R041 Just One Man

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message from 1 Thessalonians. In just a moment, Dr. Wilton takes us to 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 1, about just one man. As we open the Word together, know that we are excited to study the Word and to be here for you both online at tewonline.org and this phone number 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. We'd love to connect with you and connect with great resources. As a matter of fact, right now you can sign up online for the daily encouraging word email from Dr. Don. It is a wonderful jumpstart to your quiet time every day.

That's online at tewonline.org. Now let's open our hearts and God's Word together with Dr. Don Wilton. Some of you are going to have in the back of your Bible, I have in mine, you can't see it so I'm going to try and hold it up here but it's not going to make any difference whatsoever. But I have in the back of my Bible a whole lot of maps. We all know what a map is, don't we? We've all got maps and I have in the back of my Bible a map that is entitled Paul's Missionary Journey.

There were three missionary journeys that Paul undertook. Jesus Christ is real. Jesus Christ is alive. Jesus Christ was sent as God's Son for real down to a real earth, this earth that we live on. He is not make believe. He's not symbolic of something. He's not a vapour or a passing fantasy. I have a real relationship with the real Lord Jesus Christ who has forgiven my real sin for real forever and I know for real that one day I'm going to spend forever with Him.

How about you? And Jesus came to this earth, this earth. This is the planet. God created the heavens and the earth. Have you ever wondered why He singled out the earth? Have you ever wondered why He didn't include a whole lot of other places? Well, we're trying hard to find all those other places.

I don't think we're ever going to find them. Is there life on this and is there life on that? The Bible says God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was singled out. This is where the Garden of Eden was.

I'm not going to talk about that today. I believe that this world is going to go back to its original sinless state after Jesus comes. I believe in heaven on earth. I believe, folks, that this is where we're going to live. I do.

Forever. We're going to live in our heavenly bodies and I'm not getting into that. We've already covered a little bit of that.

It's a fascinating subject. And when Paul gave his life to Jesus Christ, he undertook three missionary journeys. He travelled all over his known world telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ. And 1 Thessalonians is Paul's first letter. It is a letter that he wrote to the congregation, to the Christian people in a place called Thessalonica.

All right. Now, let me point at Thessalonica. There's Thessalonica right there. This is the Aegean Sea. You get the Adriatic Sea, the top part of the Mediterranean on that side.

All right. This is modern day Serbia and Croatia. We even have some of our people today. And then you get the Aegean Sea over here. And Thessalonica is right on the top part of the Aegean Sea.

It is there today. During Paul's time it had about 200,000 people in it. It's a pretty big city back in New Testament times.

All right. And today it's called Thessaloniki. It has about four to five hundred thousand people. So it's a pretty fair dinkum sized kind of city. It's big, but it's not like Atlanta.

But it's very active because it's on a port. It's at the top of the Aegean Sea. All right. And Paul wrote his letter to those people there who were members of the Christian church at Thessalonica. And he kind of said, dear people at Thessalonica, God has put in my heart to teach you and to show you some wonderful truths about Jesus Christ. And the first letter that he wrote, there are two of them, first and second Thessalonians. Some of the most unbelievable things that he said, we're going to be getting into it, folks, including the rapture of the church and end times and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and how it's all going in, what we need to do and how do we overcome suffering and persecution and what about the gospel of the Lord Jesus?

We're going to look at all those things together as we try and study the first letter of Paul to the church at Thessalonians. He wrote it on his third missionary journey. Have you ever been somewhere three times?

Well, this was number three. And his third missionary journey began right up here in northern Syria. Now, I'm not going to talk about his journey today, OK, but it began in a place called Antioch, right up in the northern part of Syria. And he went right up here. He crossed over this area and he went into some of these areas here. This here is called Cappadocia and this big province over here is called Asia.

It's like a state. And Paul began to minister there. There's Ephesus. Remember, Paul wrote a letter to the church at Ephesus called Ephesians to the Ephesian people.

OK, there's Galatia. Paul wrote his letter to the people at Galatia. Well, he started coming across Asia and God would not let him hang up and preach there too much at all.

