R879 When Your Faith Is Challenged

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton about when our faith is challenged. It could be that right now you're in the middle of a remarkable challenge to your faith and you're struggling.

Know this, God is ready to not only take you through this, but empower you to come out better on the other side when your faith is challenged. With our message today from Dr. Wilton, we'll head to Philippians chapter 4 in just a moment for that insight, but know that we're also available to connect with you, to pray with you at 866-899-WORD, that's our phone number, 866-899-9673. Many are calling about the Chuck Colson My Final Word opportunity of insight and education and inspiration. You'll find the details on our website as well at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. And now, Dr. Don Wilton. We have so much going on, don't we? If one was to just try to imagine in the lives of all of those of us who are worshipping the Lord Jesus right now, all the different things that we deal with and life and what it presents to us. I'm not of myself. In fact, my own opinion, Paul, really means nothing. It's not about what I feel. It's about what God has to say in my life because the Lord Jesus Christ has come into my heart and into my life. I'm going to say this to you, that I'm so glad that over 55 years ago that my mother and father evidently got together according to God's plan.

I'm the product of that plan. If they hadn't followed God's initiative, quite frankly, I wouldn't be here right now. Go and do the right thing and God will give you the ability to do that which is well pleasing in your sight. Folks, when we worship the Lord, we come to Him not with part of our lives, with everything, even in giving. Everything we do, whether it's a letter we write or a check we send or a phone call we make when people are hurting. We are expressing the fact that God is love and that everything we do is based upon the fact that this same God who gave us Jesus Christ has given to us His love, that pure love which we share with one another.

Give for one reason and that is because of the love of God in Christ Jesus. And then you will discover why it is that God chooses to bless His people. But this sheet of paper is filled from top to bottom with the names of incredibly precious people from our community. And even more specifically from our church, just one church amongst many, many wonderful churches here in our community. Every one of these people are people who find themselves in dire need of prayer and people that we are rallying around and people that we are praying for.

And it's a wonderful thing to see God's people come together. Another precious family found themselves facing dire circumstances. Lieutenant Andrew Kennard, one of our own, in fact I can see him sitting just prior to his deployment to Iraq, was leading a patrol of his men in the deserts of Iraq and Anbar province when he stepped on an IED.

That is a landmine device that the Iraqis are using to bring devastating consequences to so many of our brave men and women. This past week, one phone call changed their lives in a dramatic way. Andrew is one incredible young man.

Many of us have watched him grow up. And this past week, I had the privilege of traveling with the family up to Bethesda, Maryland, where they had to go through the experience as a family of visiting with their brave son for the first time, surrounded by a most incredible team of physicians. You cannot imagine that group of medical personnel, counselors, chaplains, the Marine Corps, and the support system that is being brought to bear. And when you walk into that hospital, I told Seth Buckley that all of a sudden, you have a face on the newspaper reports. All of a sudden, the things that we read about become very real and very personal, not withstanding Andrew Kennard.

I don't want to minimize Andrew's situation, and nor would the family. His body has been devastated by this explosion. All of us know that he lost both of his legs. When I spoke to Dr. Kennard even again this morning, I asked him if there were some things that we could share together as we pray for Andrew. We need to pray for the doctors as they minister concerning his left leg, the upper part of his left leg, that there are still major decisions that need to be made in an effort to try to provide Andrew with the best means of mobility under his circumstances in the years to come. And so that remaining part of his upper leg is very, very important. Andrew's arms are going to be fine, as will be his head. We know that he has received numerous other devastating wounds, and the doctors are working with him around the clock. Yesterday, he was in seven hours of surgery alone, as he was on Thursday, and as he was going through procedures yesterday, and the doctors have told the family that this is going to be a very, very long time of recovery, and then when recovery is made, there is the rehabilitation to follow, which is in of itself a long process. After having gone through the trauma of visiting with their son the first time, I want you to know that I don't know that I've been around a more remarkable family than the Kennard family.

