R1680 The Carriers Promise

God has an encouraging word for you and me today, through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton, all about The Carrier's Promise. This is The Encouraging Word, and Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher, is a well-known author, pastor, evangelist, seminary professor, and today our prayer is that you would allow him to be your teacher in Matthew 28 as we open God's Word about The Carrier's Promise.

We continue in a series called Carried Through, and perhaps many of us remember what it's like when we get scooped up by a parent, carried up to bed, and tucked in for a night. You know, God is ready to carry us through not just those gentle situations, but even the most difficult of situations. If you'd like to have someone pray with you about God's carrying you through, call us. 866-899-WORD will connect you 24 hours a day.

That's 866-899-9673. We're here at The Encouraging Word to encourage you. And now today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. So happy to see you today, and just delighted thanking God for His goodness. Beginning a new series today, Carried Through, Carried Through. God carries us through, and for the next who knows how long. We're going to be going into God's Word. We're going to be looking at great stories and events and happenings and encounters in Scripture, where God is going to affirm to us time without number, that He's there for us. He carries us through, regardless of what we encounter, regardless of our circumstances. Jesus carries us through. We're going to begin today right at that point, at the most essential point. Two passages.

First of all, what Jesus said in Matthew 28, verse 19, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And here it is, and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Let's see where this all came into reality. Acts chapter one. I really want you to follow along with this. This is powerful.

It's going to be hard for me to not stop, but I'm going to try and discipline myself. Acts chapter one. Let's see where this all came to a head. Acts chapter one, verse one. In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day that Jesus was taken up into heaven.

After he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. This was a word for believers. If you love Jesus and you belong to Jesus, this is for you. Jesus said this. And so it is in verse three that Jesus presented himself alive. To these believers after his suffering by many proofs appearing to them during 40 days and speaking, what did he speak to them about? The kingdom of God. And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem. Can I just say something?

See, I told you I couldn't avoid stopping. Jesus is about to leave and the thing he tells them to do is to stay where they are. Most unusual instruction because where they were hated them most. Just 40 days earlier, they had crucified this same Jesus who was saying this. Jesus evidently wanted them to be a witness in the heart of their greatest opposition. He wanted them to bloom where they were planted.

But that wasn't the limit of his scope. While staying with them, he ordered them to do everything he was telling them to do beginning where they lived. And while doing so to wait for the promise of the father which he said, you heard from me. For John baptized with water and you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they came together, they asked him, these were people like you and me, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

Immediately, their politics began to interfere with their mission. Jesus let them know something without hesitation. He said to them, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons the father has fixed by his own authority. Why don't you leave the unfolding of the politics to me and you get upon with the mission that I've called you to? And that is the gospel of the Lord Jesus where you're planted.

Sometimes, my friends, you can examine yourself. If your social media account blows up more concern and says more about you related to politics than it does about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You need to do some business with the Lord. God didn't call the church to get into a feeding frenzy over the politics of the day. God called the church to be obedient to the call of God to do what God tells us to do with the only means by which the heart of people can be changed, which will in effect affect their politics. Are you listening? Do I need to say that again? So when they came together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

We've got a bad government out there. And he said to them, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons the father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you will be my witnesses right here in your own backyard in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the outermost parts of the earth. And when he had said these things as they were looking on him, boom, he was gone. Nice. How do you do? Lifted up a cloud took him out of their sight and while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, men of Galilee, why are you just standing there?

Get on with it. He told you what to do. This Jesus who was taken up from you in heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go. So they returned to Jerusalem. Now there's an act of obedience from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath journey away. And when they had entered Jerusalem, they went back inside to the upper room where they were staying.

Peter and John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, son of Alpheus, Simon, the zealot, Judas, the son of James. And all of these believers were of one accord. It was an amazing thing, the Bible says. They were united as a congregation. They were with one accord, but they did something very interesting. They devoted themselves to prayer together with the woman and Mary, the mother of Jesus and his brothers, the whole congregation, all their believers. Just a few words today about the carrier's promise. Look at these believers.

A couple of things for us to think about. Number one, these believers followed Jesus. They were followers of Jesus. They had followed him. And you and I can track that.

It's a beautiful journey. Secondly, they heard him. He taught them. They heard what Jesus said about so many things. Jesus was the source of their authority. They followed him, they heard him, but get this number three, they unified behind him. They unified, verse 14. Bible says they were in one accord, all of the believers.

Now, how impossible is that? And if I try to understand these early believers who stood at the feet of Jesus and what they had just gone through and what they faced, for them, they were looking. Jesus suddenly was gone. Their very rock, their leader, to them, humanly speaking, he was gone. They saw him go.

Boom, suddenly he was gone. Stay in Jerusalem, I'm out of here. All they were left with was what he told them to do.

