R1511 The Gift Of Eternal Life at Christmas

God has an encouraging word for you and me today.

The Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton of this edition of the origin were they will have on chapter 5 in just a moment with Dr. Don Wilton well-known author, evangelist, pastor, and perhaps best known as the pastor Dr. Billy Graham. Matter fact we have a wonderful book to Dr. Milton wrote about those times Saturdays with Bill, you'll find that and many resources on our website at tewonline.org.

He and one of the resources as we launch into a brand-new year is a 52 week devotional called heaven life and the resurrection again for a gift of $25 or more to support the courage word ministry will receive that wonderful devotional and I encourage you to take a look right now@tewonline.orglargedewonline.org now Dr. Don Wilton chapter 51 John chapter 5 I'm telling you this is this is unbelievable. We mean this Christmas season. God put in my heart. The three gifts of Christmas. All three gifts not leave three gifts three gifts of Christmas on the first Sunday we took a hard look at the gift of love second Sunday. The gift of peace, incredible gifts today I think is the one that is above anything else.

The gift of eternal life. Now what is eternal life mean the word eternal means forever last means alive it's forever life.

So if I can just say this today you ever had any thoughts about what happens to someone when they die.

I have many times being around people he tossed away many times in many different circumstances. Even look at people that I know that I love my dog held the hand of many a person when they died. Eternal life means forever alive. And the reason why the gift of eternal life is so amazing is that every person ever born or ever will be born can have it. No exceptions for everyone now love that what God did is for everyone and he tells us exactly how we go about getting it if I might say it like that hello my town and you know our favorite question Christmas time because we been married a few years is you know, what would you like for Christmas. Have you ever tried to buy a gift for somebody that you've known for a long time, who knows that you love them and you know that what I mean, what does she get me for Christmas. So, my, my, based on so that I give is sweet all I've got everything up workingman some you guys looking foolish right now. What you need to try that it works it works and it's true what will me. What more can she do. She's not directly meant, let me get in the corner and suture bottle gift. I want you got a problem with. By the way those of you that are never been married or haven't you not have only been married for two years. When you been married over 40 years you still smooch on the grow some theocracy thinking of your parents and right way was on our back on.

I'm just trying to base some of you here today, some you need to go home and do that okay so what do you bomb me. What can my wife get me that's just well you say well it's the thought that counts.

She she bought me the other day a little gizmo that you stick in your car and you can put your cell phone and it and some of you say welcome welcome to life. You know Ron, I mean I just like it and it just sits there and I can put on ways and I don't have to pick it up all the time and I'm just switch you off when you call me when I'm driving my motorcar and it's there, it's a little gizmo about this big miniature stick to phoning that. That's like you could eat she could given me $1 million. Not even Chris. I just like little lets I mean, what's the big deal, but she gave it to me means everything I want you to listen to this passage Psalm in one John chapter 5 and this is what God sees concerning Christmas so we can start let's go started verse 10. One John chapter 5 in verse 10 whoever believes in the son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made God out to be a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given us concerning his son Jesus. Verse 11 and this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in its because all it's through his son is 22 has the son has life and does not have the son of God does not have life, and these things I have written to you say John, who believe in the name of the son of God, in order that you may know that you know that you know that you know that you have eternal life. You know that you know Jesus. Couple of things I want to just place in front of us as we worship the Lord.

This gift of eternal life.

Very important was given to us by God wasn't given to us by virtue of our good works or mission trips. How much money we give. Many times we go to church, how many messages we preach, how long we sit in our study on a Saturday how many boats we roll up and down the Amazon River wasn't given to us by the Pope by Don Wilton Bob pasta preacher or priest wasn't given to us in the Constitution of the United States, given to us by the White House by an act of Congress by the tradition of the church given to us by God, eternal life comes from the heart of God. God so loved the world, and if you don't believe and accept you making God out. You just telling God he lives every person who says no way says you're alive God. That's what he's telling us because God is truth.

God is love.

So this gift of eternal life is a gift that comes from God that just is an amazing thing to me that God would love me so much that he would give the gift of his son, who is the only means by which I can live forever be safe free so the second thing about the gift of eternal life is that it's provided in Jesus, God gave his son guys get this. This is God didn't say look I love you so much.

Let me think enough. Yes, what I want to do for you okay just get this not understand humans are no major in your center so want to do is ominous sit before you. 10 options on mom and I hope you man. I did it and you all different and you will have different ways of doing things and some of you all this summer. Yes, I guess what I want to give you 10 different options. Pick one like whichever you know.

