R371 Peace, Joy and Forgiveness

Joy and forgiveness. Three powerful words especially forgiveness. Dr. Don Wilton will be preaching on today as we open God's word of the book of Ephesians in just a moment with a special message of peace, joy and forgiveness know that were connecting with you online as well. Our website tewonline.org love to connect with you now Dr. Don Wilton the new testament to Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 4, this time in our worship services. We come to a special time when we study God's word together and it's a wonderful thing to be able to read along in God's word and see what God's word has to say to us. So this morning we really Ephesians which is in the middle of the New Testament and chapter full we going to begin reading at verse 17. I want to speak to you this morning for a brief moment on peace, joy and forgiveness. What a wonderful subject.

Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 17 so I tell you this, and I absolutely insist on it in the Lord Jesus Christ, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in the Lord Jesus Christ you would talk with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires in order to be made new in the attitude of your mind, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

A friend by the name of claim gauge, whom I know personally and in fact I Ron Wells is leading music today has also met Mr. Gage was born in Scotland and at a very young age, found himself headed off to fight with the allies against the German forces during World War II claim gauge tells the story how he was a hard man.

He was an unhappy person. I don't if you've ever made anybody who's just unhappy inside of him and outside of him.

Everything was wrong. He had a lot of bitterness in his heart. He hated the world and hated him so. And the inevitable happened during World War II, but he was captured by the German forces and he was put into a concentration camp in Germany. It was a very hard time in many of our maidens suffered terribly. Many of them paying the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. What they decided to do was to begin to build tunnels by which to escape from the German concentration camps. Some of you may have seen movies like the great escape starting the late Steve McQueen and others that that have immortalized some of these heroic deeds of many of our people during this time the Germans saw what was going on and they became increasingly concerned about. But in this concentration camp. He was a man who was from Scotland he's name was Jock and Jock will a big man and he were and Jock was from Scotland and had a real Scottish brogue and the one thing about Jock that was really remarkable was that Jock love the Lord Jesus Christ and even in the middle of all of this hardship there was something different about this man and so he used to go to claim and cite him claim. I want to tell you about the Lord Jesus Christ and Clem in a very forceful and most ugly man I would tell Jock which side of the world to jumble. I mean, he wasn't interested in God. He wasn't interested in Jesus Christ even want to be one of those Christian people you know even want to have anything to do the and so for some time. Jock would go to Stu claim to try and introduce him to Jesus. And it would just get worse in the cussing and the the disdain for this God of Jock, the Scotsman just intensified. What is timely on the Germans said they didn't want to put up with this anymore these men escaping via tunnels. So what they did was they decided to parade all of the meaning claim gauge is POW camp and they got them to begin to dig a large hole that would fit a very large man entered and just keep digging down and down and down and eventually they knew that at some time in the digging that all walls would collapse over whoever was in the would kill that person, thereby putting the fear of digging tunnels through Skype in the hearts of the POW and one day they were out there and came tells the story they were out there on parade and already the whole it gone down so far you could hardly see the bottom and came just new that the prison guards were going to select him to be the next one to going to that whole and all of them knew that whoever got into that hole would never come out of it alive, because already parts of the wall will be getting to just crumble in. There was no support in the next minute he felt the gun in his back snow snow, the German God said to him you grab hold of that rope to claim you get inside that hole came said, perhaps for the first time in his life a little bit of fear gripped these are but he hated the will. Who cared if he died anyway, nobody would miss him so he grabbed hold of the rope and as he grabbed the rope he felt too big hands on his shoulders and he spun around and he looked straight into the face of Jock, the Scotsman who was much bigger than he was and he said Tim what are you doing you stupid Scotsman leave me alone. Jock said to him you stand back man. I'm going into that hole in your place claim sit down please. You silly, he said, how can you get in there.

