R876 When Your Life Needs Adjusting

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on adjusting.

When we stop making those tweaks, those calibrations, we miss out on becoming the best woman of God, the best man of God that we are designed to be. Today, Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, evangelist and pastor, has as his topic, When Your Life Needs Adjusting. We'll open God's Word in just a moment, but in between now and Acts 9, as we dive in, know that we're available for you. We love to talk and pray at 866-899-WORD.

Again, jot that phone number down, store it in your cell, 866-899-9673. We'll always connect with one of us, happy to talk or listen or pray or connect with great resources, or meet us online at tewonline.org. Now today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. Please allow me to say to you as a congregation of people, wherever you are, that I am so mindful as your pastor that every time I feel led of the Lord to actually call someone by name, mention an individual, I'm so mindful of the fact that there is a broken heart on every pew. I'm also very mindful of the fact that rarely in my ministry have people ever come and demanded that their names be called publicly for prayer for one thing or another, or have attached something to it.

That's hardly ever happened to me. I am privileged, like you, to just partner with so many people and to pray with so many people. The encouraging word broadcast ministry, which we are now privileged to take this worship service, not just through our friends at WSBA Channel 7, but then later on and through the week, literally across the United States, we're now hearing from all 50 states in America.

Think about that. And one can imagine the privilege that we have as a people of being able to pray for others and the requests that we receive. And so I'm very mindful when we go to prayer that there is a broken heart on every pew and there are tremendous needs and burdens. There are people today worshiping right now that have got broken hearts, people dealing with circumstances.

There are, you know, one could go on because our lives become affected by so many issues, don't they? And as we pray this morning, yes, I talk about and we express our prayer and love and confidence, we petition our Savior, but I want you to know that you're not forgotten. I love being reminded of that passage where the Lord says that even the very hairs on your head are numbered in His presence. Did you know that the Lord Jesus knows you by name?

And I want you to know that I love you today. I'm just one man just one little drop in the bucket, but I want you to know that people are praying for you. And I also want you to know that our Heavenly Father is listening and even sometimes when it's like there's nothing else that we can do, the Spirit of God groans on our behalf.

Isn't that a great thought to think that God goes to places that we can no longer go to? This prayer that I'm praying is our prayer. It's not my prayer, it's just my voice. We are God's people and He is the great Shepherd of the sheep and we just want to tell Him what's on our hearts.

Would you pray with me this morning? Heavenly Father, thousands right now talking to you, that's us, Lord. We're your creation and you made us. Lord, you breathed that life into us and our lives are in your hands. And Father, we just want to affirm that you are our Saviour and our Lord and our God and we believe a mighty fortress is our God.

You never fail us. And Lord God in heaven, we we want to cry to you today. We want to call out to you as we've been doing and for every single person who no matter what their circumstances today need to hear from you. We're a family together.

We have a common purpose. We love the Lord Jesus. You are our Saviour and Lord and we are your servants and we cry to you.

We present to you every single fabric of our lives, even the questions that we just don't seem to understand. Lord, with great difficulty we let go of our questions and we lift our hearts to you today. And Lord, even now as we study the Word of God together, would you just speak to us? Just talk to us, Lord, through your Word and by your Spirit, Lord, to that one out there wherever they are and whoever they are, that Lord Jesus right now, you would do your work. For this is your Word, the encouraging Word, because you are the living God and we are your servants and we pray to you and we call the names of those whom we love. In Jesus' name, Amen. I'm going to invite you to open your Bibles this morning to the Book of Acts and chapter 9. And while you're turning there, I'm going to invite you to take just a very quick journey with me to a place where we all are.

Let me run that by again. I want to invite you to take a very quick journey with me to a place where we all are. It's called the journey of life. I want you to think about when a little baby is born. And the moment that baby is born, that baby begins to make adjustments and adjustments never stop being made until the day we go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, we give these moments of adjustment all kinds of titles. Anyone here ever heard of the word puberty or nod? All right, let me move on from that. All right, let me move on from that. Adolescence.

