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May 20, 2019 9:49 am
Whatever it is. Whatever circumstance tell you something is bound in the wonderful love and grace of God, we guide to discovering just my friends that this church is a wonderful church because it's a wonderful fellowship with Jesus Christ. He welcome to The Encouraging Word, featuring the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton well-known author evangelist Pastor Dr. Don is taking us to an ally all could use an ally someone on our side and this ally is the greatest ally of the home that his message the greatest ally of the home over the next couple of days talking about this particular subject, and how God's word speaks to that as we do so. Dr. Don Wilton system remind you that we are here for you were connecting right now on the phone at 866899 word that's 866899673 or me together online@theencouragingword.org… Today I'm going to be speaking to you on a very special subject that I'll tell you in just a moment, but it has to do with the gathering of God's people like this. I'm going to be preaching. I series I miniseries on when God's people pray the Lord is really speaking to my heart about that already.
I don't often tell people this, but I left home at shortly after 330 this morning.
I know a lot of people get up early but that's early for me as well.
I was in the hospital very early this morning and I can tell you something that you all know very well indeed that there are many people who need very special prayer. We have the victims of untold exhaust overseas got out troops in harm's way, but all of us identify with that literally thousands worshiping right now through The Encouraging Word the need prayer. Those of us here in this beautiful sanctuary. There are many of us who need prayer.
Many many people who need a special word they need to hear a special word from God. There is something uniquely significance about the gathering of God's people to get I want to speak to you this morning about the greatest ally of the whole.
That's subject the greatest ally of the whole. We living in turbulent times. They are not particular to this time and they are not unusual in life.
The world has always known turbulent times we just happen to be the ones living during this time, but there always being catastrophes for generations and centuries people have suffered from pestilences from every kind of disease and from every circumstance that one could possibly conceive or imagine.
I don't know what it must've been like to have lived through the dark ages. For example, we literally hundreds of thousands of people wiped out by horrid things that swept across Europe and across other parts of the world. The AIDS epidemic, which is sweeping across Africa United States conversation we could go on and on, but right here in Spartanburg. In our region. In this beautiful land of ours from sea to shining sea. I'm going to just submit to you today.
Be sure to be in church on Sunday. We have two wonderful institutions.
I believe with all my heart that God gave to us, our family homes. Whether you be single when you have children with you. Barry, whatever your circumstance situation in life device can identify with that place that we call home that roof over our heads that refuge. The place that we can retreat place where we can be ourselves, as it were, but I'm going to submit to you today that if we don't understand God's word. We will never understand the significance of what God intended the gathering of God's people in the church to be.
I believe with all my heart that this is the greatest ally of the home you cannot lead a successful life without being pocketed together in the church of the living God. You cannot have hope for the future without the gathering of God's people through the church. You cannot bring up your children in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ separated from the assembling of God's people together. You cannot do it. I mean, I ask you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16. Let me say a few words about my big apartment before we read this passage, together, because this is one of the most misinterpreted passages in all of Scripture entire denominations have been boot on misrepresenting what Jesus Christ did an old brain been authorized. At this juncture concerning the church. I want to just remind you before we read about it and you'll be familiar with it, you could just imagine how in this particular instance that the Lord Jesus gathered his disciples around and IVR schema a very good question. He said gentlemen people generally say that I now think we could offset question today that you can hear it on television. I gathering people from every walk of life by trying to get public opinion polls taken about who this God is about why God whoever he is, and by whatever definition would allow something like this to happen through this horrid tsunami that hit the coast of Asia the public opinion polls around while Jesus said look, just let me take a very quick census year. I'd like to know from you people say that I am of course, the disciples looked at him and said well you know some people say you're Elijah, and some people say John the Baptist. Some people say you this and some people say you that and then the Lord Jesus looked right directly into their hearts. He picked on. It and I'm going to tell you why he didn't just a moment, and he looked into the heart of one of them and he said, but do you say that I am by the lab got a wonderful announcement for you. My relationship with Jesus Christ is a personal relationship.
