R943 Just Two Absolutes

We all could use some encouragement and will find it together today in the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton about two absolutes. That's the message just to absolutes from Dr. Wilton as we open the book of acts chapter 17.

In just a moment to study God's word power here. We would love for you to know that we are available to pray with you and for you to connect with wonderful resources like the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Wilton we can do that online at tewonline.org G while you're there, sign up to follow some of Dr. Wooten social media is a wonderful place to get encouragement on a daily basis of the daily Encouraging Word email TW online.org you can also mention you'd like to receive a hard copy when you call us at 866-899-WORD@866899673 where here for you at The Encouraging Word and now Dr. Lois. This is a prime target that you know that sometimes our circumstances, difficulties, diagnoses, sometimes our sick babies.

It may be a divorce that you're going through all financial struggle or some real Don llama.

You you've lost someone. God is taken home someone that you love so dearly and for the first two weeks. There were a lot of people.

They are now.

You don't seem to hear from anybody in you are saying.

Goodness me. Everybody else is forgotten already in lonesomeness is a prime target of Satan and if ever he's going to get you he that's a good place because you become very vulnerable venture. Besides that, when things are not going you even more vulnerable. I want you to know that I'm praying for you all be praying for that person who this week is disaffected all be praying for those that we know nothing about an incredible joy. I want to just pray for you cannot do this let's bow heads together father right now we know that our minds are filled with everything but the Lord everything else we declared to be irrelevant. Everything right now because you are the only one who has any relevancy. We have come to worship you Lord. We have our minds on everything a business decision. Some of us on hurts and plain some Abbas on anger some Abbas on a financial move some Abbas thinking about refinancing home because the interest rates drop some of us are wondering which church to join some of us are thinking about what we going to have for lunch. All of these things are relevant like part of life. But right now there's not a single thing relevant on the table outside of you, bless all who worship you at this very moment in time. In Jesus name we pray together. A man dominate all skewed open your Bibles to the book of acts. In chapter 17. Two weeks ago we began to lay the groundwork for a wonderful study in the book of first Thessalonians, and someone is already wondering what if we going to be in first Thessalonians.

Why are we in the book of acts. It is very important for us to lay the groundwork to understand the foundations upon which first Thessalonians was written we go to understand the pillars upon which polls say is what he says and does what he does in first Thessalonians. So why are we in the book of acts because the book of acts is the record of how the pool ended up in Thessalonica this city at the top of the Aegean Sea. This highway from the east to the waste. This bonding metropolis.

This is the record of what happens we going to study the content of what he saying to the church at Thessalonica. Over the next several weeks and months, but it is very important for us to lay the groundwork.

Some people have said the only reason why we don't understand history is because we don't understand history. One of the great reasons why we are becoming a weak nation is because less and less we understand the foundations upon which this nation was founded. We getting further and further away from the essential meaning of who we all as Americans. Time does that, but I must remind you of what God had to say to us about how God uses just one person.

Folks, that's a very profound thing and we discovered three things about just one man, just one person, just one boy, just one girl is that man in the church at Thessalonica. You and I all that man today exactly where we all we discovered first of all that God's call to just one person is very personal God speaks to us personally, I love that got something to say to me, and he's got something to say to you individually. We also discovered that that cool is very specific.

You remember I showed you a map and pull Apple wanted to make a right turn and God saved him know I want you to go live. I want you to go to Macedonia not because Galatia and by the end of the areas around the Black Sea where any less relevant they would just as many lost people on the shores of the Black Sea as they were in Macedonia but God wanted bull to go to Macedonia.

Any questions, we are very capable of doing a lot of things but what is it exactly. God wants us to. I was talking about mom's just a moment ago. I think mothers are faced with a huge Don llama because mothers are just like you and me by all people that that might surprise some of you that got dreams and aspirations ambitions drive leads they want to get out. They want to be love.

They want to be valued and in many cases it many a mother's heart alone, children talk about an anchor, all of a sudden life comes to a screeching halt. See, that's the nature of specific cool this maybe apparent to us said I could go and do this and I wish I could be there and I wish I could do this, but right now this is what God is given me to do. I tell you, you respond God specific goal, he will bless you, but the third thing we discovered is that that goal is irresistible.

God speaks to you. Can you resist the irresistible call of God, absolutely.

But I'll tell you, you will be one miserable person. If you do you want to describe a miserable person. I miserable person a miserable Christian is somebody who has resisted the irresistible call of God when you know that God is told you to do something and you backed out and you with drool and use it back and you refuse, you have a prescription for a miserable person. It will make you so unhappy get discombobulated to it will turn your world upside down. You will start focusing on all the wrong things you become angry and looking you'll become somebody who criticizes if you resist the irresistible call of God. And so here we come to acts chapter 17 in verse three I don't speak to you about just one man. I want to speak to you briefly this morning about just to absolute just to absolutes.

In verse three he explained and approved that this Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. This is what he said to the people at Thessalonica this Jesus, I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.