He was being persecuted, beaten up and abused, thrown out of one town after another because he stood up and talked to the people about the Lord Jesus Christ. And finally, Paul got up into the northern part of Asia here, right on the state line of a place called Mysia, M-Y-S-I-A. And he said to God, he said, Lord, I want to go, please. I want to turn right and I want to go up and I want to preach to all the people up here in Phrygia, in Galatia, on the Black Sea and in the northern part of Asia. And God said, no.

Do you know, by the way, that you can go to the Lord with every good intention in mind and say to Him, Lord, I want to serve you in this capacity and God can turn to you and say, no. And you see, Paul got up there right up into the northern part and he said, man, I want to go up into this region over here and I want to tell everybody about the Lord Jesus Christ. His intentions were good.

His motive was good. He was laying his life before the Lord. God said to him, no, I want you to go to Macedonia and there is the province or the state of Macedonia. And so when Paul got up into this area here, he took a left turn and he got on a boat and he went over the Ignatian Sea. He went over the northern part of the Aegean Sea and he made land over there and he went to a number of little towns that we're going to read about. And they were all about 30 miles apart from one another.

You got that? We're going to read about Apollonus and Amphibolus and these different, they were all about 30 miles apart. He ended up in a place called Philippi and Philippi is right about there. And Philippi is about 40 miles from Thessalonica. And there was a lady there by the name of Lydia that he met. By the way, Lydia was an immigrant because she came from a place called Thyatira, which was in the province of Asia.

She was now up here in this place called Philippi. And you might have read the story in Acts chapter 16 how a young girl came in there. She was possessed. She was going berserk, but she made people a lot of money. They were using her and Paul introduced her to Jesus and the people went berserk. The reason why they went berserk was that Paul was interfering with the way in which they made their money. Do you know, by the way, that is still true today.

You can go to any community in the United States. We are so driven by materialism. People will swap churches. They will gun against church leaders. They'll get mad, bent out of shape if their pocketbook is threatened.

Jesus is fine, but as long as he doesn't threaten my pocketbook. And what happened? These people in Philippi got so mad, they got together, threw Paul into prison. They beat them to a pulp, folks. Now, what we do know is that they managed to flee. They fled because the leaders in Philippi discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen.

They might have incurred the wrath of Caesar because Roman citizens had great protection. And so he fled. He went down to Thessalonica and he wanted to be in Thessalonica because it had a Jewish synagogue.

Amphipolis didn't. And he went down into Thessalonica and he went to the synagogue because he wanted to tell his own people about Jesus. The Jews didn't believe in Jesus. They didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

They had no hope. They were still bound by their rituals and their sacrifices. They still believed that it was works that gave you a relationship with God. And Jesus had come to set them free. And Paul wanted them to know he loved his own people, the Jewish people. And so he went to the synagogue and he began to preach there. Guess what?

They got mad too and threw him out. So Paul took a little 40 mile trip and he went to a place called Berea. And Berea is right there. Berea is called the forgotten city or the place that nobody is. It's kind of off the beaten track.

It's not on the east west highway. And he went to Berea because Berea also had a Jewish synagogue. He wanted to go right there into the den of lions. He wanted to be right there with these people. He wanted to maximise his opportunity to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ. All right. Open your Bibles quickly to Acts chapter 16.

Acts chapter 16. I want to speak to you today on the subject of just one man. Just one man.

Just one woman. By the way, do you know that God is speaking to people in this congregation? Do you know there's a man looking at me right now? God's talking to you, isn't he? Do you know that God always uses one person?

He's always done that. Love the story of Moses. God came to Moses, said, let my people lead them out of bondage.

He used Moses. One woman, one boy, one girl. All it takes is one person on that dormant campus who's going to stand up for Jesus. All it takes is for one young person at Spartanburg High School to stand up for Jesus Christ. All it takes is just one person at Clemson University to turn that university upside down for Jesus Christ. All it takes is one student at the University of South Carolina to begin a revolution for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just one person.

Just one. Acts chapter 16. I'm just beginning at the end of the story. Verse 40. After Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went to Lydia's house where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left. By the way, there was 30 miles between where they were. They then passed through in chapter 17, verse one, through Amphipolis. They went another 30 miles to Apollonia.

Then they traveled the next night another 40 miles to Thessalonica. How did he do it? Well, people believe he was probably on horseback. He couldn't have walked.

