God has an encouraging word of When you hear God speaking, can you feel it?
It's like, oh wow, I can do this. There is life. You mean I can be forgiven? You mean there is joy in life? It means I can start all over again? You mean my life's not over? You mean he will forgive me? You receive it with joy. Watch this. I mean, Jesus says, he says, receive it with joy. But these have no root.
They believe for a while and in time of testing, it's proven that they didn't receive it. They fall away. It's kind of like a resolution. I'm full of resolutions. How many times I turn over a new leaf, make a resolution, but it doesn't last. And then he gets on to verse 14. He says, and as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear the word, but as they go their way, they become choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit never matures. It just remains stagnant. Growth is so important.
Let me ask you something. Spiritually speaking, are you the same person today that you were 10 years ago? If you are, Jesus is saying, you've just been choked up with all the worries of this world. It's time for you to let go. And it's time for you to start growing up spiritually. It's time for you to stop acting in a childlike manner. You don't need to be a big baby anymore. Stop your squawking. You don't need to wear a diaper anymore.
Did you know that? That's what Jesus was saying. This is gold, in my opinion, because he's addressing the reality of our life. And then, of course, in the fourth instance, and I love verse 15, as for that word, that seed which fell in the good soil, these are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and consequently bear fruit with patience.
These are the fruit bearers. You know, it's those days and months that go on and you really actually feel like you mean something. That you're contributing, that you are part of, that you've got a reason to live and a purpose and you know who God is and you love people because of a genuineness in your heart. So, I want to speak to you about four life resolutions and excuse the pun. This is a deliberate pun. Four life resolutions.
These are resolutions for life. There are four of them that Jesus tells us about. On the beaches of southern Africa, there are many, many warnings posted. Now, great whites are big fish. They're a little bigger than the average catfish. And great whites don't even say grace at breakfast. If they see you, they swallow you whole. They are big fellas. In fact, a couple of years ago in a place called Fishek, just recently a lady was swimming in Fishek off the Cape of Good Hope and people standing on the shore saw great white come up behind her and took her with one bite.
Just swallowed her. Great whites would be, I mean, you can't imagine how big they are. They are mean, awfully frightening fish. And along the coast of southern Africa and Australia where the home of the great white is, they have offshore nets and they have zones where bathers are restricted. And they tell you, listen, swim. If you're going to go surfing or swimming, you swim between that point over there and that point over there. And if you do, I promise you, you're fine.
They don't have any shark attacks. But the people who get eaten, who lose their legs and who get maimed by sharks mostly are people who ignore the warning signs. That's exactly what Jesus was saying. Jesus was saying, listen, the word of God is truth. My word will set you free. I am Jesus Christ. I am the way, the truth and the life. When you put your faith and trust in me, I'm the only one who can forgive you and make your life brand new. I'm the only one who can do for you what you cannot do for yourself. And I will give you life with a capital L. I'll give you the greatest life because it's life in Christ. And here are the warning signs. And in order to take note of the warning signs, Jesus himself gives us these resolutions that we must make.
I just want to give them to you. Number one, bind God's word in your heart today. Now, if you look at what he tells us about the first group, he tells us about this first group of people are a people who receive the word of God in their hearts. Jesus even said, listen, this word goes into your heart.
Why into your heart? What he's saying is that when Jesus Christ reveals himself to you by his spirit, there are many, many people who receive that word, that seed falls into your heart. But unless you are willing to bind that word in your heart, the birds are going to come and they're going to pick it out of your heart and take it away from you.
Some of you are being picked to death. It's what Jesus was talking about. He was speaking about a shallow initial receiving of God's word. He wasn't criticizing that.
He was saying it's not good enough. Just that you sit and listen and say, yeah, that's right. Oh, man, I know God.
Yes, I'm going to do that. What he's saying is you've got to actually take hold of God's word and do what he instructs us to do. And you've got to believe with all your heart that God is who he says he is.
And you've got to be willing to take him at his word. Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of today's message for life resolutions by Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment.
But Dr. Don insists, I remind you that this is not just a presentation of teaching. It's also an opportunity based on what you've heard from God's word through God's servant, Dr. Don Wilton, to allow us to pray with you about how God is stirring your heart each and every day. We take hundreds of phone calls at eight six six eight nine nine word.
That's eight six six eight nine nine nine six seven three. Or if you'd like to go keyboard to keyboard, we'd love to connect with you. Pray with you. Pray for you on our website as well. At TEW online dot org. There are some situations we're facing in this particular season of life like loneliness that you'll find on our website. TEW online dot org.
Tremendous resources that will help us know when there are times where we are bound to be alone, but not lonely. That's the resource you'll find on our website right now at TEW online dot org. I challenge you to take a look today.
