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March 3, 2019 8:00 am
God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based preaching up Dr. Don Wilton all about God's amazing provision. Just a few moments with the opening God's word together as we study about what it is to trust God's provision. Not just to know that his provision is available to us but to trust and see it come to fruition in our lives… Also want to remind you that we are here for you, not just having a broadcast 24 hours a day at the other end of this phone number 866899 word for you to consider jotting it down stored in your cell you know sometimes you just need someone to talk to you through your situation or circumstance, stand ready to do that. That's 866-899-9673 let's connect keyboard keyboard online@theencouragingword.org now. Today's message with Dr. Don Wilton chapter 1 I want to say a few things just sit tight very briefly, because I'm going to repeat these things and we've already heard them through some powerful preaching of these partial weeks. Even in my absence from the pulpit and I'm so grateful to the Lord for that. These early believers when you open your Bible to the book of acts.
The first people you meet all believers arrive so these all men and woman who are just like us. They have professed faith in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's a lot that we can say about the early believers and what you going to discover is that everything we say about the early believers is true about so so what could we say about these early believers. We know that they had seen Jesus they meant Jesus for them.
It was a physical liberal meeting for assets by the spirit we've made to the second thing that that these believers had done that we meet in acts chapter 1 and right throughout the Gospels, is that they just like us had heard the message of Jesus. They heard the truth.
I want you to just get, they heard truth by heard what Jesus said, our friends, listen carefully to these believers knew what the truth was, because Jesus said they not only sore him, but they heard him, and the third thing is they believed in him, that would believe is a is a marvelous word that's it's a grand word it. It's our word for faith by faith in him. That's what the Bible tells us it's the very means by which we come to know him pole later was signed for by grace you are saved through faith, God's word says that God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him. These early believers had placed their faith in him. Not pretty evident from their lives that they they have to work out.
They had to get a hold of them tried to comprehend the meaning of this word faith, but faith means that God save it and you believe it end and Karen the beginning of the book of acts they were two things that that they were really struggling with number one was being complete, being just complete as believers who had seen and heard the truth and the second thing was being courageous to speak truth to stand on truth and let me tell you as you. If you study these early believers in there a lot of these that I can give you today I'm just being very brief with because we going to talk about this for the next several weeks. These early believers were fearful they were afraid of the world in which they live. What were they are afraid of.
They were afraid of intimidation. Let there be no mistake about the people amongst whom they lived had neither seen nor heard nor believed and I were very intimidating to these believers and the intimidation factor was as real as you could possibly imagine.
The politicians were off to the anything they said was subject to scrutiny.
Nobody would open their mouths regarding the things that they had seen and the things that they had heard and the things that they deeply believed you dare not affair of intimidation was a very real issue to these early believers, not any the fear of intimidation, but the fear of isolation. Intimidation always produces isolation, these believers knew that they were few and far between them numbers had dwindled to the point at which they were just a small group, so to speak in terms of the capacity of the world in which they live in just a little while we going to find them standing on the seven steps of the temple when literally hundreds if not thousands of people from all nations would gather and becoming to the temple to follow out their religious and religious ritualism, and they knew better because they believe the truth but I had fear of being isolated. It's called believers lonesomeness. They knew what it was like to believe so deeply in the word of God and and the things of God and yet face such intimidation that they were reduced in their capacity to be accepted in the society in which they live. Theirs was not a popular track.
They were not on the afraid of isolation and intimidation, but they were afraid of their own inability they paralysis, intimidation and isolation when it comes to one's faith always produces paralysis. Well, I would just bother not say anything but I thought I had a crisis of faith they knew and they believe because they had seen, and I had heard but this fear was very real. I'm going to put something up on the screen here for you. I'm going to read it to you and then I want you all to say this out loud with me.
Let me read this to you.
Your role looking at it. I am saved by his grace I am instructed by his word. I am equipped by his church.
I am empowered by his spirit. I am saved by his great commission. I am complete and courageous in him.
Let's all say that together out loud ready. I am saved by his grace I am instructed by his word. I am equipped by his church.
I am in Holland by his MCMs by his great commission. I am clean and courageous in him.