Anyone heard of that? What about change of life? All right, if you're not listening, hot sweats and flushes.

Adjustments. Here's this young man, not unlike ourselves, goes through puberty and adolescence, ends up going to college. He's single, goes to the ball games, has a wonderful time with his friends, doing well in school and one day there she is. And he just can't take his eyes off. And the big ball game comes up. It's the annual rivalry.

The boys always go. They've got season tickets. And his friends come and say, Joe, are you ready for the game? And he says, I'm afraid I can't make it.

And they say, what do you mean you can't make it? This is the game to end all games. This is number one playing number two.

The season's on the line. What are you doing? He says, well, I'm going to the mall. The mall? Have you lost your mind?

Well, actually, yes, I have. She wants to go to the mall. Well, come on, she's going to understand.

No, I need to go to the mall. But the ball game? Well, I've made a little adjustment.

Why? Because of the one he's falling in love with. And then they get married. Have you ever noticed the difference between a couple married who do not have children and a couple married who suddenly have children?

Well, the couple who marry and they have no children. Boy, what we doing tonight, sweetheart? Oh, let's go up to Biltmore. I tell you what, let's go down there to the restaurant. Let's go to the Beacon tonight. Let's go to the game. What about going to a movie? Yeah, come on, let's go. Let's take the weekend off.

Suddenly baby arrives. Well, I don't think we should be going out tonight. Well, I got to get up earlier. I got to burp here and change there and adjustments are made.

I could go on and on. We understand what adjustments are, don't we? We do it in our lives and we do it because of a vast array of reasons.

We do it because of the people we love. In fact, someone said to me one time that a person who refuses to make adjustments in life is a very unhappy person. Someone has suggested that one of the greatest reasons why some marriages are in trouble is because one or both of the partners refuse to adjust to married life.

You cannot conduct business as usual. There's been more than one man that says, excuse me, I sign off during turkey season because turkeys are more important than anything else and I refuse to change because that's what I did with my daddy when I was growing up. He always took me hunting turkeys and gobbling, gobbling is more important than you.

You got a problem in that marriage, right? We are asking the Lord, Lord, would you allow us to experience you? How can I know you more? Lord, would you speak to my heart? And God responds, I'm actively engaged and I'm inviting you to join me.

Make the necessary adjustments. Forgive the interruption. We'll be back with more in just a moment of Dr. Wilton's When Your Life Needs Adjusting. But moments ago when Dr. Don was talking about the fact that he's actively engaged and he's encouraging us to actively understand that God is always causing us to do a deeper walk with him, to necessary adjustments. I want to remind you that you do not need to do that alone.

God has not called us to an individual walk in faith, but he's called us to community, to be a part of the body of Christ. And you need to know that if you need someone, we're here for you. We'd love to pray with you and for you anytime at 866-899 word, that's 866-899-9673. And over a decade ago, Dr. Don helped us gain some new insight on a part of our ministry that perhaps is just what you need right now. And that's helping friends find a local church with which to participate, a place to not only be fed and nourished, but a place to serve. We used to have a network of just friends across North America, but now literally around the globe, we have a network of churches. And our goal is to find you a church home within two or three zip codes of where you are.

And Jim and Michelle lead that effort. And if you'd like to have some help finding a local church home, give us a call and let us know. 866-899-WORD is the phone number.

That's 866-899-9673. Or meet us online at tewonline.org. Just know we're here with you. And maybe it's not about finding a church.

Maybe it's about some other adjustments needed in your life. Know that we'd love to pray with you and for you. 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. I want to look at the life of Paul. We all know Paul. I don't know that there are many people of our faith who wouldn't know about the apostle Paul. Turn with me to Acts chapter nine. His story is quite remarkable really.

Listen to it. Acts chapter nine and verse one. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. So he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that if he found any there who belonged to Jesus Christ, whether man or woman, that he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and he heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you, Lord? Saul asked. I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the sound, but they did not see anyone. So Saul got up from the ground. When he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus and for three days he was blinded, did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus, there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called him in a vision and said, Ananias, yes, Lord, he answered. And the Lord said to him, Ananias, go to the house of Judas on straight street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him and restore his sight.