These men had been beaten to a pulp. We do know that Paul was there. We know Silas was there. We know Timothy was there.

You also know there was another man there. His name was Luke. Anybody tell me what Luke did by profession? A physician. And we don't know when exactly that Luke left the group, but he did.

He suddenly disappears. But I like to think that Luke probably gave physical attention. Boy, I thank God for godly doctors, don't you? God puts people strategically in place.

God's timing is always perfect and God is always using people. That's why he has you in your business. That's why he makes you uncomfortable where you are. And if he doesn't get your attention by making you uncomfortable, he will make you uncomfortable.

Because God wants your attention because he's got plans for you. And the Bible says that he came to Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue and on three Sabbath days, he reasoned with them.

That's for three weeks. And he explained to them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. This Jesus I'm proclaiming to you is the Christ, he said. And some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas and as did a large number of God fears and even many of the women did. But some of the Jews were jealous. And so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace.

We're going to get to that later on. Let me tell you something folks, it is a biblical guarantee that Satan has got a strategy in mind. One of his strategies is to raise up people who will come against the Word of God and against his church. He will raise up people in our community. He'll raise up people in America. One of their first tactics is they'll get on the phone and they'll call for support.

They'll get people to come in from the marketplace. And so the rest goes on down into verse 10 of chapter 17. As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. They had to escape for their lives again, even in Thessalonica. Forgive the interruption right in the middle of an escape from Thessalonica. This is the encouraging word broadcast you're listening to. That's Dr. Don Wilton and that wonderful teaching. And as we take this break, Dr. Don wants me to remind you, we're here for you. We'd love to pray with you and for you either keyboard to keyboard or on our website at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org or this phone number 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. Now back to today's message with Dr. Wilton. Folks, let me tell you three things about Paul. It's a remarkable story.

It's amazing. Just one man. First, I want to tell you that he was committed to his call. Anything that you can say about this man was that he was committed to his call.

Now let me tell you three things about this. First of all, his call was very personal. God speaks to you personally. There's not a doubt in my mind that God speaks to you very personally.

It's the most amazing thing. I absolutely affirm what Martin Luther says when he wrote his doctrine of vocation. I believe I agree with Martin Luther in that God calls every believer to serve him. God calls you right there to that classroom in your home. God calls you to be that mother. God calls you to have that business. It's very personal.

It's a personal call. I'll never forget all those years ago when I knelt down alongside my wife, stood up from my knees and I turned to my wife and I said to her, I know that God has called me, me, to preach the Word of God. I couldn't define it. Besides that, I lived on the other side of the world. Where, what, how, when, who. I didn't know, but when I stood up from my knees, there was a sense of the personal outpouring of the grace of God. It was so personal, it was overwhelming. I turned to her and I said to her, I've got to tell people about Jesus. I've got to serve Him vocationally. I've got to lay down the instruments of my trade.

It was so personal. Talking about my father, he was just saying to some of us recently, if there is anything else, listen, if there is anybody within the sound of my voice who's wanting to go into the pastoral ministry, I'm going to right now go on record and I'm going to beg you not to do it. If there is anybody within the sound of my voice that you feel God is calling you into full vocational ministry, I'm going to beg you with all of my heart, please do not do it.

If you've got an alternative to do, go and do it. Please do not become the pastor of a local church. But if God has called you, my friend, it is so personal.

Please do not do anything but that which God has called you to do. Are you listening? So what's going on in your business, in your life, in your home? This call was personal.

But not only was it personal, this call was specific. Well, I've asked Britt to kind of narrow it up. Put a little closer one up there for me, Britt. Ah, some of you can see that.

I mean, you just think about that, folks. Here it is, this incredible journey that he took. Here's the Aegean Sea.

You can see where he got up to this area here in the northern part of Asia. He wanted to go right. God said to him, no, I want you to go to Macedonia, to this province. It's like you and me saying, Lord, you're leading us to have a mission in Atlanta, Georgia. Well, what's wrong with that? Now ask a question, are there any lost people in Atlanta, Georgia?

Yes. But is that where God wants us to be? What if the Lord comes and says, no, I don't want you to go to Atlanta. I want you to go to Chattanooga, Tennessee. How do we end up ministering in Chattanooga, Tennessee instead of Atlanta, Georgia?