Whoever gets in there is never going to come out alive. I'm not even married. I hate the world. I hate God I hate everybody. I don't even have a family. Jock, you got three little girls in Scotland waiting for you to come home Jock with ever-increasing forcefulness took claim gauge by the shoulders and move them out the way Satan claim I'm going into that hole in your place, because you're just not ready to die God's love and it this was their opportunity to get this big Scotsman walked around with a smile on his face all day or so it seemed came tells the story how that he stood there and pulled the man out on that parade ground holding their breath as Jock, the Scotsman was lowered down into that hole until you couldn't see the picked up that shovel in the first time he put the shovel into the ground. All four walls came tumbling down on top of it. By that time the POWs couldn't of been concerned whether the German God shopping the day the they began to fall under that hole and they began to dig and dig and dig and big and they were tears running down the cheeks and they know that they scratched and eventually claim city felt the top of the head and he began to get the dirt away from the eyes and out of his nose and from his mouth and he said he talked to Scott and was looking up and he had a smile on his face, but he was starting dated he'd already suffocated today, just shortly off today a matter of weeks. The American allies came through and liberated that POW camp claim gauge found himself free outside of the war and the restraints thereof, and immediately began to turn to alcohol to drown his sorrows so everyday he would begin to drink and every day he would begin to try and drown his sorrows and every day he try to run further and further away from the plate in the third and the anger and the emptiness in the vacuum that was any spark entities life and eventually he went back to Scotland where he was from and something inside of him said to him I want you to go to Jock, the Scotsman's wire window in the three little girl. I want you to go see them and so he got himself together and went up to this little Scottish Croft house in the Highlands of Scotland and he said as he walked up the road.

Those little girls were outside playing and I saw this man in a uniform coming toward the home. They had not yet heard the word that they father had been killed in German, the word had not yet got back to mold the funeral of the end of the will of the war, and as he began to walk up one of the little girl spotted it and said it's daddy. This daddy is coming home to me it's daddy daddy's coming. All that is coming that is coming that is coming that is coming home and is claim. Got up to the front door of the cottage. One of them looked at him and said words that he will never forget said but you knock my daddy you're not my daddy claim turned around on the spot with all the hate and the anguish he wanted to reach down and pick up that little girl, but he didn't know how to do that. He wanted to love that window but he didn't know how to give love people. He wanted to weep buddy.

He couldn't possibly weep because it wasn't the mandate thing to do and he turned on his heel and he went back to drinking and and he began to drink and drink and one day in London.

He saw big sign that said if you want work, go to sunny South Africa.

He said I don't have work, and who cares where I am, so he boarded the ship and he went to South Africa and there he moved into a town not too far from where my wife and I lived at one time a town.

Behind my German community in South Africa and he began to drink so heavily that his last went downhill so rapidly and one like the young nurse just 18 or 19 years of age was going on a night shift and just before she got to the start time General Hospital. She looked out of the motorcar window and lying in the doctor was a heap of humanity. She was overwhelmed with compassion and she stopped and she dragged this human being out of his own vomit and put them into this motorcar and took him to the hospital where she worked with for some weeks.

He lay in the alcoholic home and not expected to live. And finally by God's grace. He opened his eyes and looked straight in the face of this young lady and she looked at him and said to him, Sir, I don't know who you are. I don't know where you've been. I don't know where you think you going, but I want to ask you a question. Where you ready to die right there in that hospital room claim gauge gave his life to Jesus Christ and it's a marvelous story rarely because he fell in love with a young lady married her, you know, for the last 50 years, Rev. and Mrs. claim gauge have been ministering all of the world. My father-in-law followed him in one of the churches that he'd served for 25 years. The pasta and even now in his old age still serves and loves the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, dear friend. That's what Paul is trying to tell us your in God's word this morning. Paul is trying to kill us that no matter where we've been and no matter what we've done them no matter what condition we find ourselves that because he is God.

And because of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can have peace and we can have joy and we can know the forgiveness of God. Some of you may say to me, but pasta I have done this and I've done that my marriage is broken. I have been involved in that all this comes out of my heart. I don't know how God could forgive me for anything but the Bible says my friends, there is not one sin that God will not forgive.