And they went back into their church and they spoke as one person and said, Lord, we will do this. We don't know how we're going to do it. We don't know where to go next. We don't know if we're even going to be able to get through this. You mean you want us to be here in Jerusalem. They're going to kill us.

But we'll do it because you said it. So what was the fourth part of that? You know, in their case, they didn't pull themselves together. And I just want to say for them, they didn't get out their maps and all their plans and everything and say, no, no, they devoted themselves to prayer.

It's amazing, isn't it? Why did they devote themselves to prayer? Two reasons why they prayed.

Number one, because they trusted him. That's why they devoted themselves to prayer. Are you and I praying?

Did you pray before you came this morning? You know, folks, I'm not in saying this, but you all know that we can call a conference. We can get people together. We'll gather for just about anything.

People will go. Did you call a prayer meeting? Do you know the irony is?

Here's the irony. We all believe in prayer. Do you know how I know that? Because every week we get calls from people who suddenly are facing something that they cannot do and they immediately call us and ask us to pray for them.

So watch this. You doing good right now? Be honest with the Lord. When last did you seriously have a time of prayer? You go to the doctor tomorrow and that doctor tell you you've got terminal cancer. I guarantee you, you'll start praying.

And you should. That's the way God's designed us. All we need in Spartanburg or in New York City is a hurricane to come through and everybody will pray.

You ever ask yourself why? We know. They trusted him. Their task was monumental, but they knew he would carry them through. So they devoted themselves to prayer. Why did they pray? Because they trusted him, but the second reason they did was because they needed him.

Can't do it without the Lord. Why did these people pray? They needed him.

You think Jerusalem was a joke? Everything they looked at was monumental. It verged on impossible. It was fearful.

You looking at your marriage right now and saying, man, my marriage is just rock bottom. There's nothing I can do. But God says I will carry you through. Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of today's message from Dr. Don Wilton called The Carrier's Promise in just a moment. But Dr. Don wants me to remind you we're here for you, not just to present this gospel, to present this truth and this teaching, but also to have a conversation with you to maybe answer some questions about today's teaching or questions about what it is to know Jesus as your Savior. Our phone number will connect you with one of us 24 hours a day to talk or listen or pray or connect you with resources. Jot the number down.

Store it in your cell. It is 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. And in the midst of all that we're going through as a country right now, as a world, it's an opportunity to pray for one another and realize that the series Dr. Don is going through right now, this concept of being carried through, is something God is ready to do.

And he uses the body of Christ, other members, to pray for one another, to help educate each other in the scriptures that we know will help carry us through. Again, there are more resources on our website as well. Drop by at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. And while you're there, you'll discover great resources like this. Generations are lost. The desire to be popular and accepted is an attractive lure. It's a huge challenge to live in a way that is pleasing to our Lord.

It's so easy to get off track. But remember, God is in control. There is power in prayer. For your gift of support to the Encouraging Word this month, you will receive Dr. Wilton's message, Train Up a Child, along with the bonus book, The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children.

I look forward to receiving your testimony of how God used you to change the precious generations in your family. Now that's just one of our many great resources on our website at www.tewonline.org. And while you're on our website, www.tewonline.org, be sure and sign up for the free email from Dr. Wilton. It is a powerful, insightful concept of taking God's Word in just a nugget, having some application to it, and launching your day. It takes just a couple of minutes to read. Again, you can get it via email by signing up on our website at www.tewonline.org.

Or if you'd like to call and get a free copy of the fiscal version, we'll be happy to send that to you as well by calling 866-899-9673. Now let's dive back into today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. I'll carry you through. So watch this.

Let's bring this together. What does prayer do? What did prayer do for these people? If this is the carrier's promise, what did prayer do?

Well, first of all, it connected them. Prayer connects you. Prayer connects the carried to the carrier. Prayer connects us.

It's the very means by which we in our helplessness, in our hope, in our questions, in our, this is the way we connect. That's why when you go through a real trial and tribulation, the first thing you want to do is call a friend or call the church or call the pastor or pray. You go to God. You should go. Why are you doing that? You're getting connected into the one who is going to carry you through.

And I'm telling you, over the next several months, we're going to see that. It is fantastic. I mean, this is fantastic. Just get ready. Just get ready.

Fasten your seatbelts. Because God carries us through. What did prayer do for these believers? Prayer connected them to Jesus. Secondly, prayer directed them.

When you get connected into the carrier, the carrier directs your footsteps. Here's what he'll tell you to do. He will direct you as to where you need to serve. Folks, God takes us to Jerusalem. He puts us in the heartbeat of the place that is most difficult to accomplish.

These disciples, I can guarantee you, said I wish his last word to us was go to Galilee and to Samaria and Judea, but not Jerusalem, Lord. We saw what happened. This place is in a feeding frenzy. We cannot do this. How did it happen? Through prayer. They went straight to the throne.