Let's see, let's be okay.

I'll give you your church if you join your church and you go to church on Sunday got there, it is eternal life. Number two you on one mission trip a year you got it.

I'll tell you what you go and say 10 Hail Marys and walk around the church seven times God you got it okay because number four if at least once a year, you would consider giving some money to all the poor people and another one okay number five number six member member all brothers St. Francis of Assisi and and he kinda grew up in this rich house and many gave up everything in the soul birds everywhere and he just gave it up and he was a good man. Listen if you are willing to sell off everything and to become somebody like a monk or a nun and sequester yourself and be a very good person. I'm nothing but admiration for St. Francis of Assisi and God say Blickman if you could just join his got eternal life didn't say that God so loved us that he gave us his son, the provision of eternal life only came through Jesus. Any questions you not once in the Bible, do you read God saying I'll tell you what, let's take a vote. You even get I'm not even lost my opinion, God never one to say is look this want to do and what we'll do is we'll just toss the United States Congress if they could. For once in their life become unanimous and make a decision about this just to help all of us Americans, at least when it comes to eternal life. Let's all get on the same page provided for in and through Jesus.

The third thing about the gift of eternal life. It's received through faith.

So it's given my God provided for in and through Jesus.

How do you get by faith.

Please forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message with Dr. Don Wilton just a moment. We been having many folks ask us about something we do about this time every year. And that's the 52 week devotional. Is it available. Yes, it is on our website right now@tewonline.org you can see how you can get your copy. It's a beautiful knowing book for yourself to study God's word, but a tremendous gift this Christmas holiday time all the details are on our website@tewonline.org.

Now back to today's right teach with Dr. Don Wilton by grace are you saved fight.

Not of yourself. It's God's gift out of works, lest anyone would boast we'd be all appear trying to impress each other how wonderful we all and magnificent. Therefore, we want everybody to know if there is anybody around here that earns the right to go to heaven.

It's this person and that person and these are good things while I'm trying to you and I would you agree with me that there are some people would just leave you speechless cannot be honest with you guys surely if anybody does anybody say that surely if anybody deserves to go to heaven.

It's that lady it's that man it's that person. I mean now give me a break surely if God would let him and he would let St. Francis of Assisi and heaven, and I'm not saying that he didn't. But if St. Francis of Assisi is in heaven. He is there. By the exact same way that you and I will go to heaven because he wrote poetry about doves and pigeons which are wonderful day because he gave up anything. Are you listening you are you getting this this is this is eternal life. There is only one life to live. It will soon be possible. It's only about Jesus that the lost so receiving the gift of eternal life by faith is means that you you have to place your faith and trust in Jesus, you gotta believe it yet because what the book of Romans tells us in Romans chapter 9 the Bible says that if you willing to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, that means you right now are saying. I know that Jesus is King. He is everything the Bible says and God says about him and I just believe it by the wife. Faith doesn't mean to say you necessarily understand. Don't spend 30 more seconds trying to understand. Just trust the moment you trust and receive. You will begin to understand because the spirit of God will help you do that, but before that you don't have the spirit of God is God's not in you.

The only way he can come and use through Jesus. So what happens. This is this is what the gift of eternal life means to you and me. It means that you all released your release. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, so everyone of us worshiping the Lord we are condemned because of Allison while we condemned because we are separated from God. Why we separated from God because God is holy. He's righteous, he's just, and he cannot have any fellowship with anything less than holiness. So when Jesus comes in your heart.

You are immediately forgiven by the death of Jesus on the cross and his glorious resurrection and thereby you are released your set free.

You declared just as if you had never sinned. Bible says the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In the great so when I look at you today.

I been released say what is that mean I too am a sinner. All of us all. All of us of sin and come short of the glory of God is someone here right now all the time you think about something years ago. Maybe that just sits like a fog in your heart something you did something you see in some parts why you went down just send it just hangs out. You want to get released. Jesus is set you free.

Get out of that box men burdens are lifted at Calvary. The first thing is eternal life means that you are released. The second thing it means that you are then reconciled. So the first thing is to be released.

The second thing is to be reconciled. Romans 15 chapter 5 in verse one tells us that we are given access once again to God. So when God made us placed Adam and Eve in the garden. Any fellowship with them and they will one talking walking together. Sin came into the heart of man into Adam and Eve and immediately they were thrown out, and they were separated from God and from that moment on he died she died he died she died he died she died and God said, man I love them so much.

