R718 The Absolutes Of a Purpose Driven Life, Pt. 2

We all could use some encouragement, and we'll find it together today in the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton on this edition of The Encouraging Word. We're continuing with our study in the absolutes of a purpose-driven life, and as we do so, know that we'd love to connect with you on our website, www.tewonline.org, a great place of resources.

That's www.tewonline.org. The Encouraging Word. Now today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. God works all things, all circumstances. From the time I was at boarding school until I was in my early 20s, spiritually I went downhill. My life was not well spiritually.

I ended up in a pig pen like the prodigal son, and until I came home and found the Father running down the highway to greet me and to embrace me and to welcome me back home. I tell you, even when I was in the pig pen of life, I believed that God was working out His purpose in my life, because God never relinquishes control. And God has a purpose for every one of us, boys and girls, every one of us. Even when you are cheerleading, even when you are playing football, and even when you go to school, and when you do things, and the friends and your parents, God's got a wonderful purpose for all of us. It is very important for us to know what we believe, because just like when that hurricane Isabel came through, the houses that stood firm were the ones that were on a firm foundation. And even those that were fell because the storm was so wicked and so strong. Well, you know, in our own lives, God gives to us those things which are absolutes.

They are non-negotiables. They are the pillars of truth. They are the concrete pillars in life that we stand on, that we hold to. Because if you do not have a strong belief system, you're going to have a weak lifestyle.

If you don't know what you believe, well, every kind of personal preference and personal conviction that comes by is going to take you and is going to mess you up. You're going to fall. You're going to go this way and that way. You're not going to stand up straight in the strong winds of life. That's what an absolute is.

It's a non-negotiable. And I want to read to you again from Romans chapter 11. Please turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 11. I want to read to you from verse 33. Romans chapter 11 verse 33. Paul, who wrote this, said this. He said, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. Therefore, to him alone be glory forever and forever.

Amen. There are three things that absolutes will do for you and do for me. Friend, when you've got something that you know to be true, you know, in America, sometimes we call that our value system. Our value system. Parents, word with you today. If you don't have a strong value system, your children are going to grow up being tossed around by every wind.

Did you know that? I'm going to challenge the fathers here today. Dad, if you don't have a value system in place, when it comes to my Christian faith, the value system that I stand on is the absolutes of the word of God.

They the non-negotiables. They the things that I am convinced in my heart and believe with all my heart that God has put into place and they just not negotiable. Well, it'll do three things for you. Number one, it will bind you to the heart of God.

I love that. If you've got absolutes in your life, you want to know what God's purpose is before you can ever begin to understand what God's purpose is for you. You've got to stand on certain unchangeable non-negotiable absolutes and what that'll do, it'll bind your heart. It'll bind you to the heart of God.

Number two, it will hold you to the word of God. See, this is one of our absolutes. It's the Bible. When I have absolutes, I believe that this Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God. That's an absolute for me. The Bible is not negotiable. It's not just a good thought.

Doesn't have some good stories in. This is the word of God. What it does, it holds me to the word of God. And number three, it motivates us to listen to God.

It's my motivation. And number four, it encourages us to serve God. So listen, friend, if you've got absolutes in your life, you're saying, God, what is your purpose? God says you need to stand upon these absolutes.

Here's what they will do. They will bind you to the heart of God. They will hold you to the word of God. They will motivate you to listen to God and they will encourage you to serve God because God is who he says he is. All right, here is absolute number one.

I've only got three of them. Number one, the source, absolute. You can write that down, boys and girls. It's interesting word to spell, isn't it? S-O-U-R-C-E. That's how you spell source. Let me tell you what source is. Source is like when you had all those explorers like Livingston who went to Africa and they would discover these big rivers like the Zambezi and the Limpopo and the Orange River and the Tugela River and the Nile River that comes down through Egypt. And they said, you know, we've got a big river here. We know there's a river.

Look at all the water. I wonder where it comes from. And so they begin to trace that river back to its, say it with me boys and girls, back to its source. All right, you go back to where its root is. Where did it come from?

