I Am A Perpetual Optimist! - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. of your faith. What? God says, yeah, you see, what God does, he said, I can't even tempt someone to evil or to bad.

I can't even do that. But I can tell you, every terrible trial that comes into your life from God's point of view, is what? Test. What's he testing? My faith. He's testing my faith.

With everything that's terrible, it happens. You see, and the test is simply this. Do you trust me or not? You see, do you trust me or not? God's Word meets our world. You see, it's all his work.

Nothing will ever separate me from the love of God. That's what it means. That means my fate and yours is written in stone.

And it has to be. He chose me before the foundation of the world. In fact, he will use everything in my life and yours to work for the good. What?

Yeah. He said, everything that happens in your life, I'll turn it for the good. Now that's hard for us to see, but look what he says in Romans 8 28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good. For who?

To those who love God, to those called according to his purpose. He said, I'll take every single bad experience, turn it for good. Now I will say this. The timing of that is something we often never know. Sometimes we see the good in something that we thought was bad soon. Sometimes much later. Sometimes I don't think we'll see that till we're with the Lord. He didn't say when, but he said, I will. I'll turn everything that you have that's bad for good. That's what I'll do for you. He said, there'll be nothing that'll fall outside of that.

It's an amazing thing. Now, he does give us a hint though, how he does that now and show some goodness in our difficult experiences. Go with me to James chapter one, James chapter one and verse two. James one verse two says this, consider it all joy, my brethren, when your life stinks.

That's what he says. So when you encounter various trials, and by the way, you will encounter various trials. You will find pain and suffering part of living. And you know why? You're a sinner. Everyone you know is a sinner and the planet is cursed.

Okay, you know what that means? Horrible things happen. They've happened since the garden. They're going to happen till he comes back. They're going to happen. Horrible, terrible things are going to happen.

He calls them trials. You see, that's what's going to happen. So expect that. He said, that's just the way it's going to be. But notice, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith. What? God says, yeah, you see, what God does, he said, I can't even tempt someone to evil or to bad.

I can't even do that. But I can tell you every terrible trial that comes into your life from God's point of view is what? A test. What's he testing? My faith. He's testing my faith.

With everything, it's terrible what happens. You see, and the test is simply this. Do you trust me or not?

You see, do you trust me or not? That's the test. And see, often we need to be tested, not so that God knows where we are spiritually, but so we know where we are spiritually. And so when you go through really hard things, it's so easy to fail the test.

I mean, you could just see how difficult this would be for us. Even people close to, look, the disciples are out on the lake, right? Big storm comes up and what do they do? They wake Jesus up and say, don't you care that we're perishing?

That's an F. You see, and what do you say? Be still, you men of little faith. You see, I told you we're going to the other shore.

That means we're going. I'm God. And you started panicking because you saw the wind and the waves. You didn't trust me.

You see, it happens to us all the time. And the test has a profound effect on us. Watch. Knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. By the way, what do you need to live as a sinner in a cursed world?

Endurance. That's what you need. I mean, we need it for all.

Just how about this? What do you need to be a good parent? Yeah. Relentless endurance.

That's what it takes. And he says it'll create endurance and let endurance have its perfect result. That you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. That word complete, teleos, means mature. So what happens in trials? If I trust the Lord, what happens to me?

I'm mature. I become more conformed to the image of Christ. You see, when everything's going great in my life and I'm perfectly healthy, we have all the money, everybody is doing so well. Even an unbeliever's happy, for sure. But if you have that kind of joy in the midst of trials, you're starting to be a little bit like the Lord. Remember the writer of Hebrews said in chapter 12, why did Jesus endure the cross? For the joy set before him. Wasn't it agonizing? Yes.

Beyond belief. But he said, there's a joy for me. You see, that's the example. So he says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God. So he says, even if you need help through this, just ask me.

Now watch. Who gives to all generously without reproach? It'll be given to you.

Here's the but. But he must ask in faith without any doubting. For the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. I can't ask him doubting. Most of us, when we're begging the Lord to help us, are doubting. That's what we're doing.

We're doubting. The whole idea is, I just don't know what I'm going to do. Look how bad this is. Lord, you have to understand this is a terrible situation. This is a terrible diagnosis. This is a terrible economic situation. This is a bad relationship that I'm having now.

It's destroying my life. That's what we talk about. We doubt. Then we don't get the wisdom. You see, that's the way this works. Can it work any other way?