I am going to make a way for them to come back into the garden to be reconciled to me and live with me and I'm going to do that by sending my son Jesus to die on the cross when you put your faith and trust in Jesus, you are immediately reconciled to God.

It's not you or me.

It's Christ in me. I become covered in him.

It's called the imputed righteousness of Christ I'm covered in the righteousness of Christ.

He paid the price for me and for you and then the third thing released reconciled, you are received. Bible says when you receive when you the gift of eternal life means that you are received back into the presence of God starting at the moment you trust and accepting by faith, and that goes for ever. So I'm here I'm able to say to you today. Thomas and Osborne that way.

I gave my heart to Jesus.

He forgave me not only for my sins parts questions present but my son's future. I'm living this life at some time at some time. I'm living a life I'm in fellowship with him being released are being watch the sobbing reconciled to God. I have received eternal life.

That means at some time it's going to happen and happen to me it's going to happen to you whenever this when my time comes to die, you can bet your bottom dollar I'm going to be in that box or in the ground to be in heaven. Instantly, just like that because I've received eternal life you received eternal life. So yeah, the brother that serve the Lord by traveling up and down the Amazon River, who died many many years ago. Yes he didn't serve the Lord because that's what happens to people who love Jesus. That's why we want to give. That's why we want to serve his neck.

That's why we come to church.

That's why we love one another, but it's because of the gift of eternal life because of what Jesus has done for us and this is the message we share.

So, do you know Jesus. Have you received the gift of eternal life.

Would you just bow your heads with me from just before we go every head bowed every closed. I will ask you today, would you pray with me right now and receive God's gift of eternal life. Would you give your heart to Jesus today. Perhaps you been kind of like debating you know, wondering questioning. Maybe God is been knocking at your door full appear to time said I'm going to stand at your door and knock anyone will open the door. I will come in sup with him, with her she with me. 20,000 God does for us. This is the gift of eternal life. Would you pray this prayer with me today make this you will pray. Dear God. I believe Jesus I believe you I believe you are truth. I believe everything you say and I believe your love gave us Jesus. I believe Jesus came to this earth. I believe Jesus died on the cross. I believe Jesus was raised. I believe he's alive. I know I'm a sinner.

I confess my sins and repent of Mohsen and by faith I believe I trust I receive you into my heart now.

I pray this prayer in Jesus name. You prayed that prayer this morning, would you raise your hand to me you just put it up by rock where you are. God bless you and you just put it up with your segment on Dundas now. I have given my life. Not only does Dr. Wilton rejoice with the Bible tells us the angels in heaven.

Rejoice with one person says yes to giving your life to Jesus. Perhaps, as Dr. Wilton was praying you gave your life to Jesus today or we dedicated your life. We are so excited about what God's doing through the power of his Word the Bible itself, God's Encouraging Word. Dr. Wilton would love to launch you into the next steps with some free resources. All you need to do is call and ask for the 866-899-WORD is our phone number that's 866-899-9673 if you just gave your life to Christ or we dedicated your life. Or perhaps you want to talk to someone about re-dedicating your life to Jesus. Call us right now it 866-899-WORD 9673 are excited to announce that a friend of the ministry has donated a $200,000 challenge gift and is extended a challenge to our donors to give an additional $300,000 by December 31 challenge is to fund our television broadcasting which prayerfully consider a donation to this challenge. Please call 866-899-WORD word that's 96, 73 to give a donation and be sure to tell them is for the next challenge. Thank you for your support of The Encouraging Word as you consider getting involved to discover more information on our website@twonline.org is Dr. Wilton would say if you want a brochure that a brochure he would see will be glad to send that to you if you want to call 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673 and let me close with his last 62nd history lesson Encouraging Word the mid-50s. Our gathered together with just 120 people and each gave two dollars to get the broadcast on television to share this Encouraging Word the Bible-based teaching.

The Encouraging Word continued and continues to grow with national networks and international opportunities I had for us. We can only do that as we have the resources we never move out ahead of God. We are praying that God is calling us to this next opportunity. And because of the opportunities that it been presented that you provided resources does that to you and me. So whether it's similar to dollar gift. We began with. That's what you can give.

Perhaps it's much more God's calling you to be a catalyst to share this gospel for you. Consider visiting us a TW online.org home now to 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 we enjoy the opportunity of sharing Jesus together encouraging