That's the nature of the family system in America. That's the kind of people that you are rubbing shoulders with every day. They are amazing. And they changed in their spirit after having visited with their son as badly wounded as he obviously is, from an attitude and a feeling of perhaps of hopelessness, not knowing very much, to hopefulness, and our hearts are filled with hopefulness. You need to pray very specifically, particularly for the functioning of Andrew's kidneys. And Dr. Kynan had asked me to mention that to you today. As we speak to you, his kidneys have not begun to function again. And this is obviously a very important part of his recovery. And so when you're praying specifically today, pray for that, as well as for all the other things, and pray for those surgeons, and for the staff that are attending to him.

We had just gone through together what no parents would want to go through. And it's amazing how God provides at just the right moment, doesn't He? Little nurse, tiny little bitty thing by the name of Saree. About this high, I mean the tiniest little nurse I've seen. And the nurse in charge of that particular section of the critical care, came charging out of one of the rooms and just flung her arms around Dr. Harry Kynan.

I was standing right there. And with tears in her eyes, she said something like this, Don't you worry, Daddy. She said, I take care of your boy. She said, you know, I've been here for a long time. She said, I'm going to look after your boy like he's my boy. And she said, you know, Daddy? She said, you may not think so, but I've seen lots of these brave boys and girls that come in, they look even worse than Andrew does.

And everybody thinks that nothing could ever happen. And then about six months or a year later, the door opens and in walks this person to come and say, thank you to us for helping him to get better. I tell you, God just sent that precious young nurse to say those words at the right time. And then we were in a situation there again where the family needed a special word. You cannot use telephones in a facility like that.

And believe me, I found that out the hard way. And by the way, if I can say to you, it is a very precious thing that you would call, but I recommend and ask you to hold back on your personal calls to the kind of family just at this moment. Let them get through this initial part. They love every one of you so dearly. And their telephones ring off the hook and they caught between a rock and a hard place. Yesterday, Dr. Kinard was in with Andrew for close to seven hours in that surgery. And you can imagine when he stepped outside to even answer the telephone for people that he just loves so much.

And so it's better to just hold on and watch the webpage and listen for the reports. And there's going to be months and months of opportunities to be able to make phone calls and hear a personal word and things like that. But we're in this room and all of a sudden Dr. Kinard's telephone rang. Not an unusual thing, but he hadn't been answering a lot of calls and I thought he'd just throw me his telephone like he had done a couple of times.

But for some reason he stood up and now I know why. And he went over to a window where he could perhaps hear and I watched his face and I didn't know what he was talking about but I knew that God was speaking to him. Put the phone down, came over to me and he said to me, Don, he said that was one of the men who was there when this happened and he's calling from Iraq. I don't know, perhaps he was using the same cell phone, satellite phone that I had the privilege of speaking to Andrew last Saturday. And this man said to him, Dr. Kinard, I want you to know what really happened on the battlefield.

He said, yes, your son did. As he was leading us, he stepped on an IED and his body was blown apart. But as Lieutenant Kinard landed obviously on his back, not knowing what had happened to him, he lifted his head and he began to order his men and drawing them into a secure perimeter.

If you don't know what that means in military terms, that that's a protective maneuver under fire whereby you are drawn into positions to safeguard those who are remaining. And Lieutenant Kinard on his back and literally bleeding to death, he had to receive 67 units of blood. And for those of you that are in the medical profession will know that five units is considered high trauma.

He received 67 units of blood. And while he was lying there without his limbs and literally smashed to pieces, his only thought was for the other men who were in his platoon. And when Dr. Kinard put the phone down, he came over and he said to us and to his family, let me tell you what happened. And in his broken precious father's voice told us, and then he said, now that's my boy.

That's my boy. I tell you what folks, I believe that these doors are going to open. I don't know when.

It's going to be a long time. But Andrew Kinard one day is going to walk back into our company. And I believe were it not for the fact that we know, we wouldn't know. Because this is the kind of stuff that's the right stuff. This is the kind of young man who represents our brave young men and women across the United States of America. This is the kind of young man who despite devastating injuries is going to go on, is going to rise to great heights.

