R946 Dynamic Testimonies, PT.2

God has an encouraging word for you and me today, through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton, all about our dynamic testimonies. Today we continue in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 about this particular two-part series on dynamic testimonies with Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, evangelist, pastor. And today as he opens the word together, we'll gain some perspective on what it is that we have power in, the power of our testimony. As we open the word, know that we're available to open to you as well, to pray with you and for you anytime at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673, or we'll meet you on our website as well at www.tewonline.org. Fresh new resources as we begin this month of March together, they're all there for you on our website, www.tewonline.org.

Now, Dr. Don Wilton. They were believers. Well, I looked at verse 10. I saw a whole series in verse 10. Death, burial, resurrection, the second coming of Jesus, eternal life, eternal separations, all right there.

To wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who rescues us from the coming rot. They were, evidently, they were believers. They believed in something. What was it and why was that important?

They were believers. So I wrote that down. So I ended up with 10 major subjects. So I said to myself, now, what is this? Why are these 10 and what are these 10 things? You know what? It just jumped in my mind.

I said these are 10 dynamic testimonies. So what I did next was I prayed again. I prayed again and I studied. I immediately began to put these things down and I began to study. And as I studied, I prayed again. And as I prayed again, I studied. My work began.

I hadn't started working yet. And so I go into however long, hours, days, weeks, and I begin to study what this means. Every one of these things that I've written down. Well, how do I study? Oh man, I go to Christian Supply and I load down on every book I can find on the subject. My wife will tell you I have so many books around me when I'm studying, you can't even find my desk.

Besides that, a tidy study is the sign of a very sick mind. And I'll have books, common trees. I go to my Greek New Testament. And I'll get out my Greek New Testament because I've studied the Greek language. And I'll look at words and I'll find out whether the word in the Greek, in the original language, the way it was written, whether it is accurately portrayed here. I'll go to parallel studies. I'll try and discover what this person has said, what Warren Weersby has said, John MacArthur's said. I'll go to Tyndale and I'll go to these different common trees.

I'll get special things. I'll look at what Max Lucado might have said if he had written a book about this passage. I'm not saying I do all of that every time. I'm saying study involves jolly hard work. That's getting down and going and having a look. Oh, I even get out Webster's dictionary. When I get out Webster's dictionary, I'll look up a word and I'll say, well, what does the dictionary say about this? That word there. Now, is that really an accurate portrayal of that word as we understand it in our English culture? Many times I'll find that actually it's not quite what I think about it and then I'll match it up and I'll start to construct this thing and I begin to ask God to just help put meat on the bones. You see those 10 points that I gave you.

All that is is a sermon outline. It's just a house. It's a house. Do you know what you did when you moved into your home? You didn't move into a home. You moved into a house. A house has walls and door frames and windows. A house has a stairway and a house has a roof. But what happens in order to make a house a home? You've got to put carpets down, a warm bed, a television set, a dog running around, a refrigerator full of food.

That's what makes a house a home. The message which you and I need to hear must begin with the house. It begins with the framework. The framework is number one, number two, number three, whatever number.

Whatever jumps out at you, that's your framework. Now go and put the meat on the bones. But here's the difference is that as you put the meat on the bones, as God begins to show you what it is that he's saying there, he fills up the house with the warmth of the children running around and the stove and the kettle boiling for a cup of tea. He puts the meat on the bones.

That's what he does. And so I begin to study and I pray and I study and I pray and I pray and I study. Well this is some of the things that I discovered.

Number one, they were receivers. I immediately realized that this whole group here was nothing more than a dynamic testimony. It is the ten dynamic testimonies of the believer, of every Christian.

That's what this is. It's ten dynamic testimonies. What Paul is doing here is he's saying this is what every Christian looks like. This is your testimony. And as I began to study, I had these ten points there and I went uh oh, you mean to tell me what you're saying to me, Lord is this ought to be my testimony. This is what I should look like because I'm actually a believer. I'm a Christian.

I'm a part of God's church. And so I, in fear and trepidation, I began to study these ten dynamic testimonies. Well number one, they were receivers and I began to ask myself, am I a receiver? Why were they receivers? Well if you look at verse two, they were receivers in two regards. Number one, because they received thanks from those whose lives had been impacted by them and number two, they received the prayers of those who were partnered with them.

