R989 Christmas in God’s Economy

The dog and the chicken man come to church. Yes, it's an unusual title but it's a great message all the way today welcome to The Encouraging Word, featuring the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton well-known author and evangelist, and though the title is unique were going straight to the Bible itself, God's Encouraging Word in Philippians chapter 3.

As a matter fact in just a moment as you prepare for that know that we're here for you. Would love to connect with you online@cdwonline.org get a brand-new site love to have you drop by that CDW online.org forget were available for you on the phone as well. At 866899. Many folks are asking about the date Encouraging Word physical copy of the Bible guy could ask for. By calling 866-899-9673. Now today's message with Dr. Don Wilton, even in the midst of a world without Christ. It's good to be a lot you know that I think that we've got one of the most wonderful opportunities ever to share God's truth in our world without Christ. It is a wonderful time to be a Christian because we hope. I want to invite you today to give your life to Jesus Christ. I'm going to ask you to trust because he's the one who will forgive you, he's the one who will write your name in God's book in heaven.

He's the one who will give you peace. I will guarantee you that because I know it to be true in my own all and I'm just here today. One beggar telling another beggar where to find food and I love you today.

Everyone will need a Bible we going to be in the book of acts chapter 5 in verse 42. Acts chapter 5 in verse 42 you say to me today pasta just one verse that I'm going to read just one verse I know that might come as a shock to some of you but what you going to discover very quickly as this one verse is so packed with the riches of God's grace. It speaks to the whole preceding chapter. In fact, it speaks to our world without Christ and today I'm going to be sharing with you what it means to share truth and I will without Christ.

For many, many years our churches being on television over 50 years and even as I speak. Today we are so privileged to hear from all 50 states in America. Can you imagine that through The Encouraging Word we get letters, phone calls, people coming to know Christ lives changed from Idaho to California to Illinois to new England state of Washington and I'm glad to say even Alabama where they need the gospel so dearly.

Just think about that. Just think about. I want you to think about that and I guess the question what is it that they are hearing what we say we might, we made a commitment The Encouraging Word we made a commitment. We do one thing we share God's truth with a searching wound. Now want you to know folks. I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm saying because I Metatron scission into something here. When I watch television to the there are many incredible wonderful Bible believing Bible-based solid ministries and I'm thankful but I'm gonna tell you there's a lot of junk out the pollution of God's truth is rampant in America. In America today.

The more of a show you put on the more people are going to be inclined to watch and I want to say to you today without any apology that if you wanted me to. If you use a congregation. My congregation if you came to me and you say to me, pasta, don't worry about sharing truths just put on a good show. Just say what people want to hear. Have a performance. I will guarantee you we will the number of people who watch us and support we could start another whole empire. But we're not going to do that. You see, every one of you today. Folks listen to me every one of you today find yourself in a world without Christ. All of us around us today we find a world without Christ.

Everything in America today is turning against Jesus Christ and so the question that you and I have to ask is what is it that God would require of us have.

How do I fit into this if I was to just look at my life, my name is Don Wilton and I'm a Christian man and I'm the most blessed man in the world. Now there's a number of reasons why I'm the most basic man in the world. Number one because I'm married to Karen number two because I have a wonderful family. Number three because I am blessed to be posture first Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. No man could be more loved and I could not be more grateful than the privilege and I live in my world.

I love my world. I love life. But on the Christian man living in this world and the world is pulling at me.

There a lot of things that I want. I want to be popular.

I want to get a pat on my back.

I want to be told you jolly good because I'm a person who stands up in front of people I want to be able to control everybody I want. I mean we have needs and dispositions in this world because we all mixing in the world in which we live.

We are part of the world not put it like this. He said you must be in the world but not all of the world in in one church like this just in our church.

If our deacons made that decision. Now I'm not saying that I would agree and I know that they wouldn't do this but he found deacons were just to lift certain biblical mandates off this church. We would probably quadruple the attendance here next week. I drove pasta church yesterday am a blue mood for some this is a church. They billboard for Sunday saying poetry Sunday. How nice, poetry Sunday all over the world today. Now we Christ, we are affirming what God's truth assign God's word says they will come a time in your world when you will will not want to know the truth about God and so I go back to the Bible.