Where did all this water, did it just happen there? And one of the absolutes that God expects us to stand upon is what I call the source absolute. You see, my friends, in America today, we Americans are involved in a source crisis.

Did you know that? That's what's going on in America. There are more and more people pushed more and more by the media who are saying, listen, it doesn't matter who we are anymore. It doesn't matter the sacrifice that people gave when they gave their lives in the world wars. It doesn't matter about our founding fathers. It doesn't matter what we believe. It doesn't matter what made America great. It doesn't matter the value systems that we have that bind us together as a nation to let everybody think whatever they want to think. We prefer to have our own individual value system.

You know what you cultivate? When you no longer have a source, no longer have a root, no longer have a foundation, you cultivate chaos. That's when a nation begins to crumble, not from without, but from within. It disrupts the unity of an otherwise unified people. Whatever's politically expedient, whatever's going to get you elected, whatever you feel about it.

That's what I'm going to do. Now I want you to listen carefully. If you take away the absolutes from your life, what have you got to stand on? You're on wobbly, shaky ground.

It's not what Don Wilton thinks about it. It's what God thinks about it because I stand on the conviction of the source absolute. Now friends, listen carefully.

I want you to go on a journey with me. What does it mean that God is the source? Well, it means three things. Number one, it means that God alone is the source of our existence.

Now I want you to listen carefully. God alone is the source of my existence. You might say to me, well, pastor, where do you come from? Well, God made me.

Any questions? God alone is the source of my existence. Now I want you to hang in there with me. And if I believe that God alone is the source of my existence and the source of every person who has ever lived, whoever will live, then I'm saying three things. Number one, I'm saying that He is the originator of my life. It all began right there in the heart of God. I did. For example, I want you to turn in your Bibles quickly to the book of Genesis.

That's an easy one to find. Let's turn to Genesis chapter two, Genesis chapter two. Now folks, listen carefully today. I've had some wonderful people, and by the way, when I say this to you, I'm not being critical of this question. I think it's a good question.

I've heard this question come from some of the finest Christian men and women. I welcome that. I think it's good.

I think it's wholesome. I think God absolutely encourages us to study His word, but I want you to hear what I'm saying. I have people from time to time who come to me and they'll say to me, Pastor, tell me something. Did God actually create the world or did He create the circumstances and the things that created the world? Now I want you to, I know you're going to get all mixed up here.

Just listen. I'm not saying, they say to me, God didn't create the world. Yes I am, but God actually created something. He caused something or things to actually be the things that created the world.

He didn't actually do it Himself. I've had some other people who come to me from time to time and they say to me, now Pastor, you know, the Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth in seven days. Now that's not actually seven days, is it?

I mean, is that seven days or is that like 70 times seven days or how do you know if this is that and where do you do this? All right, let's have a look at Genesis chapter two and I'm going to answer your question. Here's what the Bible says in verse four, Genesis two, verse four. This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

Any questions so far? When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and the Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being.

Now folks, listen, if I believe in the source absolute, I believe that God alone is the source of my existence and if I believe that he's the source alone of my existence, it means that I originated with him. Now this is going to settle something for me. People come up to me and say to me, Pastor, what do you think about abortion? Well folks, I can tell you what I think about abortion. I can tell you what I think about the pro-choice movement. I don't have to think about it. It's not a matter of my personal preference. What I do know is that the Bible says that God breathed into the nostrils of man and because God acted, man became a living being.

I believe that God is the originator of all life and that sperm and that egg came from the heart of God. Therefore, I do not have the right to take that which is of God. Now friend, listen, if that means that you won't elect me to become the next governor, Rudy toot, toot, toot. I have to accept it. Brother Chairman of Deacons, Bruce, I'm not planning to run for governor.

I just want to let you know that. It governs, if you'll beg my pardon, everything I do. It governs my political manifesto. It governs my value system. It governs my way of thinking. It governs my attitude. It's not a matter of whether it's popular or whether that person says this or whether that person says that. If I believe in the source absolute, I stand with both feet firmly seated upon Jesus Christ who is the originator of all life.