That's a receiver. Do you know what part of my testimony is? Part of my testimony as a believer is that there are or ought to be numerous people who thank God for me and thank God for you and thank God for us because of our service to our fellow man as believers.

Nothing wrong with that. That hurricane that hit New Orleans a couple of years ago folks, you won't see it on secular news but do you know that the majority of the work that has been done in the city of New Orleans has been done by Christian people? They deserve thanks. Not in a human way will I need someone to thank me. It's a spiritual sense of thanksgiving.

Are you listening to what I'm saying? As a Christian, you are the receiver of thanks. Paul was thanking them.

I'm your Paul right now so I'll just go and get it out the way. I thank you as a church. Number two, you receive the prayers of others. One of the testimonies of believers is that we receive prayer.

What an incredible thing. That's part of my testimony. I am prayed for. I receive the prayers of others. Thank you for praying for me. We pray for one another.

I called a family in our church yesterday afternoon going through a situation in their life and the wife said to me straight away, she said to me, pastor, I don't know where we would be without the prayers of our fellow believers in our church and I'm sure in other churches. So my question is this, if that's part of my dynamic testimony, am I a receiver? Number two, they were workers. Well that word there, worker, I had to ask myself, am I a worker? Now the word work there, it says your work produced by faith. That word work there is an interesting word because that word work is not talking about a specific act of service.

Like well I built this house or I gave this person something to drink or I served in the soup kitchen or I went on a mission trip. The word work there is a reference to the force, the combined force that God brings together through the faith of a community that loves him. He says you have become part of a God force. That's part of our testimony and then he goes on in the next line and he says they were laborers. Well what is the difference with laborer? The word laborer there speaks more specifically.

It is intensified and it is applied to a specific act that is done by those who are prompted by the love of Jesus Christ. So you've got the force which God brings together in unity in Christ and it is translated into acts of specific labor and that is part and parcel of the dynamic testimony of the church of the living God and of me as a believer. Am I a receiver? Am I a worker?

Am I a laborer? Number four, they were endurance. Well that's what the Bible says right there. It says that they endured, look at verse three, endurance inspired by hope. In other words because we can see the finish line. We keep on keeping on. We know the end result. And Paul commends Christian people at Thessalonica and he says one of the great hallmarks of your Christian faith, your dynamic testimony is that you're an endurer.

By the way you can wheel that one back. If you want to stand the test, really know whether you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ or not. Ask yourself whether or not you're an endurer or whenever some question comes along or someone disagrees or things get going that are rather tough that you immediately pull yourself out of it.

Can you see what he's saying? That's a dynamic testimony. In other words the Christian says in the face of God, Lord I am here, you've got me. And what I am and who I am is not conditional upon the circumstances of my life. Number five, they were imitators. They were imitators. Look at verse six, you became imitators.

Well I began to study that word and I suspected what it meant. It meant they were copycats. What's part of the Christian's dynamic testimony? That we are copycats. Well who do we copy? Who do we emulate? Who do we want to be like?

We want to be like one another following those who have set such a high standard and most importantly we want to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. You're listening to Dr. Don Wilton. Don't go away, he'll be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment. Dr. Don wants me to remind you we're here for you praying together 24 hours a day. We're available at the 866-899 word number. Jot it down 866-899-9673.

We always connect with one of us. Ask on our website www.tewonline.org. Now there's a wonderful resource on our website www.tewonline.org right now. It speaks to me, it speaks to all of us as parents but also for me right now as a grandparent. There's a unique message, it's called Standing in the Gap.