God is going to give him a set of legs that he never knew he had before. He's going to run and go to places that he's never been before because he's a leader among men. And I believe that the day will come that our sons and daughters will look back into the faces of the Andrew Kinards just as we look into the faces of Lieutenant Colonel Ballads who were incarcerated in Vietnam for years on end and people who laid down their lives and gave great sacrifice in wars from one end of the perspective to another. And I'm proud to know Lieutenant Andrew Kinard and I'm grateful for a people who have risen up a community like this. Not just because of Andrew Kinard but because he is one noble man who represents hundreds upon thousands of noble men and noble women who are willing to stand up and be counted when it really counts and who have been willing to lead when it really means to lead and who have been willing to lay it all aside, some may say for a dream. But I want to tell you something today ladies and gentlemen that I join together with our community in saying thank you and we will pray for Andrew and we will pray for one another and we will be a people who will be better because of those who step forward and lay their lives down for the likes of you and for me. God bless America and God bless the Andrew Kinards of our world today.

We thank God for them. I want to tell you if you want to see the cream rise to the top in a community like this just watch a people in the midst of a crisis. Watch when their hearts hurt. This has been such a topsy-turvy week and I kept saying Lord what can you say to us when our faith is challenged? You see my friends when you and I go through things like this individually and with our friends it challenges our faith doesn't it?

Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back in just a moment with the rest of today's message but so many people have been asking about how can we gain the insight to be the best Christian witness in the day in which we live, the world in which we live. Well Dr. Wilton has gone to a wonderful friend of his who's with Jesus now Charles Colson and pulled together his book My Final Word along with the Final Authority DVD and these two resources together can give you the information and inspiration you need to truly have a vital and ongoing Christian witness against those that would oppose the cause of Christ. To do it in a compassionate and loving way and an effective way. Again the details are on our website at www.tewonline.org For your gift of $25 or more this pair of resources from Chuck Colson and Dr. Wilton will empower you in a great and powerful way.

Again the details are on our website www.tewonline.org or you can call to get your copy right now at 866-899-WORD that's 866-899-9673 Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. I think of Chris Johnson who's here today and boy we love Chris so much and what he's been through and what he's going through and I think of Hannah and I have you know this list I haven't even stopped I'm not even going to read that just from one day folks an entire page of people that you and I know people facing death and life and diagnoses and all kinds of circumstances and the Lord drew my attention to the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 4 because the Apostle Paul was somebody who knew what it was to have his faith challenged. I mean think about it being shipwrecked and flogged to the point of death and then imprisoned and then thrown out and beaten up and time without number and yet in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 10 Paul said this, he said in the midst of the challenge of my faith I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. I know you have been concerned but you had no opportunity to show it. Crises like this are opportunities given to God's people to demonstrate that the challenge of faith is real and Paul goes on and he says look I know this that I've been in every kind of situation but I hold on to a truth in the midst of the challenge to my faith in verse 13 he says I can do everything through him who gives me strength and then in verse 14 I love this, this was a word for all of us yet even though I know that God gives me strength in every circumstance watch this verse 14 yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

Isn't that a special word? And I was wondering about this and I thought to myself what happens when your faith is challenged? What is happening to the kindness?

What is happening to the Sebeskis, the Johnsons? Every person in our community, every mom and dad in America whose son or daughter has paid a sacrifice for their service, every person in every hospital, the person standing in that nursing home, the difficulties and the crises that we go through. When your faith is challenged number one you will find yourself getting mad, crying, sitting down, asking questions, praying. See when your faith is challenged you're going to go through every emotion some of which you never knew that you had and folks listen.

That's okay. When your faith is challenged, do you know if you look at the life of the Lord Jesus? His faith per se was challenged, it was challenged when he went into a temple and found people desecrating the temple, he got mad. His faith was challenged when he faced Jerusalem and realized how lost the people were and he wept. His faith was challenged when he stood in the garden of Gethsemane knowing as God the suffering he was going to experience as man and he prayed and said, oh God would you remove this cup from me? I'm going to go through every challenge and that's quite okay, God knows that.