Lord, Lord, you don't get it, answered Ananias. I've heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priest to arrest all who call on the name of the Lord. But the Lord said to Ananias, go. This man is my chosen instrument to carry out my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.

I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see again. So he got up and was baptized.

And after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once, he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on his name?

And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests? Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him. But Saul learned of their plan.

Day and night, they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through the opening in the wall. And when he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they still tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit and it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to speak to you this morning about when your life needs adjusting. Consider Paul, just a couple of thoughts. Number one, Paul was lost without the Lord.

The Bible tells us that, makes it very clear. In fact, his lostness made him violently, radically opposed to anything to do with Jesus Christ. It wasn't his radical, violent opposition to Christianity that was the symptom of his lostness.

It was just what he did. He simply wanted to erase everything to do with the one who is holy and righteous. He was lost without the Lord. Number two, he was met by the Lord, according to verse four and following, a dramatic encounter took place, didn't it?

I wish sometimes we could just dispense with the formalities of a service like this and I love what we do and we need organisation and structure. I'd love to just start on the front row and go around and say, would you just stand up and just give us an account of your meeting with the Lord? Tell us what happened when you met Jesus. Number three, he was changed by the Lord.

Something happened folks, there was a radical turnabout. He was changed by the Lord. He was walking in this direction. God came into his life and he walked in the opposite direction.

Number four, he was directed by the Lord. I love that verse six because Jesus said to him, get up, go into the city and you will be told what you must do. God's the God of direction. God says to us, listen, I want you to get up.

I want you to do what I'm telling you and make the necessary adjustments and I'm going to direct everything from now on. Hard for us to understand sometimes. Number five, he was provided for by the Lord. It's amazing the story of Ananias. You know, I don't even know whether Paul knew much about Damascus, do you? I don't know, but I do know this, that God came to Saul and said, get up and go to the city and before God even did what he was going to do, he had already provided someone to be there.

Did you know that? Isn't that an incredible thought? God speaks to us and he says, I just want you to make this adjustment to join me what I'm doing. We say, but Lord, I want to know what's going to happen when I get there. And God, in a sense, looks into our hearts and says, make the adjustment.

I'm the provider. By the way, did you know that God already has provided for tomorrow? Maybe that's, I mean, it was Paul, wasn't it? Who said in, in Philippians, he said, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known under God. Paul knew what it was to adjust and to meet God where God is because every time he adjusted, he discovered that God not only had changed him and directed him, but had provided for him. Number six, another thing about Paul in this life journey of his that incorporated the adjustments that were necessary to make, he was chosen by the Lord. Now that verse 15 is a remarkable verse. Paul, this man who has left such an indelible imprint on our faith for all the ages, such an instrument of God, he was chosen by the Lord.

By the way, did you notice that there was a twofold choosing that took place? Number one, he was chosen to carry the gospel message. I love that. He was chosen to be a carrier, a transmitter, to carry the gospel message.

I love that. You know, in fact, I was just thinking, if I'm ever invited to preach for the Southern Baptist Convention again, boy, I need to focus in on that because that's about preachers, isn't it? You know, maybe in a seminary class or when I'm with some preacher boys, boy, look what God does. He was chosen to carry the message, but there's a second part.

The second part doesn't kind of make me feel as quite as comfortable. He was not only chosen to carry the message of the Lord, but he was chosen to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know, folks, that when Paul was persecuting the Christians, he was counted among the popular. I should imagine even the chief priests and the scribes, they would have said, man, there's our boy. This guy, man, he can pack a punch. Now let's give him authority.

Listen, he's a household name. But you know, the moment that Paul met Jesus Christ and adjusted his life, Paul spent the rest of his life doing two things. Paul spent the rest of his life doing two things, carrying the message and suffering for Jesus Christ.

Go and read about it. When he got to the end of his life, listen, Paul was preaching and then being shipwrecked, then nearly drowning, then being whipped to the point of his life. Where did he end up? Where did it all culminate with Paul being crucified upside down?