The issue is the specific nature of the call of God. And so that's what Paul did. He turned left down toward Troas. He then caught a boat over here. Luke joined him at about this point. You see Amphipolis over there. And he came down, eventually ended up through Philippi to Thessalonica, which is right there.

They kicked him out of Thessalonica and he fled to Berea, where they also persecuted him in Berea, even though it was off the beaten track. And that call was so specific. God's call is not only personal, it's specific and it never stops.

It's day by day and moment by moment. His call to this congregation is not only personal, but it's specific. And number three, it is irresistible. It is irresistible. There are two irresistibles that I believe in folks. I believe in the irresistible grace of God. And I believe in the irresistible call of God.

And I want to tell you, you've got to be some kind of somebody. If you can look in the face of God and tell him that you're not going to do what God tells you to do. The consequences of turning down the irresistible call of God in your life are so severe. I pray for this congregation, my friends. I pray for our deacons. I pray that we would rise up as a people and we would understand that God's grace is irresistible. And he planted this church and he's given us an assignment and he's called us to reach our world for Christ.

And we had better not ever look God in the face and tell him we're not going to do what he tells us to do. Just one man. I believe that there are husbands, brothers, wives, sisters.

I believe there are teenagers. I believe that God today in the United States of America is speaking so loudly. And there are some who believe the things that are being said and some who believe not. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And when you study what happened at Thessalonica, it's an amazing story, folks.

You and I will find ourselves both exasperated and amazed at the same time. The relentless pursuit after the heart of God, the power of the pulpit, the relentless determination to find himself at the center of God's will no matter what was going on, no matter who said what, no matter what the circumstances, the Apostle Paul rose up like a pillar of faith in a godless community and said, I am going to proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because there is no other name whereby men might be saved other than my Lord and my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I present to you today this Jesus of whom we speak. What a powerful message from Dr. Wilton and as he presents Jesus, as the Scriptures present Jesus, we understand that there is still, it's the likelihood of having a present that someone gave you and it's sitting back in the back corner but you've never opened or received it. This gift is available for you today.

Would you please take a moment as Dr. Wilton comes back into the studio and shares these closing thoughts for all of us. God has spoken to you, hasn't he? And you're ready to give your heart to Jesus.

I'd love to help you right now. Would you pray this prayer with me and accept Jesus into your heart and life? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner.

I know that Jesus loves me and died for me on the cross. Right now, I repent of my sin and I confess my sin to the Lord Jesus Christ. Come into my heart and save me today and forgive me for my sin. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. If you've prayed that prayer, we'd love to get alongside of you and celebrate with you and send you some literature and help you as you begin to grow.

And I want you to know that I love you very, very much. I believe that some of you've made decisions that will change your life forever by saying yes to Jesus Christ or perhaps some of you said it's time to come home. If you've rededicated your life to Christ or given your life to Jesus, won't you give us a call?

Dr. Wilton has wonderful resources we want to put in your hands that will help you grow. Our phone number is 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. Or you can meet us online as well at tewonline.org. It's the place we'll discover great resources like this. Many people around the world are looking for some kind of assurance to quiet their fears. They want to be totally secure. Total assurance only comes from God.

I have a serious question to ask you. If you were to die today, would you go to heaven? This month, with your gift of $25 in support to the encouraging word, you will receive Dr. Wilton's powerful message, The Confident Assurance of Salvation, along with his book, Totally Secure.

Both of these ministry resources will help answer five important questions people churched and unchurched struggle with, such as, What is salvation? Am I saved? Can I lose my salvation? Will I go to heaven?

What happens when I sin? Call us at 866-899-WORD to request The Confident Assurance of Salvation, along with his book, Totally Secure. You can find peace, protection, and assurance in the arms of God. The encouraging word is a viewer and listener supported ministry.

Thank you for listening today. That's a powerful resource, but our greatest resource is the joy to pray together. You can meet us online at www.tewonline.org, or call this number, jot it down, store it in your cell, 866-899-9673. As Dr. Don would say, we'd love to be your 2 a.m. friend. Ready to pray with you? Connect your resources? We're here 24-7 at The Encouraging Word.