Why? Because when they prayed and they spoke to God, they didn't consult their books. They didn't look into their own capability.

They didn't consider their limits. They went to God. They went to God and they said, Oh God, help me. Help us.

We cannot do this. And they got connected into the very one who would carry them through. And when they got connected into the one who would carry them through, immediately they began to be directed as to their steps. And if you want to read about what God did with them, it begins to unfold. People by the thousands came to know Jesus Christ.

And there was a transforming power of the gospel that swept across this place, beginning right on the southern steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, that pagan city that crucified Jesus. What did prayer do? It connected them.

It directed them. But there's one more I just want to say to you. It sure did encourage them. Do we need a good dose of encouragement? Wow. We got a lot of surface blessings and we certainly do.

I'm sure at least one of your teams won something this weekend. But I'm telling you folks, being serious about Jesus, we better stay tapped in to the one who will carry us through. If we don't, that old devil will get in.

And boy, is he the minister of discouragement. I will guarantee you there's a bunch of you before today's out someone's going to get in your ear. It's going to come through your television set. It's going to come from a phone call. It's going to come from your family.

It's going to come from something because there is discouragement everywhere. You're going to walk out from the presence of God. You're going to open the door and you're going to get out there and you're going to smell the putrid air of the rotting world in which we live, which is so sinking deep in the sinfulness of who we are.

And God, you're going to all of a sudden find your whole focus and attention taken away. That old devil is going to throw everything up at you. He's going to trip you. He's going to cause you to doubt.

He's going to throw something. Somebody is going to walk up to you and say, but this and but that and but the next thing. And why don't you look at this? And we don't need that. Who said this? I don't like this. And did you see what so-and-so said on social media?

And I don't think we should this. And they're going to do everything they can possibly do. But I can tell you something when a people come together and walk in the faith of God and trust him and stay connected into the one who guides us and carries us through. Oh, man, the encouragement of the Holy Spirit begins to fall upon us in his mighty power. And he lifts us up as one people and our sons and daughters begin to proclaim the name of Jesus.

God will carry us through. Would you bow your heads with me today? Would you bow your heads? Bow your heads in Genesis. Bow your heads in celebration. Bow your heads as you worship in the presence of a holy and a righteous God. Make that decision right where you are. If you don't know Jesus, trust Jesus as your savior today. Now do it.

You cannot do this on your own. He died for you and gave his life for you and he loves you. Give your life to him. Believers. One accord in the presence of Jesus. Let's stay connected to our Heavenly Father. Let's be directed through his word and by his spirit.

And let's be encouraged to stand strong. Today you're doing business with the Lord. You're laying your life down. You're stepping back from the magnificence of your own person. You're stepping aside from the throne of your own heart. And right now you're saying, oh Jesus, it's yours. God is refocusing you.

He's re-energizing you. He's encouraging you. And right now you're ready to step up and step out for Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I call you to stand up as a people. Fight the good fight to faith. Be men and women who know who God is.

Teaching our sons and daughters that there is only one way. And that's the way of Jesus. Let's serve church. Let's give church like never before. Let's reach our city for Christ like never before. But let's be a people who are connected right there at the foot of the only one who can carry us through.

And that is our desire to be a people connected to Jesus, connected right there at the foot of the cross. Jesus can and does carry us through. This message series from Dr. Don Wilton called Carried Through has been a gathering point for many of us as believers to realize that we do not have to do this on our own.

God's the one that does the saving. Perhaps moments ago, as Dr. Wilton was praying that prayer of asking Jesus Christ into your heart, you, you agreed with Dr. Wilton. You prayed that prayer in your life as well. And you have given your life to Jesus for the very first time. Or perhaps you have rededicated your life and you know that from this day forward, you are all in for Jesus.

Either way, you need to know this. The angels in heaven are rejoicing at this minute at your decision to say yes to Christ or to say, yes, I'm coming back to Jesus Christ. Oh, we would love to rejoice with you as well. And Dr. Don Wilton would love to pray for you. He'd love to pray for you in your next steps of growing in your faith. And he has also prepared some wonderful free resources he wants you to have. Again, absolutely free if you'll call us at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. Or if you like, you can meet us on our website as well at www.tewonline.org. Share your story and we'd love to share these resources. That's online at www.tewonline.org.

Or call us at 866-899-9673. And now, before we go, just a word to those of you that, like me, have been walking with Christ for a long time. And Dr. Wilton's ministry encourages you, inspires you, and you are excited to pray for and maybe even financially give to this ministry.

Because you know every day God's Word never returns void and lives are being changed by the power of God's Word in the Encouraging Word Broadcast ministry. We encourage you to consider giving to this ministry. You can discover how on our website at www.tewonline.org. You can even call us to share your gift right now at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. Or online at www.tewonline.org. Thank you for your prayerful and financial support of the Ministry of the Encouraging Word.