There are three critical issues in the life of any church beloved people. You can write this down.

You can take this to the bank. These are the three most critical issues facing the future of every evangelical church in America today. Number one the issue of absolute truth absolute truth is who God is. Today the question of absolute truth is open to debate people are questioning whether or not Jesus Christ. In fact, is the only way perhaps maybe there's an alternative. It is an absolute truth that Jesus is the only way to God. This Bible the word of God. This inherent in fallible word of God.

It does points me. I want to weep when I open even my newspaper in my hometown and I read all reels and sections in the newspaper that discredit and degraded chip away and question the authenticity of the chain you're missing the infallible word of the living God. God's word is absolute if we believe that friends we got nothing to stand on second most critical issue is the issue of personal conviction. I'm a man of great personal conviction.

I know you are true, we are a people of great personal conviction.

I got a lot of personal convictions and I believe that our personal conviction should come of absolute truth. As believers, but personal convictions can never be imposed on the local church as absolute truth. They may not, and they cannot agree, that is a very difficult undertaking for a human being. Well, there's 1/3 critical issue and that's the issue of personal preference you want to know what personal preferences go to your favorite fast food restaurant just position yourself at the drive through listening to you and me ordering hamburgers. Some of us want to medium, medium well done, whatever it might be others want. We can widen something in between. Somebody is on a diet doesn't want any bread. Then use some of us want tomato and others don't want to monitor and I daresay there if you want tomato to his three options I want onions, don't one thing I'll have mustard but only spicy mustard just a little bit of mayonnaise, ketchup, and ketchup.

How about a little bit… That's personal preference.

You know, in the church, the number one challenge in any church, is the issue of personal preference because we are a people of preference.

We got personal preferences how we should sing with us. We should stand up or sit down. Whether we should sing hymns and choruses where the preacher should preach loud or quiet. We got personal preferences. We got people in our church. You love to wear a coat and tie. Others who don't. We got personal preferences about you name it and we got personal preferences about what ministries to do what we should.

How much is enough wants to little personal preferences.

That's why my beloved friends when I talk about just to absolutes.

It is very important to understand that when Paul said what Paul said to the church at Thessalonica. He was basing everything he did on just to absolutes here. They are number one that all people need the Lord Jesus. Now that's an absolute old people made the Lord Jesus, I love that don't you folks that's an absolute from the word of God. All people need Jesus. That's you, by the way, that's me for all of us and because it's an absolute. It brings to the full three absolutes watch the spokes. What that means is that there are no exceptions. All people Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No exceptions.

See your lab on nature.

We want to look into the face of God and say, but God.

No exceptions. I think the rich young ruler tried to do that, don't you, but Jesus said, no exceptions. That means that there are no exceptions. If people need Jesus. It means secondly that there are no exclusion Bible says there is none righteous, poor not only no exceptions but no exclusions and if there are no exceptions, are no exclusions. It means that there are no exemptions ruptured the powerful misconduct will today will head back to acts chapter 17. In just a moment. Dr. Wilton insisted I interrupt to remind you this. You're not just interested in presenting this as a presentation today, but we're excited about how every single day gain new friends and new opportunities to pray for one another as we see the body of Christ growing literally around the world friends saying yes to Jesus Christ you know if you've heard the broadcast. Before you know the Dr. Duncan to give you the chance to give your life to Christ before the day is out. Why wait if you'd like to talk with someone that you have questions that that this teaching is bringing to mind call us.

Let us talk with you. Let us pray with you even now to say yes to Jesus Christ our phone numbers 86689. The word that makes it little easier to remember. But here are the numbers themselves to want to jot them down or store them in yourself.

It's 866-899-9673 and that phone number, 24 hours a day will connect with what I was happy to talk or listen or pray for connect you with great resources like the daily Encouraging Word Bible God will send you a copy for free. We can even sign up again on line@twonline.org received by ballots dive back into this powerful message just to absolutes from Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word. I tried to get an exemption. I know that I may sound Islamic and facing life. I already had three monsters degrees, I'd studied hard and I felt that God was putting in my heart to get earned PhD as some of you that might not be significant. And that's fine but for me it was important. I wanted to make certain that I was qualified to the point at which I could go and teach at Harvard University or Oxford that I was academically qualified according to the laws of the United States of America and so they told me as I began to apply to entering the PhD program in theology in my field. They told me as though you still do today that there were a lot of entrance qualifications, young people, you know what that's all about venture getting into university and college will give the PhD is no difference just might be a lot more difficult and so one of the things in my field.

I said well Don Wilton you want to get in the PhD or even for us to think about admitting you into the PhD you got. I have three languages you got. I have advanced studies in three languages number one in Greek. I said well that's fair enough about 18 hours of Greek qualified abdominal my studies. I booked the pipe it approved number two Hebrew. I never read anything backwards but I had qualified myself. Believe it or not in Hebrew.

