R1469 The Promise of the First Find

When is it too late. That's today's topic with the message from Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word see weird expression. Timing is everything in today will head to the Hebrews of Revelation and second Peter talk about his concept of what is it too late with Dr. Don Wilton as we open the word together Dr. Don Wilton to know were open to you. Would love to pray with you and for you on 866-899-WORD. That's our phone number jotted down 866-899-9673 or online@twonline.org is not of high right now on our website TW online.org see some splendid resources including Laura story and amazing musician wonderful gift. Writer will see her book details again and TW online.org get your copy today with Dr. Don Wilton. I'm really trying to be happy right now. Dear Mr. Brian is with the Lord Jesus, and we are convinced we know that on Wednesday morning as we in our hearts and prideful quite some time that we believe that Mr. Graham just closed his eyes. He just opened them in the presence of Jesus. The Angels of the Lord just came in, picked up this dear man and carried him right there into the presence of the Lord Jesus, and we we just believe it on no laptop said many times we all assign I'm convinced Miss Ruth was standing there I told reporters. I've made comments. I can't put words into mistruths mouth, but I'm sure she would've said it's about time Billy.

I think the family has agreed with that one can only just imagine the reunion that must've taken place and is taking place in in heaven with this lady that he just loved and adored so much and then there's George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows and the millions of people who have given their hearts to Jesus because one person, just one man, one ordinary man born down the road in North Carolina just said yes to Jesus scabies life to Christ and I just want to tell you today how much I love each one of you just thank the Lord for you. It goes without saying. Dr. Brian was a precious man and he loved his church family so much you meant a great deal to him and you were a source of constant joy and he would always tell me that an II just cannot tell you that enough and you know today it's it's been an amazing journey since Wednesday. You know from the time we went to receive histograms body at the funeral home in Nashville and just seeing people just lines and lines of people just going taking his body back to the Billy Graham training center of the code of that place that he loved so much and then the journey from from the Cove to charlatan to see ways in the bridges people just lined up and you could sense the spirit of the living God and you could feel it. It's a it. It's not about a man we say thank you Jesus for a precious man like Mr. Brian but it's thank you Lord Jesus for using just one ordinary man to introduce so many of us to the Lord Jesus to be a spokesman to share the love of God to tell us that God loves us and to invite us to trust in Jesus the same ways. Billy Graham did receive the same forgiveness is really granted bound names written in God's book in heaven. Just as Billy Graham did and he's received his reward and you know I will say to you that it's just an amazing thing with the press people everywhere, and the stories you know people might come and interview you and then want to come and share with you how they gave their lives to Christ. People from all over the wound from every different walk of life, testifying to the joy of knowing Jesus in stadiums and in places and walkways just because they heard the message this because somebody invited them to come in through his servant, that they were able to be brought to the point at which they received forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. Please pray for the family they so precious. The Graham family. They very they are unbelievably precious and pray for them. You know that's they daddy and that's daddy blue granddaddy to the children and the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren and we all suffer loss.

So many of us of being through that I know what that's like. In fact, to the day because February 21 was the same day that my own father went to heaven three years ago. We know that we we we've experienced that and so one can imagine when you pray, pray for them as a family that God would bless them and encourage their hearts and enable them to walk through this. Pray that people around the world who are watching and thanking God and those who are just curious that they would hear one thing and that's about the Lord Jesus that was Mr. Grimes desire is to shake Christ and him crucified. He was only interested in that it's very difficult even to describe the humility of this great man, this man who knew so many and was sold off the bus so many and yet never ever thought anything of himself, and I'm going to say to you, and I say this to the family.

Even yesterday.

Often we had brought Mr. Graham's body into the library yesterday. Many of you watch that and I said to the family you know I think we'd all agree. Dr. Brian would look around say what is all this going on who all these people what's all this fuss about, to which one of us would say they will. Mr. Graham, you know, these people are just coming to say thank you and to and I'm telling you he would've looked at that camera looked at me, looked at the wound and save the he would do this exactly the way I'm about to do it. Let me give you a rough translation that means. How can this be why would anybody pay any attention to me. It's only about the Lord Jesus. It's only about the Lord Jesus and how grateful we can be together at a time like this. And I love you so very much today and I believe in my heart that God is stirring the waters.