That's how they executed him. Timothy understood that because Paul came to Timothy and said to him, Timothy, I not only demand that you adjust your life to the point at which you are bold in your witness for Jesus Christ, but that you are willing to suffer for the cause of the cross, that you become amalgamated and fused into the sufferings of our Saviour. For it was Jesus who said, if anyone will come after me, he must deny himself and take up the cross and follow me. For any who will save his life will lose it.

But anyone who will lose his life for my sake will save it, make the adjustments. It's an amazing thing, lost without the Lord, met by the Lord, changed by the Lord, directed by the Lord, provided for by the Lord, chosen by the Lord. Number seven, he was empowered by the Lord.

It's an amazing thing. In verse 19, he regained his strength. In verse 22, the Bible says he became more and more powerful. But number eight, he was used of the Lord. I love verse 31, there were four byproducts of Paul's willingness to adjust his life and to meet God where God is.

Did you note those four byproducts? Peace, strength, encouragement, and growth, right there in the Word. I want you to know if God would be so kind to me, if it means that I'm willing to adjust my life and God would just grant to me those four things in my community and amongst my people and together as we serve the Lord, that we would be a people who would know an unprecedented peace which passes all understanding, that we would be strengthened by the might and power of the Spirit in the inner man, that we would be encouraged in our hearts and that the numbers who come to know Jesus Christ would increase. Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do and I'll make whatever adjustment is necessary. That's what God did for Paul.

Could he do it for you and me? But adjustments had to be made. What a powerful message and what a call to all of us to continually be seeking God's leadership, His Spirit-guided direction for the adjustments we need to be making.

We'd love to agree with you, to pray with you about those adjustments, but it all starts with a single first adjustment, a course correction, literally. The church word would be repent, but it's turning our back on a path that's led us away from God and turning to God knowing He is ready to give us a brand new start, a brand new life. Before we get away, our time's just about gone, but Dr. Todd has a closing thought just for you and me.

Are you ready? Would you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that Jesus loves me and that He died on a cross for me. Today, I repent of my sin and I confess my sin to the Lord Jesus and I give Him my heart and my life. In Jesus' name, I pray. In Jesus' name, I pray.

Amen. If you've prayed that prayer from your heart and you've given your life to Christ, I welcome you to the family of God. You are my brother, my sister in Christ. Let's get engaged together because we are connected together forever as believers in Christ. If the Lord has touched your life in the time of praying together with Dr. Don or perhaps earlier in the message today, you have heard not just our South African Baroque pastor, Dr. Don Wilton, but you've heard the truth of God and it's reminded you of the need for an adjustment.

We'd love to pray with you and for you. Again, the phone number is 866-899-9673. We'll connect you with one of us 24 hours a day. Jot the number down.

Store it in your cell. Let us be a contact. 866-899-9673. We are the encouraging word and you'll find us online as well at tewonline.org. A great place to discover wonderful resources like this. It's been a great day of Bible study and Bible study is something we believe in firmly. As a matter of fact, if you got the email from Dr. Don this morning, you know this verse was our verse all day today. Proverbs 18 for the words of a man's mouth are deep waters. The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. A reminder from Dr. Don, by signing up for the daily encouraging your word email, you'll get this on our website, tewonline.org.

You can sign up for the hard copy or the daily email. And again today, Dr. Don was talking about how when we have the opportunity to say what we need to say, let us choose our words wisely. My son-in-law is an officer of the law and reads those Miranda rights to people. You have the right to remain silent. Sometimes that's exactly what God calls us to do. We need to watch our words. Proverbs 17 reminds us, the one who has knowledge uses words with restraint and whoever has understanding is even tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent. My dad used to say, be sure to keep your mouth closed and if people think you're foolish, well that's okay. Don't open your mouth and remove all doubt. I pray you will be gaining insight from God's word like this daily encouraging word available on our website at tewonline.org. I hope you'll sign up for it today. Until next time, take care and God bless. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of The Encouraging Word.