That's online at TEW online dot org. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Hello, everybody. You know, my friends know me as Don Wilton, pastor, friend, neighbor, dad, husband, grandpa. But I'm going to tell you, people all around the world just like you know and identify Dr. Billy Graham as that man that God used to reach so many people around the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Graham in a very personal and intimate way, both as his friend and as his pastor. In fact, for many years, I drove up to his home in Montreat, North Carolina, and visited with him every Saturday.
Just like friends do everywhere. We sat together and ate together, walked, talked. We discussed politics, friends, places, people. We laughed our heads off.
We did everything one could possibly imagine. That's why I wrote this wonderful book, Saturdays with Billy. It's all about a personal relationship. And I hope and pray that Saturdays with Billy will be a blessing to you, will inspire you and will encourage your heart. Just as Mr. Graham encouraged my heart and changed my life. God bless you, my friends.
Let's do it. It's our prayer every time we open the Word of God with Dr. Don Wilton and now share that with you on this podcast, streamcast, radio broadcast. However you're listening to this right now, we believe that the seeds of God's Word are what are going to bring fruit in each of our lives. Some of us, we've been living and loving Jesus for a long time. Some of you right now, you realize you've kept God at a distance, at an arm's length. You've been listening to the teaching of Dr. Don Wilton from the pulpit.
Now as he steps into the studio, open your heart to what he wants to share next. In fact, Jesus went to the extreme of saying this here affects one's salvation. So here is the first of these life resolutions. Bind God's Word in your heart today.
Would you do that? Are you willing to take a hold of what you know to be true that God is saying to you? Are you willing to draw a line in the sand and say I'm not only hearing but I believe and I'm willing to confess my sin and to trust in him and to believe in him and to cast myself upon him? Number two, put down your roots real deep today. Put down your roots real deep today.
Now I want you to note the second instant here. Verse six, some fell on the rock and as it grew up, it withered away. What did Jesus have to say about that in verse 13? He said the ones on the rock are those who when they hear the word receive it with joy, but they have no root. I was in northwest Arkansas on Wednesday. Northwest Arkansas. Actually quite a beautiful part of the country. Reminded me a lot of the upstate. And an unbelievable band of bad weather hit Texas.
I was in this building when it skirted right where we were. We didn't get any tornadoes. But do you know those tornadoes that came through Texas, killed six people, obliterated, swaths of obliteration, homes, lives destroyed. We've seen it on television.
Do you know one of the most, not only, but one of the most vulnerable things in tornadoes are things like motor cars and mobile homes. Things like that. Do you know one of the reasons? Because they really have no root.
Just like some of you. You might say to me today, well, pastor, what roots me? My faith roots me. My family roots me.
My church roots me. My goings and comings, where I go, what I do, who I hang with. There are a lot of young people in this room. I want to say to you, young people, your friends will root you. You hang around with junk, you'll become junk. I promise you.
So who did you hang around with yesterday? You're not going to make it. If you're not rooted. That's what Jesus was talking about. You can receive the word with joy, but you've got to make a resolution to put your roots down real deep. And you've got to do it today. You've got to do it now.
So what have you got to let go of? Find God's word in your heart today. Put your roots down real deep today. Number three, be satisfied with your life today.
Be satisfied with your life today. Look at verse seven. Some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. Jesus explained this in verse 14.
This is what he said. And as for what fell among the thorns, these are people who hear, but as they go on their way, they become choked. By the way, the word there is they get caught up in the worries of life. Can you identify with that? Does life have anything to worry about?
Of course. And what Jesus was saying here is they are choked up by the cares and riches and pleasures of life. Do you know, by the way, that yesterday there was a Powerball lottery drawing in Florida? And if anybody in this congregation wins that thing, you better come and tell me about it. I'm told I don't have all the facts, but I think it's worth $600 million.
Am I exaggerating? And whoever wins it, when all the taxes have been taken home, can walk away with $330 million. Well, on the radio two days ago, they were interviewing some people as I was driving in my motor car, and they interviewed one man who said, oh, man, am I going to win that? He said, in fact, I have sold everything I've got to buy tickets.
That's what he said. And the lady interviewing him said to him, well, sir, what have you sold? He said, man, I've sold my car. He said, I've sold my house. He said, I've sold books. He said, I'm selling clothes. He said, I'm spending an average of $80 a day buying those lottery tickets. She said, why are you doing that? He said, well, he said, what happens if I win?
She didn't ask him, well, what happens if you don't? Do you know there is a greater chance of someone winning the lottery than being elected president of the United States? And that's some of you. Some of you in this room here today with all the love in my heart, you know the word of God.
You've received it. You've heard it. You've been around it. God's seed has been everywhere from your parents, from your mother, your grandmother. People have prayed for you. You've been sent on trips.