Yes. Remember early on in the book of Job? How does life go? What kind of trial did he have? One that's unimaginable to any of us. I think Job suffered more in this life than everyone in this room combined together.

Ten children dead. I mean, everything that happened to him. And what did he say? Even if he slays me, I will trust him. You say that? You see, that's what faith does.

Why? All things work together for my good. I can do all things through him that strengthens me. Why wouldn't I say that? We hear Job say it and say, that guy's like a freak of nature. That guy's so weird.

How could anyone do that? Because he trusts the Lord. You see, that was a test. The whole book is a test for Job. Was it hard for him?

Unbelievably so. And remember, his only weakness was, I'd just like to have an audience before the Lord and ask why this happened. That was his weakness. So God came out of the whirlwind and never told him why, but just blistered him. Where were you when I created the world, Job? I don't remember you there. Who are you to question me? What did Job do?

He repented in sackcloth and ashes. I was wrong, he said. I was completely wrong. It's a great book to understand that fact. But the point of it is, is that you see this, the way this thing works, it works to grow our faith.

That's just the way this whole thing works. He also, in the sense of Romans, after he had done this, you see the kind of thing that was able to do. Paul says this, Romans 8 18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is revealed to me, to us. Is Paul suffering? Disowned by all his Jewish friends and family. Beaten with rods, stoned enough for dead, snake bit, shipwrecked, just unbelievable.

And the fact that a 60 some year old man walked three or 4000 miles in difficult terrain would be bad enough from my point of view. You say, Paul, how do you do a lot of suffering? I compare it to what's mine. I'll be fine. You see, that's what faith inevitably does.

The seventh thing is this. He promised me that even my death will be a good thing. I wish we all understood that. Even my death will be a good thing. That's why we sing this song.

The last days of my life will be the last day of my life will be the best day of my life. And you know why we sing it? Because it's true. Whether you believe it or not, it's true.

You see, that's the way it is. Remember Psalm 23? David's Psalm, Lord is my shepherd. And he says, I go through the valley of the shadow of death. What? I won't be afraid. Why?

You're with me. Now you say, oh, David wasn't afraid to die. David would say to you, I would be afraid to really die, but I'm not dying. I just go through the valley of the shadow of death. Not death. You see, one of the things you read in the scripture over and over again, every time a believer, every single time that you have a believer who dies, what's the Bible say about him? He sleeps.

You see why? You won't die. You can't die. I can't die. Paul said to the Corinthians, I'll be absent from the body in what? Home with the Lord, present with the Lord. That's what happens when I die. And by the way, and there's no middle ground. There's no purgatory for me or for you.

That's a man invention. Just put fear in people's hearts, I believe. But the point of it is, what did Jesus say to the thief and the cross? This day. What?

He'll be with me in paradise. You notice what he didn't say. Ten thousand years from now, with enough money given, candles burnt, and prayers, you might get out. That's ridiculous.

It's just utterly ridiculous. He said, this day. Paul said, I'm absent from the body. I'm present with the Lord.

Because that's who I am. Now, this tent, you see, this tent of mine is a tent of my flesh. It has a residual problem that it won't enter the eternal state. You see, it won't enter the eternal state.

Why? It's a sin. Go with me now to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Now, notice what Paul writes to the Corinthians. 51, verse 51.

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we'll all be changed. Now, this is talking about the second coming of the rapture. We might not be asleep, our body, but we're all going to change.

If the rapture occurs right now, I'm going to be with the Lord, and so are you. But my body won't be. Not this body.

This body's got to be changed. He then goes on, in a moment, a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, this mortal must put on immortality. But when the perishable will put on the imperishable, and this mortal will put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. There's no sting in my death. Only victory.

That's the way it is. You see, Jesus goes out of His way to let us know that there's nothing to fear here. I want you to think of the eternal state. Are any of our bodies going to be in the eternal state? No. They're sinful. Is this world going to be in the eternal state?

Nope. New heaven, new earth. Why? This world's cursed. So this world and these bodies will never make it to the eternal state. But you and I will make it, and there'll be a new heaven, a new earth. He says, I've got this.

I'm going to do this for you. Even your death will be a good thing. Then, number eight, He's prepared a forever place for me.

Do you remember John 14? Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places.

If it were not so, I would have told you. And I'm going to go, and I'm going to prepare a place for you, so that where I am, you will be also. And then I will come and receive you to myself.