This is our textbook folks God's word. This is absolute truth I'm sharing with you today. Absolute truth.

God's word. That's why we call ourselves the encouraging word, we at first Baptist Church share with America what someone tell me the encouraging word. Let's all say that together we at first Baptist Church share with America. The encouraging word I want to say to you today.

I want you to type what God has to say because when you take what God has to say you're listening to the supreme authority, the one who gives us life the only one who can make us different. There's a lot of us to believe that the way to bring about change in America is to change who's in control. Change the person in the White House change the person in the statehouse change who the leader is well.

We are all engaged in the political process, and we must be we need to be engaged folks until we undergo a heart change. We will never change because Jesus Christ is the one who changes our hearts so watchlist in acts chapter 5 and verse 42 this is what we read day off today in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Somebody say amen. I just feel I'm going to read that again verse 42 day off today and from house to house, they never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ have any courage is what you today and it's all about Jesus.

Now friends I'm going to say five bullets with you this morning because when you go back before verse 42 in this chapter. What you read about is the world in which these very same people lived in the early church and because God's word is timeless and ageless and always relevant. And because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. God's word is as relevant for you and me today as it was for them.

That's why this word is so precious and my question is this what these people do that they were maligned.

They lived in a world where they were legislating against the gospel.

Sometimes they were so radical steps. I will put in prison. They were flogged they were persecuted.

People didn't like them they were times when nobody wanted to come and listen to them, they criticize them, and yet the Bible says day off today in the temple courts. They never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. What did they do five things.

Number one.

Write this down. They assumes live for Christ verities live for Christ we talking about sharing truth in a world without Christ. So I'm personalizing what is it that God is telling me what's God saying to me. I'm Don Wilton I'm a father, husband, granddaddy, friend, I'm pasta what must I do in my world. Some of you say will foster it's easy for you because everybody knows that that's what you supposed to be.

I'm a man just like anybody else.

One of these people do number one they themselves live for Christ that he live with purpose. They live with conviction that he lived with demonstration.

There was a purpose about everything they did and everything they did was driven by the fact that God had called them to live with pleasing to Jesus Christ purposely lived with conviction.

They live with practical demonstration.

That's one of the hardest things for us to do. Jesus put it like this.

He said be salt and light so for me to live as a Christian man in this world means that I have to be salt and light. I need to give flavor and I need to illuminate the darkness I need to be asking God to help me to have a life finding out the of me so that the darkness of the world, when they see me they see light in me not the same darkness in which they live. Please forgive the interruption, but as we partner together with you. We want to give you tools that will help you dominate the darkness. Knowing your life but in others and to share these great resources to find all the resources online@twonline.org.

There are also resources you can call for the free daily Encouraging Word Bible guide to something most folks are using specific Christmas to maybe give a few wafer gifts called and asked for your copies at 86689 that's 866-899-WORD 9673 today's teaching from Dr. Don Wilton, they themselves live Christ number two they themselves believed in the power it when you get in this passage which I'm I'm not going to all kinds of details, but from verse 14 to verse 16. The Bible tells us in acts chapter 5 that amazing things were happening in the church people were getting healed. God was manifesting his power and these Christian people the way in which they shared truth in that world. Without Christ was simply by believing in the power of God. You, I believe that God is all-powerful. I believe that God has because he always was. I believe that God is and I believe that God will be. I believe that God is all powerful. This of the living God is out advocate but you look back to the Holy Spirit is he's the Supreme Court there's nobody I we've got an advocate who never loses a case, I believe that I'm asking you I'm calling you I'm saying to you today. Not any very beautiful spot in South Carolina, but I want you to know in the world in which we live that I believe in the power of God. Do you well they themselves live for Christ. They themselves believed in the power of God. They themselves understood the attacks of Satan or you get into from verse 17 on when you become aware of the attacks of Satan. Oaxaca everybody look at me, that old devil got your number yes what Peter said. Peter said that the devil is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And in America today.