You've been given every opportunity, but you've allowed everything in the world to surround you and just choke you to death. Jesus was not downplaying riches here. He wasn't saying there's nothing wrong with, there's something wrong with enjoying life. What he was saying is, listen, you need to get your priorities in order. You need to make that decision today. Many people will say to me, pastor, what can I do? Be satisfied with your life today. Now, folks, on a human level, I might have had a thought once or twice at what I do with $337 million. Any of you like to try me, I'll prove my thoughts. Who doesn't want to have this and have that?
Let's be real with each other. But can I also say this to you? I don't know whether it's just because I'm a little bit older today. Do you know what I appreciate today? I appreciate that the real valuable things of life, sometimes it's just little things. It's just friendship. It's talking to mom or dad. It's having a home.
It's going to play a game of golf with some friends. It's texting someone saying, what you up to, man? It's a hug.
It's being there for somebody who's hurting. If your value is in anything other than that, you're dead, man. You're going to be one of those people who are going to get to the age of 60 and 70 and look back with just regret after regret after regret. Be satisfied with your life today. Strive to do your best.
Go for the gold. Work harder than you've ever worked in your life. Roll up your sleeves. Have all the ambition you possibly can muster. Do everything well. Say sorry every time you do something wrong.
Forgive people openly and readily because your Heavenly Father has forgiven you. But be satisfied with your life. Drive your own motor car. Don't spend your life always hankering off to something else.
Just get on with it. Be content. Stop the rat race. Stop the world. Some of you dads, man, you're just gone. Just stop it. Spend more time with your kids.
They're going to grow up and graduate before you can count to 10. Then they're gone, man. If you've got an elderly parent, call them right after the service and tell them that you love them because they may not be here next week. You'd give anything to talk to your mother. So why has it taken you a whole week to talk to her this week?
How come you don't answer the telephone when someone you love calls you? Now these are four life resolutions. So Jesus is saying, look, my truth is out there.
You know the truth. The seed is being sown. So make these resolutions. Bind God's word in your heart today. Put down your roots real deep today. Be satisfied with your life today. And then number four, live out loud for Jesus today. Live out loud for Jesus today. That's what he says here.
Verse 15, as for that in the good soil, they are those who hearing the word hold it fast with honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. Live out loud for Jesus today. Live out loud for him today. Do it today. Can I make a little suggestion here today? Go and buy someone else a Coke today. Find someone today and just do something for them.
Doesn't matter how small, just do it. Like, you know, when someone comes and serves your table, look at that person say, hmm, they're serving my table. Instead of waiting till the end, I tell you what, I'm going to do that. I'll do that because I have to take someone to lunch today. Sam, you're going to have lunch with me, I believe. You can hold me to this, so I'm just going to go ahead now. I'm going to put my life on the line. When I walk in there today with you and we sit down, when whoever it is comes up and serves my table, I'm going to look at them.
I'm saying, man, I'm so happy to see you. Here's $20. I'm going to give them $20. And then I'm going to say this to them.
I'm going to say, you know, I just want to do this. I'm not waiting until the end to evaluate you because God's already evaluated you and he's already evaluated me. God's already given me my tip. He gave me life and he'll do the same thing for you.
There's the resolution. Live out loud for Jesus today. Now, here's what you can do.
If you go to the same restaurant as I'm going to, you can come up to me and say, I just want to give you $100 for no reason. And where were we going, Sam? You know, I love God's word because, you know, he is so mighty to save, isn't he? He's so mighty to save.
He can move mountains. And I began this message today by asking some questions. You know, what can I tell my son? Can I begin again? You know, if I could do it again. How are you doing?
How are you doing today? Jesus said, my seed's going out. The seed is being sown. Do it. 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. If you just prayed to receive Christ, perhaps along with Dr. Don Wilton, or maybe rededicated your life, and you know that today these four life resolutions have given you the strength and the tools to move forward in a powerful new way, you need to know that you are not alone in this decision. We would love to rejoice with you, celebrate with you, and give you some free resources Dr. Don has prepared for your next steps. You can receive those by calling us right now at 866-899-WORD and sharing with us how God has stirred your heart, whether to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus today. Again, the number is 866-899-9673. We'd love to connect with you on our website as well.
It's T-E-W online dot O-R-G. That's T-E-W online dot O-R-G. I pray that you would know that it is indeed, it's not just the name of our ministry that Dr. Don selected years ago, the encouraging word. It is our calling to encourage you.
So the phone number is available 24 hours a day at 866-899-9673, or meet us on our website at T-E-W online dot O-R-G. And before we get away, our 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 you're 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. Our time's gone for today, but oh, tomorrow we have a powerful message from Dr. Wilton.
He'll be in Matthew chapter 18 talking about the promise through children. I hope you'll join us and bring a friend, and I want to say thank you so very much. Many of you are not only prayerfully, and that's the most important, prayerfully supporting this ministry, but also financially supporting this ministry, and we are grateful. We are here because of the generous support of friends like you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-04-23 18:27:03 / 2023-04-23 18:36:43 / 10