Jesus Christ died for me, but he died for everyone just like me.
We although whosoever, but he died for me to an amazing thing that the Lord Jesus would love me, to that extent, and how the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of the living God looked into the heart of the disciples, and he said he said you say forget about public opinion polls for a moment. I know what the talkers I have read the editorials I watched Larry King live, I want to know you say that I and Peter looked and we know about the great confession because he looked into the face of our Lord and he said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Now watch the spokes.
It was at that juncture, and based upon that conversation that Jesus name, said what he said. He said Peter I want you to know that I'm going to build my church around you. I'm going to give you permission, I'm going to explain the soul in a minute because it's absolutely marvelous. I'm going to allow you to partner in what I consider Jesus said the institution of the New Testament church which is about the blood and the body of Jesus Christ and I am going to build my church which you are going to be given my permission to be a functional part of it.
Can you imagine that.
Can you imagine that, and then light loading. We gotta get this. I don't want to jump the gun. He's going to say some things about this church is going to say it is through the church through those who have confessed Jesus Christ gathering together in the family ship with the spirit of the living God that I will give the authority number one buying things upon the earth. Now folks listen I'm in a come back to this that would bind literally means to expressly bid like a confession to you today. I just happen to be a father, a husband, I want to tell you without any apology and I'm going to say this, a number of times as a father.
My friends, I have played many times that my sons and my daughter would go up being to participate in the multiplicity of things that are going to destroy them. My apology today in the gym which we live. My room from being involved in things that are going to break them down and destroy their lives, and God says to me because I am part of that confession being the authority to fill these things from happening and what is on this be bound in heaven, because God said so greatest ally of the hello but then he also said I'm going to give you the authority to loose that they loose doesn't mean to forbid where is Brian means to forbid to loose means to permit or to give permission. I want to know as I father as a pasta in this great charge.
There are multitudes of things that I want to sample my children. I want our young people. God's blessing to be given permission think the living so they can draw up a strong strong again believe is well and healthy and celebrating Jesus Christ.
So you can do without the church tenure friends in America today. There is a mad feeding frenzy going on. There are Christian people everywhere, springing up and saying I don't want to do this with the church. I want to do this on my own.
I want to create my own why I want to do it according to my own life. God said it is upon this rock church. All right, let's read about before I forget to read Matthew chapter 16 verse 13 when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi are being right there myself.
Many of you have two he lost his disciples who do people say the Son of Man is, they replied, some say John the Baptist others say Elijah's love is Jeremiah 1 of the prophets.
But what about you, he lost. Who do you say that I Simon Peter owns. You are the Christ, the son of the living God, Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this is not tribute to you by man, but by my father which is in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Watch this verse 19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what ever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. I want to speak to you this morning from the word of God about the greatest ally of the home. I am so deeply grateful that the Lord Jesus Christ allowed my family are not to be a part of the church like this we could not survive without our church and neither can you.
Why well number one because it is built on a solid foundation.
God tells us this is his church is interesting your folks because this is been so misrepresented in verse 17 and 18, Jesus said, I want to tell you that you are Peter that would Peter there is the word cross which literally means small or a fragment all and then he turns and obscured at the very spot in Caesarea Philippi.
When he looks up at this massive rock and he sees this huge rocketing uses administration and he says it is upon the rock he was pointing not to the Petross back to the paint trough the major one is the authority he was pointing to himself.
Never did Jesus Christ look at Peter and cited Peter you all the rock and I'm going to build my church on you never did God tell Peter that Peter was going to become God because he was not ever going to be God accepting by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through his confession. But Jesus said Peter you little fragment of a rock. I'm giving you permission to become a part of the Iraq is me.
It is God himself of your salvation. He said I'm going to be my church on me. The Iraq and I'm going to give you permission to park there with me in that endeavor.