Accepting the sin of saying no to God. That's what the Bible says, look at this passage with me even talks about the condition of a person like Karen who is not accepted Christ. He talks about the Gentiles. Why because he was writing in the first century and the Gentiles were associated with paganism.

What is it it's vanity in its darkness and its alienation limits ignorance and its it's the hopelessness and the purposelessness of the world in which we live, and he uses three ways in order to describe says you know these people like claim and like all people who are lost because the interesting thing about God's word is that the Bible says that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God is not incredible. Isn't it incredible to think that every single person has sinned and come short of the glory of God.

That's why you're so welcome here this morning my friend, because the only difference between the best of us in here and the rest of them out there is the grace of God we all assume it is saved by God's grace I do not deserve to stand in the spoke with this morning. It is only by the grace of God. Listen to what Paul tells us your writing to the church at Ephesus. He uses three phrases to describe a person who's outside of Jesus Christ number one. The vanity of their minds. That's right there in verse 17 that would vanity is the word futility the futility of their minds. It was associated with the idol worship of the first century it was, it suggests emptiness and futility that that hold that vacuum and that void and as a result of that, Paul says they are darkened in their understanding now friends. He wasn't talking about the conscience.

All of us about a conscience here this morning. There's a difference between having a conscience and having spiritual discernment, darkened understanding for those who haven't trusted Jesus Christ means that you are able to distinguish between God's righteousness, and man is the monitor for a lifestyle that's what it means to be in spiritual darkness to be alienated from God, but he uses the second word he says we are alienated from God.

In verse 18. He says that in our sin. We are born conceived in sin we are separated from God. And this has two consequences.

It means that we have spiritual ignorance and it also means that we have blindness of heart. If we understand verse 18. Now the word gladness of heart was a medical term that was used by medical writers that wrote medical journals back there when Paul was around when they wrote about the gladness of heart in Paul's time. They were talking about a numbness and insensibility, perhaps even the word is better used to describe a callousness. Have you ever worked so hard to get calluses can always tell what a man does by looking at his hands. People work with their hands get calluses do not happens when you get calluses your hands get so hard that you don't feel the pain associated with your work anymore. Well pull says here that when we are alienated from the life of God we become calloused or we become insensate to to the spiritual things of God's standards of righteousness. They are no longer and never have been significant to us, whatsoever, and then the other thing he says he says we are parsed feeling in verse 19 he says that that we all we all given the we've all lost to all sensitivity. If we haven't trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior means that we cease to feel pain. We cease to pay. We have a moral insensibility. We have an abandonment to the reproaches of our spiritual conscience. It means that there is no spiritual life cost that governs our behavior. That's what the apostle Paul says he was describing a person like claim gauge he was describing a person like you and me before we trust Jesus Christ but friends you know it's so wonderful to know God's word. You know what I've discovered. This is the this is the most incredible thing I have discovered that what Jesus Christ is done for me that he would do exactly the same thing for you. Please forgive the interruption, but will be back with the rest of today's message with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment will remind you there are a number of resources right now many are asking about the 31 days of prayer for my nation. A grand resource you can take a peek on our website's list with all the details about how you can get your copy our nation. Prayer our founding fathers understood everything that we are is really not there on our own. God has a very serious and SH for America this month.

Your gift of any amount to The Encouraging Word broadcast industry. Dr. Wilton's powerful free along with the ability 31 days of prayer for my nation's resource that will provide encouragement now and for the days ahead will have a renewed focus on the promise and power) for your freedom, last at 866899866996732 request free indeed. 31 days for supporting The Encouraging Word as we continue to proclaim the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to a nation in desperate need of poultry again.

I hope you get your copy of free indeed. And at 31 days of prayer for nation but know that that number 866-899-WORD 9673 is not just about ordering resources. It's also a prayer 24 hours a day ballots get back to our teaching with Dr. Don Wilton of The Encouraging Word discovered that that the joy that Jesus Christ is given to me. He'll do that for everyone you did for all people red and yellow and black and why people who slammed down that white people from over there and overhear people to speak with a British accent or a southern role he'll doodle. He loves us all aside. You know what he looks at us and he loves us so much. God sent his son Jesus to die upon the cross, and here Paul is trying to say to us. Listen Brian yes because of Adam because Adam and Eve sinned in the garden all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and all over this congregation this morning, upstairs and downstairs.

