R1629 We Are Family, PT.1

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message: we are family as we open up God's words of the book of John chapter 1 beginning in verse 35 adjustable another were open to pray with you right now with 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 Dr. Don Wilton well it's go to the Lord in prayer.

Would you join me as we pray father you always make a way for us how grateful we all to you, Lord. It's as though when we think about you that you know everything about us. You most certainly do your wonderful God and we are so amazed that you would have loved us so much that you sent your only son, the Lord Jesus to come down to this earth to be born in Bethlehem and then to minister, and to show us the way and then to go to the cross be crucified taking upon yourself the sin of the world and then by the power of God being raised up loads. Thank you that you made the way for us. We so grateful for the blessings of life. So, Lord Jesus, please speak to us now. You've already done so as we worship you Lord as we welcome so many even at this moment worshiping by television and live streaming and Facebook and you choose people online and everywhere. Thank you Lord for the hundreds who write letters every week and share go to the women who partner with this family so encouraging Lord for those who are on campus in celebration and in Genesis worship today. How can we ever thank you father we are family and you have blessed us as a family together. We pray this prayer now with great expectation in our hearts.

In Jesus name, amen. Please open your Bibles with me to John's Gospel. I'm going to be in John and chapter 1 you have to go to John chapter 1 in an incredible passage I want to read this to you John chapter 1 and I'm going to begin in verse 35.

Take a look at what happened here in the Bible John chapter 1 and verse 35 the next day John was there again with two of his disciples. By the way that you, John the Baptist. John was there again with two of his disciples, and when he sold Jesus passing by, he said, behold the Lamb of God. When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus turning around Jesus sold them falling on the last one you want. I said Rabbi which means teacher where are you staying calm, he replied, and you will see. So they went by so we he was staying. I spent that day with him was about the 10th Andrew, Simon Peter's brother was one of the two who heard what John had said and had followed the Lord Jesus.

The first thing he did was to find his brother Simon and tell him we have found the Messiah, the Christ, and he brought to to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said you are Simon the son of John from now on you will be called CFS which being translated is the name Peter has so may the Lord write that word upon our hearts today. Two things I want to tell you that I cherish and I think I'm going to get mutual agreement from everybody number one.

I cherish my own family. I really do most of you know something about my family calendar knob laced with three wonderful grown children always have to think when I call them children because they not our oldest son is 40 and you know now three grown children by all that will always be in the we love our family. We love our daughters in law. We love to get together. Now I must one of those family like yours. We all have our stories done lots of stories you know, we remember the growing up years.

You know, we can say things as a family to each other that I'm not sure you would always say those things just anywhere we've learned over the years to resolve conflicts in our family. That's where we learn to do it. There's nothing like who family mom's cooking. The human it's in our family that that our family circle where you see best expressed unconditional love. Unconditional love over the years we've learned to say sorry to each other and just get over it and forgive one another. We look beyond the blemishes and the mistakes we're always accepting there's always room at the table. It's never too much I cherish my family. You cherish yours I cherish. Secondly, my church family. This is a family song talking about first Baptist Spartanburg here.

This place where God has placed us and you identify with your church family. I love the fact that our church is a family church, we work jolly hard that people use with the church with everyone invites anyone to come to first Baptist to encounter the living one, but we pray all the time that God would give us a heart and of value for every person from the littlest to the oldest and everyone's welcome here. It's, it's quite a thing. Every week we meet in ad infinitum, gatherings, and planning and praying and in our goal always is to provide for every one everyone this family. Just think about IPA. I celebrate churches that you know they just focusing on young people. So everything is about how they connect this story here. This encounter is about family and our boss himself the question, why do you suppose that God would want us to know that this man made it a priority to go to his brother first meant to tell you folks something which you will know there a lot of you that will agree with me you can have the most wonderful family I mean wonderful between just one of your family members doesn't know Jesus. It's a tough thing man. You can have a Christmas with all your family come home for Christmas good one brother who doesn't know Jesus. And it's a missing link.

The something out and everyone of us here can talk about assisted brother, dad, how many of you go to bed rock nice amen my dad doesn't know Jesus.

I've known over the years, wonderful days who happy every week they send their wife and children to church but nothing so when it comes to values and the things of God that's missing is a kind of a you fine as long as you keep it at a certain level, but as soon as you even praying Christ at the table is these one sitting there saying is just it's it's a rub and some of you and I love your some of you would family members that one, to your home for Christmas anymore because you will Christians they don't want any part of it and it's close to fracture. Lord I just want to pray for somebody right now. I just see people we will our families. The somebody right now who's really hurting because of a family member they so desperately pray that that family member would know Jesus show her something today. Please Jesus.