What an incredible thing for you and me to think about that is Dr. Don Wilton back into that passage from Matthew in just a moment. Dr. Wilton wants me to remind you that were connecting and connecting you with resources not just his broadcast ministry, but every single day. Dr. Wilton sends out a wonderful email of daily encouragement. If you're interested, you can sign up on our website@theencouragingword.org or you can text the word right now daily 30500 again a single word daily to 30500 will connect with us will send you back a quick link and by this time tomorrow every single day you receive a word of encouragement about God's word God's Encouraging Word in your email box.
We'd love to put that in your hands again, just text daily to 30500 I will get that right back to you. Also don't forget that tonight, Monday nights across the globe. Dr. Wilton's messages are presented on TBM the Trinity broadcasting network that takes place at 630 Eastern standard Time all across the globe. If you have friends across the country or around the world. We have folks listening and watching from everywhere from Egypt to East Berlin.
Just know that you can be a part of spreading the love of Jesus by telling someone about that broadcast its TV in the Trinity broadcasting network tonight at 630. All the details are online at our website, The Encouraging Word.org, or get if you have any questions, give us a call. 866-899-WORD will connect with what I was 24 hours a day. Happy to talk to listen to, pray, connect with great resources.
That number is 866899673 now back today's message. The greatest ally of the home with Dr. Don Wilton gathering together worshiping the Lord today. Hundreds of thousands of little fragments you are not all but a fragment of God's grace numbering as of the sand of the sea also love so great is the love of God that God in Christ Jesus would've died for all these little fragments and that God speaks to the fragments and he picks each one of us up these little small pieces. These broken, shattered lives, and he puts us together with the rock and he says I am going to you to become a part of the rock, which is my church. What a solid foundation. It's a remarkable strike to being broken as we watch the news stories of survival and unmitigated grief that people of soft, one story that gripped my heart was you probably heard of two we've heard many of this couple that were on the beach somewhere of Thailand or Sri Lanka.
These things started happening and I scrambled in light climbed up a rock face and they got on top of this huge rock and I actually even took pictures that we've been looking at just what God is saying about the solid foundation folks listen listen to me. He's saying my church on a solid foundation when you stand on it doesn't matter what tsunamis come blowing through it doesn't end up playing the circumstances. It doesn't have to worry about the hurricanes apply when you stand my contract time I'm going to type your little fragment of a laugh and I'm going to put it because I am your salvation and because of me. Thank God for my church can't survive without the church site. How can this be seen. Even here at First Baptist Church. How can this be seen in your church you can see it in this church through leaders. God is raised up over generations. You can see it through the multitudes of faithful people God has used for generations. You can see it through the work God has done for generations, even here in this little one tiny little drop in the back of the board of humanity.
There is something remarkable about this, the greatest ally of the church of the living God. There is no substitute for the local New Testament church number one is built on a solid foundation number two it is boot with a certain future. I lived love this because the Lord Jesus makes an unequivocal statement during verse 18. He says on this rock I will build my church that's future tense when he spoke to Peter. That was just the beginning. That was the institution that was the old direction that was an announcement that was made that was looking forward to the death of Jesus unto his glorious resurrection because he's church is the living bride of Christ. This is not a dead organism. This is Jesus Christ alive. This is the very fountainhead of the Godhead and if we understand that it is the church that is boot on a certain future it carries. First of all, a divine promise. I love that this is a divine promise. I didn't say it Southern Baptist inside Catholics didn't say at Methodist inside Episcopalians didn't say it no preacher said it. Jesus said it is a divine promise, but it also carries a divine perspective, this certain future. It's got a divine perspective. It keeps our perspective in mind what's our perspective in the church. This church that is boot on a solid foundation. This church that is boot with a certain future. It keeps us in perspective because it tells us that whatever we do, we must have a total reliance on God at all time. This is the house of the load. I have wonderful people and I please don't misunderstand me, you can say this to me anytime but I wonderful people who come up to me and say, or Dr. Wilton.