God loves you so much my friend he wants to come into your heart. That's what he wants to do.

He wants to save you listen to what he wants to do.

He wants to forgive you for your sin, you say to me why demented pasta.

How can he forgive me for my sin because Jesus died on the cross.

Listen to what the Bible says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not die but should have eternal life is not talking about Baptist you not talking about Methodists that are closer. He's not talking about Africans. There is not talking about Americans. They he's not too much Chinese day he's talking about old people of every walk of life and of every persuasion God so loves the world and he gave Jesus Christ to be our Savior. You know what we need to do. We need a trusted guy that called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Shelby say the Bible says in next chapter 3 and verse 19 repent and be converted in order that your sins may be blotted out.

Watch what happens.

This is the most incredible thing that I want to tell you the small when you give your life to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ literally, not symbolically. He literally because he died on the cross he takes your servant, and he takes my sin and here's what the Bible says he costs Allison as far as the east is from the west and he remembers it no more you say to me today pasta do you mean that God could forgive me completely. Yes sir. Watch me watch me absolute. That's the authority of God's word, yes sir yes ma'am, he'll forgive he'll heal your broken heart. He will make you brand-new again.

He will write a new song upon your heart. I tell you what frame Jesus Christ would do for you what no man can do for you, not a wife not a husband, not a family not a position not a bank balance. I tell you what it doesn't matter where you are and what you are and where you been and what you've done. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world will put it like this.

He said listen. Jesus is so wonderful that I say to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And so here in verse 2220 full Paul talks about what happens and he uses I know there's some English teachers you it doesn't matter, but if you're interested. He uses three infinitive constructions to describe what happens. Number one he says in verse 22. You gotta put off the old man teenagers watch me about bad news. We not talking about your daddy here. You gotta put up the old man you know that is pulled talks about in Romans 660 says our old man is crucified with Christ in Colossians 39 you have put off the old man with these doings.

He says to us. In other words, we need to put today in Christ, our old Adamic nature.

What we have inherited because of the sin of Adam. What must be done about it. We must renounce him and we must replace it.

The Bible says we must become new creatures will how do we do that. Why do something. No, Jesus Christ does something in me I cannot do it, but Jesus Christ, can do it in me. He says put off the old man number two uses be renewed in the spirit of your mind. I love that word renew because it talks about renovation.

That's what the word renewed me it means to be renovated.

I like that don't you.

When you take a room at your home and you renovated to make a brand-new put in some new stuff and things you renovate things. Then he says you must learn he put all and renew your mind but you must put on the new man now look what he says in verse 23 and 24.

He says when you put on the new man in Christ. Three things happen the likeness of God, which means your immortality. You going to live with him forever. Number two the righteousness of God which means your behavior is going to begin to parallel the standards of God, and number three holiness. Holiness points to your conduct and your devotion agile consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ will. How about that this morning with a powerful message and though it may not be morning where you're listening to this right now. Perhaps it is time for new beginning, a fresh new day of approaching Jesus Christ, knowing that he's using this broadcast to let you know he loves you and he is a wonderful plan for you before Dr. Donna's been preaching analysis steps in the studio to open your heart to what he wants to share 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 Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me talks today I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my in Jesus night, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting.

You welcome the family of God. I'm convinced some of you got serious with God's octagon was praying you in your heart with praying alone with him. It's time for you to make a new choice of rededication to your faith rededication to Jesus Christ, and for some of you perhaps today said that you gave your life to Jesus Christ for the very first time.

Either way, Dr. Don has wonderful resources we want to put in your hands absolutely free if you call us at 866899 the number down today will not string broadcast at any time day or night, 866-899-9673 will always connect to what was happy to talk with us and pray connect with wonderful resources that will help you grow in your faith at 866899673 or online at tewonline.org