It's not an if, but, or and. Not only do I believe that he's the originator of our lives, I would then believe that he orders our lives. God orders our lives. I not only believe that he originated and orders our lives, but if I believe he alone is the source of my existence, it means that he alone organizes my life. Hey, I like this, even at my most unorganized state.

Sometimes I can get so disorganized, I don't know which way's up. Folks, listen. What does it mean, the source absolute? Number one, that God alone is the source of our existence. Do you believe that or don't you? Number two, it means that God alone is the source of our blessings.

If we stand upon the source absolute, the root absolute, what it does for me, my friends, the source absolute means that I believe that God alone is the source of all my blessings. My home, it's God's home. I have three wonderful children. I told you about the princess in my home. Cheerleader, I just love her with all my heart. I tell you, if she stood here with me right now, I'd tell you what my wife and I would say.

We would say, we love you with all of our hearts. God gave you to us. But friend, because I believe that God alone is the source of all my blessings, the moment my daughter and my sons were born, I was compelled to give them back to God. Are you listening this morning?

Now I'm gonna show you something really neat, unbelievable in just a moment, all right? He's the source of all my blessings. He's the source of my finances, the money that I have, my business. He's the one who gave me my motor car to drive.

Boys and girls, you are cheerleading and you are playing football and you're so gifted. Do you know who gave you that ability? God did. He's the source of all your blessings.

Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of today's message with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment, embracing that truth that God is the source of all of our blessings and also embracing the opportunity we know that in those blessings, there is responsibility for us as followers of Christ, especially in the culture in which we live. On our website right now, you'll find A Call for Courage, a wonderful book by Dr. Wilton's friend, Michael Anthony, as well as a message from Dr. Wilton, Be Salt and Light. It's about how we stand strong even against the culture. Again, you'll find these resources and more on our website, TEWOnline.org, also a great place to sign up for the daily devotional from Dr. Don.

It comes out email-a-phonically or you can sign up for a hard copy as well online at TEWOnline.org. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Now if I come to the point in the source absolute that I believe not only that God is the source of my very existence, but that God alone is the source of all my blessings, there are three things that are going to happen. Number one, number one, I must take my hands off. All right, nobody leave, I got to take my hands off. If I believe God is the source of all my blessings, He's given it all to me, I got to take my hands off. I wonder if there's a father here today.

Dad, you love your kids, you love your family, you love your wife, but you're holding on. God says He's the source. I love that thing, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine. I love that song because it tells me about the source, where everything comes from, my abilities, my gifts, my finances, my home, my wife, my children, everything that I have, what must I do about it if I have that as an absolute, number one, take my hands off. Number two, I must wrap my arms around. Now you're going to say, wait a minute now, Pastor, one minute you say take your hands off, the next minute you say wrap your arms around.

Absolutely, that's how God works. You know what He says? He says, Dad, says to me, Dad, take your hands off your children, they're not yours, give them back to me. And when I take my hands off, God says now, now that you have given me back that which is mine to begin with, I am going to entrust them with you, would you please wrap your arms around them.

Do you see that wonderful picture? Folks, God invites us to wrap our arms around our children, around our wives. Let me tell you, I believe God is the source of the gift of my wife.

I believe God is the source of the gift of every blessing I have. He says, take your hands off. Lord, I've taken it off. He says, okay, now wrap your arms around.

You see, that's Christian stewardship. And number three, put on your gloves. Put on your gloves. Put your gloves on. Yesterday, just for a few minutes, I wanted to go into the yard, it was such a beautiful day, and pull out some thorn bushes, so I went to go and try and find some gloves. Couldn't find them, turned the house upside down. I found two sets of gloves. Both were left-handed and both were designed to fit my wife, but I had to put them on because otherwise my hands would look just awful today, and I'd have to go and get another, what do you call it, pedo, mano, something. I'd have to go and do it. Get my hands back in shape. So I went and found them.

They were two left-handed, so I stuck my one hand in there and it got in as tight as anything. Have you ever seen a right hand in a left-handed glove and you can't quite get it in and it has the thumb sticking out there with nothing in it? The bottom line, folks, I went to work.