We love your church and I thank you for the body to present my church is the Lord's church. I want you to hear me that there's nothing wrong with that. I go to people close. This is been boot with a certain future on the solid foundation is that there is nothing more important for us to do than to know and to do the will of God. That's why that's why many churches are in trouble today folks next week. I'm telling you next week is going to be one of the most incredibly significant messages I've ever preached in the strict for this congregation, it'll boggle your mind what God is not. I want to show you things that you and I have never seen. I've never seen some of these. We gonna put it right down the ministries across the board. Gathering stuff going to be a remarkable time as we come together next week to worship the Lord just in this one place as churches do all across the universe. The gathering together of God's people now want to tell you, folks, there's a world out there and we learn from the world. We gathered data from the world. We develop wisdom from the things that we learn.
But when we understand these biblical truths.
It's no wonder that you can never run a church on business principle.
You cannot apply the principles of a business organization to the local church of God. You cannot do because this is the house of God. It is built on a solid foundation. It has a certain future gives to ask God's divine promise, and it holds us in check with a divine perspective that everything that we do.
We must rely on the finished work of Jesus Christ as it is expressed through his people.
Number three. It is boot with a wonderful fellowship now. Love this about the church. The greatest ally of the home. It is boot with the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful fellowship number one with Jesus Christ at the head. He's the head of this church. What is Jesus to this church. Well, he's the Buddha he's the architect he's the owner he's the low.
We left anything out.
He's the head of this church now by what virtue can we say that he's the head of the church, my friend, this wonderful fellowship number one because the church has been purchased by him.
According to the book of acts and chapter 20 we were purchased we will with the price with the blood of Jesus Christ. The church was purchased by him number two. Christ is the head because the church is one with him.
I love this passage in first Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 17 the one who joins himself to the Lord is one with him. So not only is the church purchased by him, not Amy is the church, one with him, but the church is sanctified with him.
I love what Zechariah said. He said he who touches you, touches the apple of his love that don't you, that just tickles my liver folks to hear that because I'm a father is on the children. You know when you know when when people start messing with your children with your wife or people that you love and you know you, hackles rise and that's what folks we love each other and we protect one another and we very quick to come to the defense and site listening and say whatever you say but don't you ever say that to my wife whatever it is. Whatever circumstance I tell you something. This bound in the wonderful love and grace of God, we guide to discovering just my friends that this church is a wonderful church because it's a wonderful fellowship with Jesus Christ at the end. Number two with believers at the table that just think about this for a moment that we, the bride of Christ are invited to take a seat at the feast type of the king, the Lord spoken to you and you would like to share what God is doing in your life with us.
Let us pray with you and for you at 866-899-9673 or meet us online@theencouragingword.org, you know, when we think about the enemy that is among us. Satan himself, that is a defeated enemy. He's already defeated.
I want to hear about this very special resource that's available right now online@theencouragingword.org Satan is alive and is on the move in the United States is actively engaged in all aspects of our government in our educational systems and in the lives of our children. The next generation never forget Satan has been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ and this victory enables us in the next generation of believers to stand victorious in the presence of the enemy, favoring unafraid this month. As you give a gift of $20 or more to The Encouraging Word you will receive a powerful message series by Dr. Don Wilton. Satan defeated enemy among us.
Plus, you will receive a copy of Dr. Wilton's inspiring book defying the odds to help encourage you through all of life's challenges request this morning resource at today as you support The Encouraging Word with your ministry gift to us at PO Box 2110, Spartanburg, SC 29304 call us toll-free 866-899-WORD word or visit online@theencouragingword.org.
Your generous support enables us to bring the uncompromised and life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to where people are around the world are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right I know that I miss you and I know that Jesus is God day I came to play in times gone for today but will be back tomorrow at the same time. At the conclusion of this message greatest ally in the home. I hope you join us between now and then we can stay connected on our website Encouraging Word.org.
On this phone number 866899 word 866-899-WORD 9673 loves pray with you and connect with the right resources here. The Encouraging Word