I had taken the whole 9 yards and I booked the qualifications yet comes the rub. I had to have 1/3 language taken from one of the following three Latin well I had about six years of Latin in junior high and high school, but they wouldn't accept junior high and high school let the next one was French didn't know any French I didn't want to know any French I had studied one hour French. I didn't even know how to say hello in French.

One was German. I saw light at the end of the tunnel to reasons. Number one because I spoke Dutch fluently Dutch is very similar to German and I spoke the language.

I'm still very proficient in number two because way back then. I had taken 14 or 18,000 German studies because I was an English literature major in my 1st° I had the qualifications one little cash they turned me down. They turned me down because I had done that seven over seven years prior to the application date and the law of the land getting a PhD said that it had to be seven years or sooner to be validated and accepted on your transcripts, folks, I did everything you could imagine. I applied world education services are cajoled onto professors. After lunch I bankrupted myself I bribed.

I threatened to kill the whole 9 yards.

I even called my mom they wouldn't budge. Was an exemption due to folks, they made me sit and write the exam for Jim and Amanda by God's grace I got through it because I was fairly proficient in German but I still had to write today would not exempt me. It sounds like a lot of people on when it comes to Jesus, surely Lord Olufsen not me. Could you not make an exception and exclusion wanted to exempt me exempt me because of my race exempt me because of my culture. Dr. seem to understand. I live in the Bible Belt exempt me because I'm a member of the Southern Baptist Church exactly because of Rachel because I seem to exempt me because I need my money to be a reason give me an exemption. Paul was making a statement. Old people need Jesus absolutes type. He second absolute was that Jesus is the only one who can beat all people's needs.

Jesus is the only one who can reach old people is no other way. Why because he's the only one who can for Gibson folks, that's an absolute. He's the one who died on the cross.

Nobody else it's nothing but the blood of Jesus. He's the only one who can make a brand-new some today who are worshiping the Lord is saying and I'm tired of running and I'm tired of turning over a new leaf. I'm tired of looking for meaning in life. I'm tired of having no real purpose see my friend nothing is ever gonna make you brand-new outside of Jesus because he's the only one who can reach only one who can forgive you, God forgive yourself. You can't play enough money to get forgiveness.

You can't do enough good works to get forgiveness you conserve enough to get forgiveness concrete enough messages sermons to get forgiveness.

The only wanted can make you brand-new and and because he's the only one who can brought to your eternal life. He is eternal life. Is there anyone can take you to heaven folks at listen to me their free issues. Absolute truth personal conviction and personal preference. It doesn't matter how convicted somebody is that you can get to heaven by any other way other than Jesus.

Jesus said on. The only way it doesn't matter what your personal preferences doesn't matter how unpopular or politically incorrect, it might be. Jesus is the only way when it comes to first Thessalonians. When we begin to go through this bothersome piece by piece you have these foundation that's the stomping ground. All people need Jesus and Jesus is the only one who can reach will be not folks watch me.

It's a conviction conviction. It is powerful conviction and I pray that as you and I hear the word of God preached today by Dr. Don Wilton that we would not be willing to move forward without allowing ourselves to be changed. Perhaps there is a small course correction or a major course correction needed in each of our lives as we listen to the word of God proclaimed and understand we can change by saying yes to Jesus Christ. Again, if you have questions, give us a call. Our phone numbers 866899673 jotted down store in your cell is Dr. Don would say we would be thrilled to be one of your 2 AM friends can call us anytime and let us talk or pray with your connection resources right now before you make that call. I pray you'd open your heart to the closing thoughts coming up next from our pastor and chief encourager Dr. Don Wilton are you raving to give your thoughts and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer with me today. Dear God, I love that you love very very and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came God on the cross that on my feet today.

I repainted myself. I confess my sin.

And I invite you to come to my half my life. Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that pray, let me be the first one welcome the family of this.

I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important this is for me.

Corliss said we can talk to you connect to the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey glorious day the Lord stirred your heart. You've made that course correction you've given your life to Christ or rededicated your life to Christ. Dr. Wilton would love to put some things in your hands that will help you grow, you need to let someone know about that someone in your own circle of friends know that God is working life as you let us know. We would love to be partners with you walking alongside praying with you and for you.

You can contact us right now at 8668866899673 or me this online online.org that's TE W online.org. I just want to say thank you to so many of you have said, how can we prayerfully support and financially support The Encouraging Word what you do it by becoming encouragers your you join us in our endeavor to reach just one.

We would love for you to become a monthly support The Encouraging Word 866899 way to request information on how you can help support the work in The Encouraging Word, today 66899963.

The Encouraging Word is a Mueller listener supported ministry. Thank you for listening times gone for the day. What a great week of teaching we can stay connected over the weekend however online it TE W online.org that's TE W online.org also a great place to see how you can worship with us over television on DayStar and other television networks and we would encourage you to be in your house of worship as well, even if that means it's virtually don't forsake the gathering together worshiping the board this weekend until next week. Take care and God bless