Let's give God thanks to not listen to what Jesus had. That's the voice of Dr. Don Wilton, our speaker here on The Encouraging Word. He's got much more to say, especially about what Jesus has to say in just a moment just tuned in May been listening for little while, wondering how I like to have this whole series of messages you can connect online and Encouraging Word.org for a number of great resources that will help you grow your faith that sweetest online keyboard keyboard@theencouragingword.org we can call for your copy of any of these messages that 866-899-WORD that's 866-899-WORD 9673, and many folks are acting about this going after Jesus your share with all the detail revolutionize your prayer life in 2019, with Pastor Donaldson in his powerful, uplifting and faith building message.
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You had in 2019 bringing hope and changing lives through God's Encouraging Word. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton not listen to what Jesus had to say. I'm going to read to you one verse book of acts chapter 1 and verse seven verse I just read verse eight but you will receive power, we read that again but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. I'm going to read that again Jesus said you will receive power.
These were believers. I had seen Jesus they heard the message they believed what was their problem. They are real.
I had a fear of intimidation that had a fear of isolation that had a real fear of inability are: I'm just going to the Quad by watching me going to get me a rock to crucify me again expose me and Jesus looked at them and this is what he said.
He said I want you to know all of you who have seen me, and I've heard my message and to everyone of you that believe in me, and the truth of what I say by faith. You will receive power off to that the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses everywhere, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world God's provision included a number of things. First of all, that included an amazing plan you, not God's amazing plan walls goes all the way back to Genesis everything about God's plan for you runs right through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Charles Haddon Spurgeon put it like this.
He said every time I open this book, make a beeline for the cross, God created you and me in his image created us to look like him, and to love like him and to live with him for ever. But sin came into the life of mankind and that relationship was savored. God sent the Lord Jesus Christ to come. He became sin for us, who knew no sin. It's an amazing plan. These disciples knew it they saw him they heard the message and they place their faith and trust in him. They didn't question him they accepted him and they believe that he is the way the truth and the life and that no man could come to the father but by him and through Jesus, God's plan. God's provision through his redemption through the shedding of his blood on the cross. You and I soon as before holy and a righteous God once again able to look like God and to love like God and to live forever with God because we been made complete and courageous in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. What an amazing plan. It's an amazing plan. Not only is God's provision about an amazing plan. It's about an amazing promise. This promise that Jesus gave to these disciples is amazing to these believers. They believed then you just put yourself in their feet for a minute. I had seen him being with him. They experienced Jesus by making Paul became lighter on the road to Damascus way, did you meet Jesus. Those of us who are believers we know them because we make them, and we've heard him and we study his word. They knew if they heard him speak, they saw him teach, they watch teamwork may place their faith in him. He spoke about having faith even the size of a grain of mustard seed, which we heard about the other day from Steve was. It was an amazing thing and yet they lived in they wound all the intimidation and the isolationism enough the paralysis.
What we do now how do we relate better out there they going to get us we going to be persecuted and hounded by speak up at home draw speak up at work plus stand up for the things that God has given to me and Jesus said I bought an amazing promise to make to you. You going to receive power. What is it about this power see this power. Jesus was talking about would guide us. That's what the Spirit of God does in us the spirit guides us into all truth.
Whispered in Abel's us to be able not only to see and to hear but take hold of the things that are true, not because of anybody's opinion, but because of what God has to say, the Spirit would seal us pull spoke about a blade wrong and he spoke about the fact that the spirit of God is God's guarantee the seal of God.
It's the span of my old frame to city it locks me out and accept right for me as a believer it causes me to stand out and to stand above because I see and I have and I believe therefore I will not be intimidated or isolated table because greater is he that is in me then the one who is in the world.
Somebody say amen in the house of God, what an amazing promise. This was an amazing plan and an amazing promise. God's provision spoke about an amazing place. You know what happened to these believers. In order for this to happen, but I went to church by all gathered together in one place. The Bible tells us very clearly in the following verses that all these believers who were battling with a fear that we are having a crisis of faith that didn't know what to do or how to do it or how to become complete. They battled with a courage they all gathered together.