Perhaps in America today.

The fields all truly ripe under harvest. God is doing a great work. Yes, I would submit to you that we pray that so many people would give their lives to Christ through the taste of many in the witness of of Dr. Billy Graham and we have confidence in, but he's doing that in our hearts and lives. I explained Dr. Billy Graham outside of the spirit of the living God, I shall miss him so much, why he would've loved me like that. I don't know. I went into on a number of occasions just knelt down at his cost just by myself.

I had a chat with him sitting Dr. Brian is by God's grace I could be just a fraction of the servant of God that you've been.

I would be most deeply grateful to the Lord Jesus only the spirit of God can do that which will explain to you this great passage of Scripture that I want to read to you today in John's gospel chapter 1 I want us to look at this together. I want to read to you a passage that I know had come to mean a great deal to Dr. Billy Graham, but I'm going to say to you that I had prepared this message before Mr. Graham went to heaven.

I think God knows what he's doing and it it begins with a raw the somewhat ragged and re-man who came out of the desert you recognizing right away. He's name was John the Baptist recalled if I might say to you, John the Baptist was was not exactly what you and I would call anything but an ordinary man.

If at all in the Bible, seizing John chapter 1 in verse 29 that the next day John sold Jesus coming toward him and he said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I see it often becomes a man who ranks before me because he was before me. I myself did not know him but for this purpose I came baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel. And John bore witness. I sold the spirit decedent from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him on Jesus. I myself did not know him but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, the one on whom you see the spirit decedent and remain. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and I have seen them born witness that this is he he is the son of God. And so the next day John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and he said, behold the Lamb of God and the two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus when Jesus turned and saw them following them and said to them, what you seeking and I say to him, teacher where you stay, how can we get to know you and he said why don't you come and see. And when you do you will know so they came and they sold where we where he was staying, and they stayed with him for that day and one of the two who heard John speak, and followed Jesus was and Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and he said to him, brother Simon, we have found the Messiah that Christ and he brought him to Jesus and Jesus looked at him and said you are Simon son of John.

You will be called Cephas, which means Peter, I have been trying to and I don't think I ever will process and ponder in my heart just the significance of one person's witness for Christ to I want to speak to you today on the promise of the first five look at John.

John arrives on the scene and they were four things that he just knew about Jesus.

He knew Jesus was the reconciler, the Lamb of God. The sacrifice the only sacrifice to be reconciled means that you brought back together where you are intended and purposed to be. Did you know that God loves you. Please forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of Dr. Wilton's message in just a moment. That simple question.

Did you know that God loves you is a question that many of us have to come to grips with. I felt so unloved in my past. Maybe you're feeling unloved right now you need to know God is using this broadcast to let you know he loves you. He has a plan for your life. There is a way to begin again today again will be back with the rest of today's message with Dr. Wilson would say if you want to take a moment and call and talk with someone to pray with someone that be a great interruption. 866-899-WORD is the phone number that's 866-899-9673 chapter number down four available 24 hours a day at 866899673 TW online.org that's TW online.org now that today's message with Dr. you know that because of our sin, we become separated from all separated from God, but the Lamb of God came, Jesus died on the cross in order that we might be reconciled to God. John knew that Jesus was the reconciler.

He knew that Jesus was the claims. He said this is the one who will forgive you for your sin. All of us of sin and come short of the glory of God.

The Bible teaches very clearly that because Jesus is the reconciler died on the cross that through him we might be cleansed and forgiven of arson. You can be forgiven of your son. I am forgiven of my sin. I'm forgiven of my sinful time and eternity when I can face to him and I repent of my sin before Christ and then I'm forgiven on a daily, moment by moment basis because the Bible says if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin in the claims us from all our unrighteousness. Don't you want to be cleansed, clean again. Jesus does that. John knew that he knew that Jesus was the mediator. That's what he's talking about here in verse 32 he understood that this Jesus was the only one who could make this possible. There is no other way. Jesus himself said it like this. He said I am the way and the truth and the life no man can come to the father but by me. John you that John understood that these were the deep things he needs hot this wonderful old man this matter.