We are all sitting at our picnic tables and Satan is coming dressed as a polar bear. Sometimes he looks so cute and cuddly. He's painted in all kinds of colors. Everybody else loves him, so why shouldn't we he comes in the name of compromise. He comes in the name of popularity and we all sit there and say could she come teddy bear come and sit at our table. The Bible says the devil is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he made a vow they themselves understood that Satan is real. They understood that Satan is active, but they also understood that by the power of God, Satan was defeated. I speak God's victory upon you my friend. I do five Satan united in the power of law and by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, resist the devil and he will flee from sharing truth in a world without Christ, they themselves live for Christ. They themselves believed in the power of God. They themselves understood the effects of Satan number four they themselves stood firm. Despite the opposition. I love verse 29 in verse 30 of this passage in next chapter 5 Peter and the other apostles replied we must obey God law the then main I have made a decision.

Beloved congregation. As a Christian man. I'm going to work tirelessly for the betterment of my fellow man. I want to be more involved in charities. I want to go on mission trips.

I want to serve more in the helping ministry center. I want to become engaged more in the political processes of our country as an individual citizen.

I want to do more things I want to help out alcoholics and people who are desperate. I want to be engaged in me but I have made a profound decision that as for me and my house will so I am going to stand even in the my world without Christ.

I choose to obey all rather than man, but finally they themselves kept the main thing the main thing I love that does that mean mode of operation in this church for years and decades. They made the decision to keep the main thing the main thing that's that wonderful passage. They often daily in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and preaching the good news concerning Jesus Christ. What wow wow. Just think about that Oaxaca they themselves they they they die like The main thing the main thing you can keep me accountable to that. I want us to resolve that we would save to know nothing other than Jesus Christ and him crucified. I want us to encourage one another, let's focus on Jesus and I am just like Peter because I hear Jesus speak to me and he calls me and I get out of the boat and I have confidence when I get out of the boat and I begin to walk to him because I know it's him and as I walked to him. I take my eyes off the Lord Jesus and I begin to notice the storm around me and and and and I see the fact that we no longer have the same creative writing, and I become concerned about my finances and my retirement accounts and and and I see what's happening in Washington and my heart breaks because so many of our brave servicemen and women are losing their lives and I see the collapse of morals, and I watch how that pornography is flooding the streets of America like Sue's, and not take my mind open.

I see all of these things in my world without Christ. And when I take my eyes of Jesus.

I just begin to sink right in the middle of all of it. I get cool top in my wound. Without Christ, my heart is in bondage and I walk around in a fog and I have a heaviness in my life or not. I become incapacitated and I don't know what to do not become critical, and I start analyzing and dichotomized tearing strips off everything everybody else does not become distracted and before long, I find myself sinking in the very world in which I live. And then I look up and I keep the main thing the main thing and I look back into the strong beautiful lovely face of Jesus, the one who came and who love me so much that he died on the cross.

Just just for me and he looked out from the cross and he said father forgive them because they don't know what they doing.

Jesus told us we don't know what we doing hello and I look in his face and I see the spotless Lamb of God when I keep the main thing the main thing I reach out to take his hand and find out that he's hands already reached down to me and he just lifts me up from my world without Christ and he gives me strength and energy and hope and joy and gladness in resolving to one side and how to live in a way to go.

The piece that I can have a not present a powerful message of Dr. Don Wilton, but the next message one from his heart could be the most important 60 seconds of our broadcast today is Dr.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 Iversen 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 you. Welcome to the family of God. Some of you have just as best you know how said yes to Jesus Christ beginning fresh or re-dedicating your life. We have resources for you. What you call us at 866899 word want to put these in your hands as soon as possible. That's 86689996734 also connecting online@twonline.org that's tewonline.org cheap discover great resources like this on your life about your friends and family members. Christ drifting away from you this Christmas. Dr. Wilton want to encourage you to make a commitment to Jesus every day. Learn more about him and be able to live a life of trusting here with your gift at $30 in support to the Encouraging Word. Of God living a beautiful 52 week leather bound devotional by 52 trusted leaders including Dr. Welton, you will find a lasting blessing you read Scripture daily devotions and prayers.

You will receive spiritual song instrumental music by get the college president, Dr. Rick today at 86699 new devotional will make a great Christmas gift of encouragement Kayla thank you for your continued partnership married Chris happy new year to you here at The Encouraging Word are times gone for the day, but were connecting 24 seven online@tewonline.org that's DEW online.org.

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