In Jesus name. Now watch this. I want us to look at this family.

Okay, let's look at this, so this is a story in John chapter 1 about two brothers so this could be a brother and a sister and her.

This is a story about two brothers so they they both grew up in a place called Beth Sieber the cider, which roughly translated the house of fish are on there are some other translations that you can but Beth Sieber is on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and what you and I would know today as the Ghulam Hartz. It's just a stone's throw from the shoulders of the Sea of Galilee actually where the Jordan River comes in that's way the town of Bayside goes back centuries and this so much you can say about it, but these two boys grew up in. In a religious Jewish home so I can tell you one thing about that. They grew up understanding the Jewish religious customs and laws they grew up with a reverence. Undoubtedly, they sat at the mother's feet and she pointed them. They observed the Sabbath, they they went to the synagogue life.

They participated they understood they would talk everything, but evidently when they were grown. One of them came to know Christ before the other.

So let's just look at these two.

First of all, he was an tell you a couple of things about and right first bowl. His name means the man you probably know that the word Andrew is ready from and dryer in the Greek roughly translated means man. Interesting that the parents would've given their son that night. He was the brother of Simon Simon Peter. We know from Matthew chapter 4 and right throughout the Scripture that Andrew grew up fishing. He was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee group probably is a boy they ran around and took great joy in sneaking up and cutting the fishermen's nets every now and again and thinking it was very funny. Got a jolly good hiding furred. I'm sure but became a fisherman and was a fisherman by trade and the Bible says that when John the Baptist made his appearance that Andrew became intrigued. He was a disciple. He was a follower of John the Baptist, all of us love to listen to preachers and people who share the gospel in savanna love to listen to people like that. You know I love to listen to Dr. Charles Stanley, for example, one of my great great friends and precious man wrote the forward to my book. It's coming on Saturdays with Billy that we so excited about and I love you and I can tell you I'm a follower of Dr. Charles Stanley. That doesn't mean to say like Jesus but I listen to him. He when he speaks. He ministers to me and there many others like it that I love to listen to say he was a follower.

He was a fisherman. He was a follower. But the Bible also tells us he became the first disciple of Jesus while Bible wanted us to know that he was the first one. Jesus said, follow me, I'll make you fishers of men. Andrew said that's me. He was number one. He was number one.

We also know that all rule said and done, that you may be interested to know that Andrew became a missionary. In fact, he served more specifically in Cynthia in Eurasia. Often Jesus was crucified and had a great impact, but ultimately Andrew became a martyr for his faith. You may be interested know that Andrew was crucified and he was crucified with the ropes.

He would not let them know you will him like Jesus and another interesting just give you little insight she can read about this you know that Andrew hung on that cross for three days and the entire time he was dying on that cross. He never stopped preaching he preached the whole time. Can you imagine I can't even wrap my mind around it. Bible tells us a fair amount about Andrew John chapter 6. We know that he was there when Jesus fed the 5000 Andrew I we also learn Mark chapter 13, that when Jesus did always teaching about the doctrine about lost things in times how the wounds going in Andrews mentioned he was right there sitting at the feet of Jesus wheat we also know John chapter 12 in verse 20, and so on that when Jesus predicted his day and Andrew was right there Bible tells us that, what about Peter let's just which is a live just a few little snippets about about Andrew what about Peter what about this brother that he went to well Peter's name the rock so you had the man and the rock two boys. I'll tell you the man and the rock lived in the same house.

Of course Jesus made that designation. He was the brother of Andrew. We know that by the way, who was the other disciple from Bayside. Philip, there were only three of the disciples who came from Beth Sieber Philip Philip Andrew and Simon came from Bayside of this little fishing village not to fall from Capernaum arrived he was officially Peter was a fisherman.

We know that Jesus said, follow me let you mix down he was. He was the disciple of Christ. He was called the beloved disciple. He was a lead.

He was the lead that everybody said who was the leader of the disciples Ottoman anybody had any question about the fact that this man became the leader he was it. He was the pilot, the pillar of the disciple group of people. I mean he was. He was the strongman. Some people called in the Incredible Hulk.

All other kinds of stuff and he was a he was an interesting character, but he was also a great preacher you know in the book of acts when after Pentecost. He was the one who stood up and began to preach Jesus at this Peter with the 11, he stood up right there on the southern steps of the temple in front of all those people with all the nations coming in and out and he said men and women limit about Jesus. This is Peter. He was a visionary. Many times through the acts of the apostles you can you read about the fact that God work through him and gave him great spiritual visions.