Just taped out of the days that people might of said how can God use someone like me. He knew it. He also knew that Jesus was the baptizer. He said this is the one who will baptize you in the Holy Spirit because Jesus is God and God is the spirit and when Jesus went back to be seated at the right hand of the father. He said I'm going but be afraid. Don't despair because I made it same. My spirit and he's going to come upon you and he did. When you give your heart to Jesus you become baptized and immersed in God and father and God the son God the Holy Spirit, God's spirit takes over your life and he guides you in direct she would give you hope and joy teaches us, points us in the right direction helps us to do that which is well pleasing in his sight will would you have done if you would John Hood Mr. Graham say to me many times personally. We've heard them testify on numerous times as he's talked about his own life here is just this man grew up on a farm. I love listening to his precious mother talking about it is this ordinary man. The man came into his community by the name of Mordechai Hammon 15-year-old young Billy Graham went probably heard him say you know lost thing in his mind was that he would give his life to Jesus but somebody invited him to come. Somebody found him and said, we found Jesus you know Billy Graham came Saturday. He's told us you heard it by saying Mandy many verses of that hymn of invitation that not he was the lost one to come.

Almost Dr. Brian one Thomas and tell me exactly how many verses I got to know because I go to tell Steve how long to keep singing. You know what he said to me sit all dog.

He said I wish I knew but my heart was so troubled the spirit of God was all over me. I wasn't counting the number of verses. The one thing he did know was that he came gave his life to Christ, you know that's what Andrew did is what he did. He accepted he accepted Christ he knew he accepted his responsibility.

He knew and he went and he found his brother, he found his brother. You know Eric Kirkendall in our 21 day prayer and fasting God today wrote in many of us afraid that if you walk by the house was burning and there was someone in that burning house and you made no effort to save that person's life. How said that would be you know I think Andrew knew he knew Jesus.

He understood the need for forgiveness of sin, being reconciled of the father.

He went and found his brother many testified he said hey brother Andrew said brother Peter come here. We have found Jesus. I think maybe if he lived during the time of Billy Graham. He might've said Peter we going to a crusade tonight you coming know I'm not at issue are. I don't know we don't find any reluctance on Peter's part today you and I you know in just two weeks we get together.

He first found his own sister. He went immediately to his neighbor. He knew well that person is set up lunch with them. He first found then he celebrated you know all you have to do is make an introduction, Jesus will do the rest. I love this passage because you love Andrew I'm I'm not even sure whether he could do it all inside at all but that wasn't the point here because as soon as he said his Jesus. Jesus takes over. Jesus said from now on.

What about Peter or celebration of the most moving things from me yesterday was Miss Jean Dr. Graham sister. What a precious lady.

She and Dr. Leighton Ford. You know, as I hugged her and loved her. I thought to myself she she knew her brother.

What joy Miss Gina's head wonderful servant of the Lord.

What joy Franklin and and made an GG the whole family together. Ruth as they grew up, what joy the celebration one joy when your husband comes to know Christ son gives heart your daughter all over the world. It's happened is happening here. Sometimes it's amazing just to see the move of God. At the end of the perhaps God is moving in your heart right now. Don't let this moment pass without responding to the to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

You heard Dr. Wilton from the pulpit. Now, as he comes in the studio. Open your heart to what he has to say 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 Arneson 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 pray that prayer documents as it's not the words, but the attitude of your heart.

If that's your attitude to begin afresh following the Jesus Christ. Maybe rededication to Christ following for the first time was Dr. Don Wilton to have absolutely free. Just need to call and ask at 866899 word 866-899-9673 we can connect online with us as well. Website is teamed up with online.org that's TEW online.org great place to discover lots of resources like this.

Discovering paradoxical peace. Ainsley is surrendering your will control heart study. Laura uses her own story to explain why giving up needing to go about doing this decision on lines and the people around us again that Julianna surrendering a life my Laura story for your gift in $18 and supports The Encouraging Word Munn limiting the available The Encouraging Word anything, anywhere. Any listener supported ministry. Thank you for listening times on today will stay connected online@gwonline.org that's EW online.org tomorrow. Dr. Wilson's message call standing strong in the) is one I recommend highly. I hope you'll join us for it and maybe bring a friend tomorrow same time for the