It's the power of prayer and there's also a wonderful resource called Prayers That Avail Much for Grandparents. Again you'll see all the details on our website at www.tewonline.org. I'll mention it more at the end of the program but just know there are a myriad of resources on our website right now for you. This program and others you can download directly, see them and hear them both on video and audio versions. You'll find all of that at our website www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Now back to today's part two of Dynamic Testimonies with Dr. Don Wilton. You are imitators. He's talking about the dynamic testimony of the person of God. That man, that woman, that boy, that girl is an imitator. Whether I'm out there on that college campus, whether I'm in that school yard on the ball field, whether I'm at business making decisions, whether I'm sitting at the boardroom, whether I'm in a church meeting, I am an imitator of Christ. Number six, they were welcomers. Well I love that in the latter part of verse six, you welcomed the message. By the way I've got to ask my question, am I a welcomer? If that's part of my testimony as a Christian person, am I a welcomer? Now what does the Bible say? They welcomed the message of Jesus Christ. Now folks, watch this.

This word does not always say what I wanted to say. Paul said you know that you're a Christian because you welcome it with no strings attached. That's a welcomer. You welcome the message.

Oh well Lord, I don't like that. Doesn't matter what the Bible says. Bible says part of the dynamic testimony of every believer is that a believer's heart is open to the Word of God. So if God's Word is disciplining me, I may not like it but I welcome it. If God's Word differs with me, I may not like it but I welcome it because it's God's Word.

Am I a welcomer? Number seven, they were role models. They were role models and so he says in verse seven then, so you became a model to all believers.

Well, anyone need an explanation of that? A role model. Paul said that one of the dynamics of a Christian's testimony, he was commending them because they were role models. In other words, everybody out there saw that they were no different to what they were in here.

I tell you folks, if there's any challenge that I have as a preacher, there's it right there. And I'm not concerned about everybody else as I am for my own family because my wife and my three children have grown up, been around me, they see me, they see me in this pulpit. They see me smiling and telling everybody that I love them and how sweet they are and how much I love bubblegum and all these other things. They see that. Here's the question folks. Do my children see any conflict between the person who stands on a Sunday morning dressed in a suit preaching and telling quote unquote everybody else what should and should not be? Is that the same person that they see at home?

Is there a constant? That's a role model. In other words, it's one thing for me to sit in this church like this on Sunday morning but what do I look like and sound like when I'm in the boardroom on Monday morning? See, I wish I hadn't started out with prayer and asking God to speak and tell him to get me out of the way. This is not designed here to make me walk out here and say well whoop-de-doo, it's just so lovely to be a Christian. They were role models.

He said everybody knew. That's what I'm so, folks, I'm so grateful to God for you. It's not about the end result. It's about the role model. How do we do God's business? That's a testimony and Paul said of these people, your testimony, you're a role model to all believers in the entire state of South Carolina.

I beg your pardon, in Macedonia. Am I a role model? Number eight, am I a bell ringer? Well, he says right there the Lord's message rang out from you.

Am I a bell ringer? They were bell ringers. They became known. Everywhere they went they were ringing the bell. He said the Lord's message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but it's become known everywhere.

It's been noised abroad. Not that they were a perfect people or that they do everything right or that they have the answer to everything, but they are a living testimony to the grace of God. Everybody knows it. You see folks, you can argue about everything under the sun, but you cannot argue with a testimony of a changed life. You cannot argue with that.

Number nine, they were decision makers. Bible says right there in verse nine that they turned away from idols. Did you know that as a Christian you've made a decision to turn away from and turn toward God? That is part of your dynamic testimony.

That's part of my testimony. I'm not suggesting this to anybody, but I always remember when I was a boy, my father was a scratch golfer, pastor of a church. Dad loved golf. He played golf every week. I mean, he loved golf and eventually Dad laid his clubs down. He said, I'm not playing golf anymore.

You know why? Because he believed that golf was beginning to consume him. And he couldn't be consumed by anything, golf or anything.

And my dad, a scratch golfer, laid his clubs down and incidentally gained the total victory and years later picked these clubs up again and began to play again with just the same kind of effectiveness. It turned out not to be a permanent forever thing, but he did that because he was a decision maker. That's the dynamic testimony of someone who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. And then finally, they were believers. They were believers. What did they believe in? They believed. Look at verse 10, the death of Jesus, the resurrection, God's power to raise Jesus from the dead, the second coming of the Lord, eternal life.

That's what the Bible says. They believed something. And their belief was centered in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, listen, that's a dynamic testimony. I had someone say to me recently, you know, pastor, I watched you on television for years. And eventually I just had to come because I came to the conclusion that you people sounded like you actually believed what you were saying. That's a testimony.