Excuse me, look at us. You know I'm more convinced today. The Jesus understood what he meant when he said forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. Not to be clear, I want to tell you something you will meet and experience the power of God through his spirit. Yep differently on a golf course definitely sitting in a boat fishing definitely watching your favorite team definitely being with your family definitely at home definitely driving down the road your Moto call, but there is something unbelievably unique about gathering together in the house of God so grateful that on Friday and Saturday morning our chairman of deacons Dr. John Warner had called allow deacons and their wives together for retreats and it was my first opportunity to be talking about again and I joined them. Karen and I didn't. It was just I cannot nor could every person who was the describe to you how the power of God came down's. I didn't speak. I sat again with the group of you men and women listen to my brothers speaking and the power of God came down upon that place. You could feel his presence you could see God in that room. We were a group of believers gathered forsake not the assembling of your soon the church is an unbelievably precious place because that's the way God designed it. These believers went to a gathering place and as they gathered together the spirit of God came down upon him, upon them. My father is in heaven today always would say, and you heard me say this many times to us three boys because we wanted any kind of excuse not to go to church on Sunday, we were just normal boys. My father always would say, but sons you just might miss ablation. I want you to know something Jesus said when you gather together, you will receive power off to that the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witnesses everywhere, you will become complete and courageous because of me because I'm going to give you my spirit and by my spirit you going to be guided you going to be see you going to be empowered you going to rise above the level of your human mediocrity you going to be enabled even in the context of your own fears, your fears of being intimidated your fears of being isolated your fears of inadequacy. The paralysis you feel hot a lot on so this what I want to say when people say how do I live in my world today. How do I relate how to operate in a country where prayer was banned everywhere I go. How do I say anything about Jesus. When I become immediately the source of someone's anger and raw. How do I stand up for my faith. I bought a crisis of faith. Do I believe that God is exactly God says he is and do have all that is necessary to make it in my world, for the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is an amazing plan and amazing promise.
It took place in an amazing place, and it carried with it the most amazing power that Trenton savings any human ability cannot do this. I cannot do this because I love people too much. I enjoy life too much. I want to be accepted too much.
I don't want to offend too much.
I do this because I am threatened by isolation and intimidation. Notwithstanding my own paralysis. I know that what God says is true.
This is absolute truth, but I bought a crisis of faith in Jesus said I know you called so wanted to gather together what a powerful revelation to know know we can't do it Jesus can do it through us. God's ready do something remarkable through you and I pray you would hear his voice, not just the wonderful brother of our pastor Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word board has by his spirit spoken to about God's amazing provision today and you realize that perhaps you have been trying to do it on your own know you just need to trust. Let us pray with you and that next step that course correction that's necessary. It could be that you know you need a complete course correction list Christian radio and putting your toe back in the world of faith God is reaching out to say I love you it's time to let me embrace you, it's time for you to be all let us pray about what it is to surrender to Jesus Christ absolutely and completely. You can talk to one of us right now at 866899 Word 866-899-9673 would love to connect with you to pray with you and for you and put some resources in your hands. Even some daily resources that will help you grow and faith connect with us online as well join the keyboard to keyboard.
Let's do that together@thetheencouragingword.org The Encouraging Word.org meet us on the phone at 866899 Word 866-899-9673 before we get away closing thoughts from our pastor and chief encourager Dr. Don Wilton you know these are such special times so right my friends that we can worship together The Encouraging Word thing you know, this ministry goes on for hours around 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 with us. Over time, prayer giving. We know that you are 100% engaged as we all in sharing God's truth without searching will that's what this is all about. We need Jesus done for God is doing a great work and I love you today. Thank God for you, pray for you. God bless you that number again is 866898668999673.just now during the broadcast that were available 24 hours.
We love to talk with you. Pray with you and connect with great resources you know so many folks are talking about the daily Encouraging Word. It's something you can receive either in your email in a hard copy. You can see online.
We can sign up@theencouragingword.org or perhaps what is a quick shortcut text the word daily. That's right the word daily to 30500 will send you a quick link and you can sign up to receive the daily email from Dr. Don every day. That's text the word daily to 30500 coffee or copy at 866899 Word next time it's our prayer that God would encourage you to the powerful word of God, the Bible itself, and you'll join us again next