R1012A Model Example

God has an encouraging word for you and for you anytime at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673 or meet us on our website at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. So many friends are asking about this fresh new series about what it is to be alone but not lonely.

You'll find those details on our website at www.tewonline.org. And now today's teaching with Dr Don Wilton. We have so much for which to thank the Lord. And really, if you are wondering what this is all about, it's just about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why we're meeting today is to tell you about the Lord Jesus.

And I'm going to invite you to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we're going to talk about a lot of sacrifice today. And we're going to think very seriously about those who have laid down their lives for us.

And you know, if we were to go back over the decades, it would be an amazing thing if we could truly understand the extent of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, the stories, the heroism. And today we're going to be focusing really all of that right squarely on the Lord Jesus. We just sang about that, didn't we? It's at the name of Jesus that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You know, I often think about that passage. We're going to come to it in just a moment. In fact, you can take your Bibles and open right now with me to Philippians chapter two.

Philippians chapter two. A lot going on, a lot to give thanks for today. Just as we thank the Lord for the lives that have been laid down for the freedoms of our nation and for the families.

And we give honor to them today. We're going to discover in just a moment the model example of all. And that's why I'm telling you today, it's all about the Lord Jesus. I don't want anybody today to be saying, I wonder where he's going with all of this. I want you to know right now, right up front, have you ever opened up a book and you start reading and every now and again you kind of cheat a little bit? Don't look at me like that. You all do that.

I'm not the only one. You read that novel and you get up to chapter one and you read verse one and your finger just happens to go to the final page of the book because you just want to know what it's all about, don't you? So I'm not even going to cheat today.

I'm not going to pull the wool over your eyes. I'm going to get straight to the point and I'm going to tell you that everything that we talk about today has to do with the Lord Jesus. See, he's the best friend that I've ever had. And did you know something? Did you know that it took the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to give me my freedom? Did you know that it took the fact that Jesus died for me that I have life?

Now, folks, everybody watch me. We live in the greatest nation in the world. I speak as one who knows. I have lived. In fact, I have done the uniform of a foreign nation. I've marched under a different flag. So for those of you like my sons and my daughter who are born and raised in the United States, and for those of you that have had it all, and you've grown up in the environment that you've grown up, I want to tell you something.

You would not have what you have today under the Lordship of Jesus Christ without the fact that there are thousands upon thousands of men and women who have donned the uniform of the United States, have given up everything, have laid their lives down. Did you know that as I stand here this morning, I am looking forward to lunch? I'm sorry, I'm just going to be honest with you because I'm going to have lunch with my grandson today.

I'm not concerned about any of the rest of my family. I'm going to have lunch with Bolt today, and that's the bottom line. I'm willing to take up pizza or anything with apologies to John Langford and the Nautilus Fitness Center.

It's my grandson. But do you know something? I can stand here and say I'm looking forward to lunch. Do you know that as I speak to you, there are special forces, there are men and women in every branch of the military that don't have a lunch to look forward to right now?

You know why they're there? Because of you and me. When you look up this morning and you look like you are recovering from hookworm treatment, you need to change your attitude. You need to stop being so grumpy and bent out of shape and stop complaining about everything that's going on. And what we're going to discover in this passage is that Paul comes right out of the hatch and he said, I want you to know something about an attitude. I want you to have the mind of Christ in you.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Well, just on a human level, if there are so many men and women who have laid down their lives for me and for the freedoms that I enjoy and for the excellency of this grand nation, these United States of America, what right do I have to stand up here today and complain because my food wasn't served quickly enough? Or think the world is coming to an end because of the awful gas prices? Or think that somebody here owes me something?

Or behave badly toward my parents? I want to speak to you today about the model example. This is going to knock your socks off.

This is amazing. Now look here in Philippians chapter two, and I'm going to begin at verse five. Follow along in your Bibles with me. This is what Paul says. He says your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Hold on, whoa, I got to stop right there.