You know what that means? I've got reservations. I don't have to worry about my room.

The room is prepared. You see, for you and me, I've got this. Once again, I've got this. I've got a place for you, and I've made it for you. I will go and make a place for you.

What an amazing thought that is. You and I have our own place in heaven, because the Lord is the one who's going to make it. Go with me to 1 Peter, chapter 1, for number nine. And Peter writes this, beginning in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again, he said, to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled.

It will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith, for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Got an inheritance. You and I get an inheritance. The rest of the scripture says, what do we inherit? Everything Jesus owns. How much does he own?

Everything. He said, yeah, that's your inheritance. And notice what he says. It will not fade away, it's reserved in heaven for you. And you are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation. It's a promise of God.

You're going to inherit every single thing that you can. And then the last one. Go with me to Revelation, chapter 19. And I begin in verse 6. This is an image, this is at the end of the tribulation period. In verse 6. Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty pills of thunder. This is Niagara Falls in the midst of a big thunderstorm with a lot of lightning and thunder. That's loud.

That's what he means. This is so loud, he said, that's all I can hear is this noise. Notice what the noise is, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.

Could you imagine hundreds of millions of people singing at the top of their lungs, Hallelujah, the Lord God, Almighty reigns. He said, let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.

My tenth one. I am part of Jesus' forever bride. So are you. I'm not just a believer looking at my Lord Jesus Christ. I'm His bride.

And the two shall become one. We're His bride. By the way, Abraham's not part of the bride. David's not part of the bride. Moses is not part of the bride.

They're called friends of the groom. We are Old Testament saints. But the church, we are the bride of Christ. Forever His bride, one with Him.

So, from that point of view, just listen as I recap. He chose me before there was a physical creation. He was involved with me when I came into this world and created me to be wonderfully unique. He loved me so much because of my sin that He sent His Son to die so He could be with me. He saved me completely by His grace. Not of any works I did, not of anything.

I brought nothing to the table. He promised me that nothing could stop Him from loving me. Nothing would ever stop this. In fact, He'll use everything in my life to work out for the good.

Everything. He has promised me that even my death will turn out to be a really good thing. He has prepared a forever place for me. I will spend eternity in heaven and He will make me His bride forever.

And you. Now you know why I'm a perpetual optimist. My question to you is why wouldn't you be? Why wouldn't you be? These are what God said. How would you not be a perpetual optimist like this?

How could that, what would ever rob you from that? When I read that book with these really brilliant men and they came away that life is meaningless, purposeless. There's no point in any of it. It's tragic.

It's just tragic. You put all that thought power into it and really what you see behind it, especially with philosophers that I've read, I'm not an expert on astrophysicists, but their whole idea behind their philosophy is they don't want to have anything to do with God at all. And they will say and do anything to try to create a system that there is no God.

I don't answer to them there's nothing God, we're just dust. You see, I don't know about you, but if I thought this is what life is. You're an accident in the universe to have a place called Earth. It's just an accident. You're an accident. It's just a biological accident. You could have easily been a raccoon. You see, it wouldn't have made any difference at all because it doesn't make any difference. You're just an accident. There's no point in anything.

Nothing you ever do or man ever does will ever last. You see, there's no point to life at all. Why would one want to believe that? The only thing I can think of is because the alternative of relationship with God is the one thing they don't want.

And they'll say anything to do it. So I'm grateful that I read the book, not for all the science, that was good, but I'm grateful that I got to see the pessimism of life without God. But for those of you who know the Lord, from eternity past to eternity future, God has promised you all these wonderful truths in your life. There should not ever be a Christian who's a pessimist.

It's an oxymoron. We just should never feel that way. We are the one group of people on Earth that should be, you see, a perpetual optimist. And that's my prayer for you, that you begin to let your heart open to that idea.

Let's pray. Father, it seems so sad to me that even your children sometimes become so preoccupied with the circumstances of their life that they don't see you and they can't trust you. And so they end up with fear and worry and anxiety. And eventually it becomes part of their nature. They become pessimistic about everything. How sad that is. You have given us such great promises of your love for us, from eternity past to eternity future, to all the highs in our life and to all the lows.

You are fully engaged. Father, I pray that we would meditate and dwell on these truths, change our heart, because when our heart changes to optimism, it will be for our good, and it will be for your glory. We pray this in Jesus' wonderful 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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