Just for a little while, pulled out some of those thorny things, I just went to work. You've heard me say it before. You've heard it before. Most people in America believe that manual labor is the president of Mexico. Folks, listen to me. You haven't heard that?

By the way, he's running for election in America these days. Young people, listen, it takes jolly hard work to do and to carry out what God's given to you. Nothing comes easy. You better make up your mind.

Life is not just a bed of roses. You go to work. You put your mind to it.

You want to become a jolly good athlete or a cheerleader or a scholar. You better make up your mind. You're going to put some work in it.

You don't wake up on Saturday morning and say, well, I just think everything's going to happen. It takes a lot of hard work. Put your gloves on. God expects us to go to work.

Folks, that is part of the purpose-driven life. Go to work. Get on with it. Roll up your sleeves. Don't be lazy. Don't think you're just going to go through life with everything just going to suddenly fall out the sky.

It doesn't happen with a lot of people. It takes jolly hard work to get anywhere in this life. So what are we talking about here? The source absolute. He alone is the source of our existence. He alone is the source of our blessings, which means we must take our hands off. It means we must wrap our arms around.

It means we must put our gloves on. But number three, it means that he alone is the source of our hope. See, if I believe in the source absolute, it means that all matters to tomorrow. What happens when I die?

Where am I going? You mean all I've got is this life? Have you ever met anybody that says to you, well, you know, it doesn't matter because when I die, that's it, it's over.

Just put me in a box. End of the story. God says that that's not the case. The Bible says it is absolutely certain that you will never die. There is life after death. And folks, the only hope I have in the cross of Christ is when I believe in the source of my hope.

And what does that mean? It means that I believe that he alone is the only one who can grant me forgiveness because I cannot have eternal life unless I'm forgiven. It's impossible because God cannot and will not allow sin into heaven because he is love, he is just and all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So how can God allow sin into heaven and I'm a sinner?

Well, I go back to the source. Jesus died upon the cross. He died on the cross. He invites me to turn and to repent and to turn away from myself and turn and trust in Christ alone. He says, when you put your faith and trust in me, he said, I'll forgive you.

I'll write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life. When I believe that he is the source of my hope, it means I believe he's the only one who can grant me forgiveness. It means that he is the only one who can grant me access to God the Father.

Because of my sin, that access has been denied. But when I give my life to him and I'm forgiven, I gain immediate access through the blood of Jesus Christ into the presence of Almighty God. It is in him that we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin. And then what else does it mean? It means that he's the only one who can grant me hope beyond the grave. You know what it means? It means I no longer have to be afraid of dying because I go back to my source. He is the source of my hope.

That's the source absolute, my friends. How about you today? Have you settled the matter of the source absolute concerning your existence, concerning your blessings, concerning your hope for tomorrow?

Have you settled that? It's a powerful question and a question that we'd love to explore with you at 866-899-WORD. If you'd like to talk to someone, we're here for you 24 hours a day, 866-899-9673. And before we get away, closing thoughts from Dr. Don. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner, and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today, I repent of my sin, and by faith, I receive you into my heart. In Jesus' name, my friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you just prayed to receive Christ with Dr. Wilton moments ago, or perhaps rededicated your life, created a new beginning in your life, Dr. Don would love to pray with you and for you and celebrate, and also put some free resources in your hands. If you'll call us at 866-899-WORD, or 866-899-9673, those are the digits. We would love to speak with you, pray with you, and connect you with these great free resources.

That's 866-899-9673, or online at tewonline.org. No one is born courageous, but everyone hopes to have courage when the time comes. This month, for your gift of $25 or more to the encouraging word, you will receive The Salt and Light, a powerful two-message series by Dr. Wilton that includes a Christian's response to a nation in crisis, and a Christian response to a personal attack. Plus, you will receive a call for courage, a salt and light, and a free gift where you will receive a call for courage, a soul-stirring book that will help motivate you into action. Both of these ministry resources will help you know why you should respond and how to respond when under attack. Remember, God has not given us the spirit of fear.

You can stand up. Call us at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673, and request to be salt and light in the bonus book, A Call for Courage, today. Thank you for listening, and thank you for supporting the encouraging word. Now is the time to spread the gospel.

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