Isn't that a precious thing, folks? Well, what about you today? How are you measuring up to this? Now, that's the message God gave to me to share with you today from God. He gave me, that's how I got to that point. And so I just stood up here this morning and I said, here's what God says. Now you've got to do something about it. God is working in your heart and I want to encourage you to do that. I want to encourage you to act on that.

I tell you, it is the most wonderful place to be. I beg of you to do that. I beg of you today, most important, most important, you say, you know, pastor, I have a problem with all of these things. I'm sitting here with my heart up here.

Let me tell you, folks, if you don't know Jesus Christ, settle it today. I tell you, I look at this with fear and trembling because I know number three and number five and number seven and number 10 or whatever it might be that, man, I'm just not in it. I'm not doing well in some departments, folks. And so what God is saying to me is you got to jibby up, old man. God is saying to me, this is my word. This is your testimony.

If it's not, get on your face before me and set the record straight. Be what I've told you to be. God is saying that. If you need to recommit your life, do it. If God is speaking to you about a circumstance in your life, do it. Make that decision.

Do it. I'm telling you, he'll set you free. Such powerful words to be set free. Again, only God knows what you're dealing with, what you might even be in bondage to right now. But God is ready to set you free. Jesus literally exists to set us free from sin and from death. And if all of this time you've been listening to Dr. Wilton teaching from 1 Thessalonians, I pray that you would open your heart to not what he's just been teaching from God's word, but where this is going with an opportunity for us to make a decision to be free. Here's Dr. Don as he steps into the studio, really just sharing from his heart. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much. And I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today, I repent of my sin.

I confess my sin to you. And I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey.

And in just a moment, I'm going to come back with a final word. Perhaps you prayed with Dr. Wilton just moments ago to give your life to Jesus Christ or to rededicate your life. You need to know we are here to pray with you, to support you, to encourage you. As a matter of fact, Dr. Wilton has some free resources he wants to give to you. If you'll call us and share with us how God is stirring in your life, our number is 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. We can also connect on our website as well at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. We are here for you, here to encourage you, here to give you resources. As a matter of fact, one of the fresh resources I mentioned earlier today, here is Liz with all the details about how you can get a copy of this remarkable resource for parents and grandparents. Satan is seeking to devour your grandchildren. Evil runs rampant in the streets.

It's pouring out of social media and online streaming, seducing young people with false promises of worldly satisfaction. But the Word of God is stronger than anything that comes from the world. With your gift of support to the encouraging Word this month, you will receive Dr. Wilton's message, Standing in the Gap, along with the bonus book, prayers that avail much for grandparents. Use these Bible-based resources to guide younger generations to Jesus Christ, the only one who can save and satisfy. That's just one of many resources available on our website at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Yes, I had a text moments ago asking about the book from Dr. Don Wilton about Dr. Billy Graham and what it was like to be Dr. Graham's pastor called Saturdays with Billy. Yes, we have the second run of those. Copies are now in if you tried to get one earlier. We have them now, a fresh new batch of them.

Love to put those in your hands. That as well as some of the books that we've been sharing these last couple of months about what it is to pray for one another and our spouse. Thirty-one days of prayer for your husband. Thirty-one days of prayer for your wife. Remarkable resources. They sure strengthen mine and my bride's relationship.

You'll find them all at www.tewonline.org. Now, before we get away, closing thoughts from our pastor and chief encourager, Dr. Don Wilton. You know, these are such special times together. I'm so grateful, my friends, that we can worship together like this through the encouraging word broadcast ministry and use such a vital part of all that God's doing and I just love you and I want you to know that. You know, this ministry goes on 24 hours round the clock all the time. We want to be involved in your life and we want to continue to pray for you.

You can call us at any time. You can partner with us all the time through prayer and through your giving. We know that you are 100% engaged as we are in sharing God's truth with our searching world.

That's what this is all about. We need Jesus, don't we? And God is doing a great work and I love you today. Thank God for you. Pray for you. God bless you. That's all our time for today, but let's stay connected between now and next time on our website at www.tewonline.org.