It's good, don't hold it in. Number two, you will thank the Lord for family and friends when your faith is challenged. I tell you if I start talking I've just mentioned three families, the Johnsons, the Sebeskis and the Kynads, where do I stop? I'm looking at you. The preciousness of the family. I can't describe to you as I was in Bethesda, Maryland just many hours just sometimes just standing there, just being available, just watching a family.

Just watching how glue sticks together. Thinking about friends, folks they've come from everywhere. Presbyterians and Methodists and Episcopalians and friends in this community that have just come from everywhere.

It's overwhelming. You know when your faith is challenged you thank God for your family and your friends. When your faith is challenged you thank God for your church. I've heard I don't know how many times with the Sebeskis and the Kynads on and on.

I don't know how many times people have made this phrase. I don't know what I would have done without my church. You see my dear friends, the church is part of God's plan just as much as it's part of God's plan that a man and a woman marry for a lifetime.

The church is no different. God gave us the church. He instituted the church and He said this is the rock.

I love that. He said this is the rock. You're a part of the rock because you stand on the rock and when you stand on a rock folks, guess what? You've got a firm foundation. That's what the church is. How firm a foundation.

It's the solid rock. Boy, I thank God for our churches, don't you? Man, I have seen some people in this community from churches in this community. I just thank God for them. When your faith is challenged you thank God for your church. You'll thank God my friend. You'll thank the Lord for eternal salvation because He is eternal. God doesn't have a limited perspective and when you give your life to Jesus in a sense respectfully you buy into God's eternal perspective. You'll thank the Lord for the power and presence of His Spirit when your faith is challenged. You see the Spirit of God doesn't only indwell you, He empowers you. Now what happens when your faith is challenged?

You become weak. Folks, you literally go to peace. You cannot face these things by yourself, but God can and He does it by His Spirit. God can and He does it by His church.

You need to know. You need to get power because the Spirit of God is in you and you come together and there's power in unity and God will give you the strength. We will thank the Lord when our faith is challenged. We will thank the Lord for a fresh walk in Him. There's a freshness that comes out of these low moments. We will thank the Lord for a new perspective on life.

Hannah said it on TV Channel 7, WSPA on Friday night. She spoke about a new perspective. When your faith is challenged, you'll have a new perspective concerning the things that you have. You'll have a new perspective concerning the people you know and the values you cherish and the time that you spend and the attitudes that you express and the life that you live. When your faith is challenged, all of a sudden things get back to where they need to be. It's amazing this week how that all of a sudden seemingly important things have become so unimportant. How are you doing? You see, you'll have a new perspective on who Jesus Christ is.

Perspective changes everything, doesn't it? You've been listening to Dr. Don Wilton as he's been teaching and preaching from the pulpit. Now as he steps into the studio, would you open your heart to what he wants to share next? 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 gave your life to Jesus, praying along with Dr. Wilton moments ago, welcome to the family of God. Maybe this was the first time you've ever made that decision. It's a brand new beginning and we would love to help you launch in a brand new way with great resources, absolutely free, Dr. Wilton wants you to have.

Maybe this is a recommitment. We have wonderful resources as well that Dr. Wilton has put together to help you maintain this commitment in a powerful new way. If you like these resources, call us now at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. You can meet us on our website as well, tewonline.org.

That's tewonline.org. Earlier we've had many discussions about what it is to be a faithful witness in this day and age. We have a wonderful resource coming up next that will tell you how you can empower yourself with great information and inspiration from God's Word. Jesus Christ is the final authority. He is the only standard by which Christians should live their lives.

He's the only solution to everything that we face in life. As you give a gift of support to The Encouraging Word this month, you will receive the message, The Final Authority by Dr. Don Wilton, along with the bonus book, My Final Word, holding tight to the issues that matter most by Chuck Colson. These resources will equip you with the assurance and reliance and knowing the power of the God you serve. The Encouraging Word is a viewer and listener-supported ministry. Thank you for listening today. That's one of many great resources you'll find on our website, tewonline.org. Now, Tamara, join us when Dr. Wilton takes us to Matthew chapter 8 and a message call when God speaks before, during, and after the storm. As we open God's Word together, know that we're always open to pray with you at 866-899-WORD or online at tewonline.org.