He was the water walker. I left that you know how can you not talk about Peter other than he's the water walker. I mean I think it's a mark of distinction, don't you, that beats getting a PhD. I mean you look at PDU say this is the guy that got out, then walked on water.

I think that's a pretty good thing. On his resume, but he was also the college in her this bombastic man. He was the coward he denied Jesus right there at the foot of the cross.

So he became the ultimate discipleship. Listen, because even though he denied Jesus.

Jesus went back and found them right there outside of his hometown rot on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, never once chastising never once got Artie's finger and pointed and never once said I'm too young to get you you abandoned me you you you let me down, use, and Jesus never did this. You know Jesus did you love me Peter Gunn feet forgive the interruption will be back with more of today's message.

We are family from Dr. Don Wilton just a moment, but oh how we take comfort in that reality. Jesus love Peter so much that even after he denied him three times. He gave him the way to be restored and build that right relationship with Jesus you can do the same. Talk with you. Pray with you at 866-899-WORD at 866-899-9673 or email us at online@tewonline.org right now. You'll find a wonderful exciting new resource from Dr. Wilson, a brand-new book is Dr. Donna tell you all about what an incredible privilege to be framed and tossed Dr. Billy Graham so many. That's why I have just written Saturday's. This is not about it is my experience this most precious change lives thousand you want to get right now Saturday's do hope you call is that your copy the numbers 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or you can order your copy on our website at tewonline.org. That's TW online.org now back today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton's 40 C Peter Volpi. So this great discipleship listed and ultimately of course Peter became a martyr and we know that Peter died, Peter was crucified upside down. He he he died a terrible day for the course of Christ.

And so it's in this context that this incredible passion takes place it's it's a fantastic story limit read it to get ready. Let's read this again relates to something unusual.

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples when he saw Jesus passing by, said look, the Lamb of God, and when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus turning around Jesus following, and all supporting they said Rabbi where are you staying Jesus said, and I'll show you in late winter they solely he was staying. They spent that day with it. It was about 15,000 and Simon was one of the two that John had said and followed Jesus.

The first and was to find he's own brother Simon and tell him we have found the Messiah that is the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus.

Three action words you first. The first thing he did, but on tiny folks way you and I'm going to start right now in family first.

He found it. By the way, when your brother your dad your mother when you grow up in your family begins to leave home you want to your family members. You don't know Jesus. You gotta go find as a general rule, people who don't know Jesus are not just going to sit just think I'd love to go back to my family and hear about Jesus. In fact, in some cases they can be awfully aggravated by the fact he found the third operative was a family member I mean is just so precious. What he knew he did three things very simply did three things. Number one, he invited his brother.

Folks, I'm going to tell you something. I think the single most difficult people to share the gospel with to invite our family members. That's the hardest thing in the world. I think Jesus wanted us to know this. He did, he went and invited his brother.

I could read all kinds of things and it is by the way Simon Simon Peter. I don't think he was a walkover. This was one listen if he was a pretty rough customer off premade Jesus what he suppose he was before. I can just see and say you know I'm gonna go and find my renegade brother.

I think I know it doesn't say that I rise and was a little bit. My brother done it before you begin.

Peter was a bombastic who knows you know this, and when people don't know Christ laying comes out of the amount it can be even vides brother number two. He accompanied his brother. He accompanied him. He took him with us, living a brother, he brought he accompanied him number three.

He introduced Simon this is Jesus. Jesus the son. It's so mean. It's so they invited these brother.

He accompanied his brother and he introduced that invitation to you that willingness on our part to accompany you and introduce you in connection with more ways to love Jesus is available. The other end of 866-899-WORD that her phone number 866-899-9673 or online@twonline.org for getaway or pastor wants to share these.

Perhaps most important thoughts as we close out today's broadcast.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right here. God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me today.

I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my phone in Jesus night, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news and by the way, don't go away because I'll be right back just if you just prayed with Dr. Wilton. Moments ago to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus. We are so excited to rejoice with you and also walk with you in the next steps in your faith. Dr. Wilton has unique resources. He wants you to have what you need to call and let us know you gave your life to Jesus. Rededicate your life to Christ today, 866899 word is our phone number that's 866899673 or email us at online@tewonline.org that's TEW online.org while your there would love to have you get connected with us.

Our social media and especially sign up for the free email from Dr. online right there@tewonline.org powerful written word from word of God. Insight application to how we can see God's word change our lives and truly encourages everyday outdoors tomorrow as we bring the completion of the we are family. This latest message from Dr. Don Wilton on The Encouraging Word