That is impossible. Paul is telling me that my attitude, my mindset, the way I think, which translates into the way I conduct myself, should be a mirror image of that which Christ has set before me. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ, who being in the very nature, God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but rather made himself nothing. He emptied himself, taking the very form, the nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Well, what did this all result in? Therefore, God exalted him, that is the Lord Jesus, to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus Christ, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That is why every time you hear somebody take God's name in vain, every time you cringe with every movie you watch, every coach you hear cussing God's name from the sidelines. Every time you hear someone use the name of Jesus Christ as a swear word, God tells us why. I have yet to hear anybody in Hollywood on any movie use the name of Buddha or Mohammed or Confucius or Don Wilson or Dr. Billy Graham or their favorite preacher or a president of the United States of America or a prime minister of Great Britain. I have never, ever heard not one single person in all of Hollywood, not even Tom Cruise has ever used the name of Mohammed or Buddha as a cuss word. Why do you think because they are afraid of the Muslims? Why do you think they are afraid of the Buddhists?

Why do you think they are afraid of the President of the United States in this nation where we have free speech and the right to say anything we want? No, they use the name of Jesus. Let me read that again, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess on earth and under the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord, all to the glory of God the Father. I want to thank Hollywood for reminding us repeatedly that Jesus is Lord.

They do a great job from Steven Spielberg to Michael Moore. Thank you, gentlemen. You can't help yourself and it's not a matter whether or not you believe in Jesus, the Bible says that Jesus is Lord. You can squawk like a chicken.

You can pass all the legislation in America that you want. But I'm here to tell you on the authority of the word of God that it is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one. He is the sacrifice.

And the Bible says that God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. You must give your heart to Jesus. What an example. You know, I often think about men and women in uniform. I said to myself the other day, what is it about their tremendous example that we love? I don't mind telling you folks, when we have times when we honor our men and women in uniform and those who have laid their lives down, it is an emotional time for me. Think about the soldier for a minute.

Have you ever tried to put it down on paper? What is it that they do that makes them so special to us? Well, first of all, they volunteer their services in the United States. Now, that may not be true elsewhere, but that's what happens in my country. Our men and women volunteer their services.

Now, folks, can I just say this? When I served, I didn't volunteer. I know what it's like to be conscripted. I did not volunteer. I know the difference. Your pastor knows the difference. Not in this country. We honor them.

They volunteer their service. I did not do it. I was forced to go. I had no option.

If I did not do it, I would have gone to jail for four years. None of you have ever lived under a system like that, have you? They volunteer their services. Number two, they lay aside their personal privileges, men and women in uniform. I mean, can I just say this lovingly with due respect to all those who are in uniform? You could be doing a lot of other things, but you willingly lay aside your other privileges.

A lot of the freedoms that you have. Number three, they put on a shared uniform. I love the uniform of our men and women, don't you? But folks, with all the magnificence of the military uniform, it's the uniform of a slave, a real servant. When you put on that uniform, you share servanthood. That's what happens to you.

Number four, they become like all the others. When you put on that uniform, when you walk out of Civvy Street and you put on that uniform, you become like all the others. You're just a number.

It's now 35 years since I served in Africa. I still remember my number. If there's anything I knew was my number, because that's all I was, was a number. I was just a number in my blood type, because all I had around my neck was this uniform and dog tags.

I was just a number. It's like you just become like all the others. Number five, they assume a common identity.

It goes more than just becoming like all the others. They assume an identity when you're in the service. There's a kind of a brotherhood that's hard to describe.

Number six, they humble themselves. When a person signs up for the military over the generations in America, it's an act of great humility. We look at it and we say, wow, boy, that's a real man.

Yes, a real woman. We understand that. But folks, it is an act of great humility to serve in uniform. If you've never been there, because it means that you answer to everybody. And you have all these people with heavy shoulders and straps on their shoulders, and they all have authority over you. It seems like the whole world's got authority.

You've got to humble yourself. When you go into the military, the law, the line is drawn. Number seven, they lay down their lives. That's why we have a time like this.

They willingly lay down their lives. Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back in just a moment with more of today's message, The Model Example by Dr. Don Wilton. But Dr. Don wants me to remind you, we're here for you. Happy to connect you with great resources and pray for you 24 hours a day at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. Many are calling about this wonderful resource called loneliness, how to be alone but not lonely. It's paired with a powerful message from Dr. Wilton called Fear Not, reminding us that there are 365 different references saying fear not in God's Word, one for every single day.

So if you're finding yourself in need of an encouraging message that will help you push back on the fear and remind yourself that you can be alone but not lonely, this is just a resource for you or perhaps one to share with a friend. You'll find all the details on our website, TEWOnline.org. That's TEWOnline.org or call for your copy at 866-899-9673. For your gift of $25 or more, you'll receive this pair of resources that will not only strengthen you, encourage you, but it'll also be fueling the ministry of the encouraging Word. This listener supported ministry is fueled by your gifts. You'll discover more on our website at TEWOnline.org.

Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Folks, it's one of the hardest things to come to grips with. These brave men and women over the generations in our country who have died on the battlefield, they willingly laid down their lives. Just try and get a hold of that. It's like they said, I'm going to serve the Lord, I'm going to lay down my life, I'm going to give my life, I'm going to sacrifice my life, I'm going to go and serve even though it may mean my own death.

It's hard to get a hold of that. But there's an eighth feature that I love about all men and women in uniform. They wear the badge of badge of honor forever. We are honoring people today from decades ago, generations ago.

That badge of honor, that mark of distinctiveness is a forever badge of honor. It doesn't diminish, it's not taken away by the death of that individual. Generations upon generations find themselves in an attitude of gratitude because of those who have laid down their lives. Now such is the model of the Lord Jesus out of this passage.

It's an amazing thing. Let me show you what the Bible tells us about this great model, the model example. That's why I want to talk to you about Jesus today. In verse six, the Bible tells us that he volunteered his service to God. Now, folks, this is a deep theological question here.

The Bible says here, listen to this, it's very, very important. Being in the very nature of God that he did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. He volunteered his service to God. It was God's will that Jesus go to the cross. But Jesus, the son of the living God, became obedient to the father, even to his death upon the cross.

What does it mean? That literally means that the Lord Jesus Christ refused to hold on to his divine rights and prerogatives as God. He never ever in his life and ministry denied his equality with God, but he never used his power and authority as God for his own personal advantage. Even when upon the cross, he could have called 10,000 angels to destroy the world and set him free. That was his prerogative as God. But he volunteered his life. I love to read history books.

I do that all the time. Remarkable gentleman. His name was Ted Roosevelt. Interestingly enough, he was a brigadier general, served in the North African campaign. I've read a lot about Brigadier General Ted Roosevelt. You might have guessed by now he had a famous father who just happened to be president of the United States of America during that time. Now, Ted Roosevelt was an interesting fellow. I'm not going to get into all details about him, but from what I understand, according to the historians, one thing you can say about Brigadier General Ted Roosevelt, that even though his father was president of the United States of America, the commander in chief, Brigadier General Roosevelt, never traded on his rightful position as a son of the commander in chief. He acted on his own and did what he did according to the merit that he believed he needed to do. Jesus volunteered his service to God. What a powerful message from Dr. Don Wilton today, and as we think about that example that Jesus provides for us, perhaps there's something in your life and my life that we realize doesn't need to stay the same.

There needs to be a change, a course correction. If you need to pray with someone about that course correction, we're here 24 hours a day at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. Or you can meet us on our website keyboard to keyboard at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. But perhaps rather than call us right now, let's just take a minute as the pastor steps out of the pulpit and into the studio to share what's on his heart next. 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 God has given you that opportunity to make a change, to pray along with Pastor while ago, to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus today. If so, Dr. Don has wonderful resources he wants to put in your hands absolutely free if you'll call us and tell us about your decision at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. Or if you'd rather, you can connect with us on our website as well, TEWONLINE.ORG.

That's TEWONLINE.ORG, where you'll discover wonderful resources like this. Have you ever felt lonely, isolated, or abandoned? No one escapes the feelings of loneliness caused by separation, grief, loss, or isolation.

It can strike anyone, but God has placed within each of us a basic need for relationship with him. This month, with your gift to the encouraging word, you will receive Dr. Don Wilton's powerful message, Fear Not, along with the bonus book, Loneliness, How to be Alone but Not Lonely. These powerful resources will help you overcome your loneliness and find comfort, security, and companionship in God. That's just one of many great resources on our website at TEWONLINE.ORG.

We'd love to connect with you this week. Tomorrow we continue in this model example message from Dr. Wilton. And between now and then, perhaps you'll find other great resources on our website, TEWONLINE.ORG, that will help you at this particular season of life.

As a matter of fact, many times we're looking for just the right thing to give that graduate, someone who's just graduated high school or college, launching into the next season of life. You'll find a book on our website by Dr. Wilton called See You at the Finish Line, a wonderful book for just that purpose. That and many more resources are all on our website, TEWONLINE.ORG. I pray you'll consider visiting this week. That's T-E-W ONLINE.ORG.