know how long you're going to live here. You might live 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and rarely 100 years. But how does that compare to forever? Is it a millisecond?

Nanosecond? I mean, you and I are going to live a long, long time. And the choices you make here have an effect on all of that. You have to see your life, not just the temporal thing, but from the eternal point of view. When we choose to live only according to God's word, the consequences will be interesting. You'll be stable, peaceful, joyful, hopeful, and happy. That's what God says, how happy you'll be. But if you choose to live otherwise, you listen to the counsel of the ungodly. You stand with them. You sit there and become cynical about life.

If you do that, I can tell you this. 2021 is going to be exactly like 2020, 2019, 2018. The choice is yours. Let's pray. Father, I simply pray for these people to ask themselves the question, when I am making important decisions in my life, who do I listen to? What do I listen to? Am I trusting my heart?

Am I trusting my friend? Or am I trusting my God? What a difference this makes, Father, for each and every one of us. And you tell us over and over again that the path to peace and joy and hope, the stability and purpose and meaning in our lives, comes from listening to the God who loves us. Father, that's my prayer for each and every one of us.

In Jesus' name, amen. You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the Radio Ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts, or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called OnePlace.com. That's OnePlace.com, and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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