R945 Christian ID

Use of encouragement and funded together today through the Bible Dr. Don Wilton about a Christian ID, first Thessalonians. Wanted just a moment. We were also connecting on our website DW online.org join is there very Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don W online.O are now I am going to ask you to open your Bibles to first Thessalonians chapter 1 we all diving in the letter to the church at Thessalonica.

We all identify with the matter of IDs. I don't want to dwell on the subject. But if you've ever been pulled over by a policeman, for whatever reason, I think that I can probably safely say to you that the very first thing you'll do is he lost you for some form of identification.

We understand that if you travel overseas. You need a possible, and that is a means of identification. In fact you wont even get onto that plane if you don't have the right identification. In today's day and age where they so much as security matters that are being dealt with the matter of your ideal personal IDs is very important sadly to say we've got. Even people who try to steal others IDs in the matter of identifying who you are is very important. All of us. We can all identify with it.

Can we not I carry a drivers license me just about everywhere I go and you and I get checked out all the time. Well if I was to show you my drivers license right now in fear and trepidation because we all look like we just escaped from the state penitentiary. Have you noticed what they do when they look at your ID whoever it is will take a look at your ID and then they look up and they look in your face what you suppose they doing well your ID is one thing you identification the date it was issued what your number is even your picture. Perhaps even the address is the question.

Does the ID on paper match you all you see sadly to say they are all crooks and this will, and there are a lot of people who spend a lot of money making money by producing false IDs. One of the big problems we have in the United States.

The making all the in the distribution of fake identification documents they people all around the world you want to get a hold of your American passport. For example, so they can try and reproduce and fake that identification in first Thessalonians chapter 1 deals with this very subject, but he deals with it from the point of view of the church, the people of God, that is, people just like you and me and he says, in the sense Dulce's let me show you what I Christians ID to look like, but I'm going to take you beyond a piece of pipe I'm going to match the documented ID with the person who is the person behind the document but let's think about that for just about if you look at me right now, and many of you are and you were to say to me.

Well Don are you a Christian and I was to respond to that I could say to you, yes I am. There's a verbal response.

I'm a Christian man and that's a good thing we must do that. You can then take it a step further and say to me will show me some documented evidence and so some people might look and say, well, part of that documented evidence is that he's dressed like he's a part of the church. Or maybe someone would say. You know he's the boss from the church that validates these document or some might say well you know you are preaching and so there is evidence you your preaching and so that validates your document.

We might look at each other today and say well you're a member of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg.

Will you remember First Presbyterian Church we are member of the First United Methodist Church you're a member of your church that is the fact that you are a member of the church couple together with varying forms of documented identification certainly validates the fact that you are a part of the family of God, pull writing to the church at Thessalonica does something remarkable here we going to be looking at this. Not only this week but next week and maybe even to the next and it's all in first Thessalonians chapter 1 and I want to encourage you in your own private time read chapter 1 read it 100 times. If you need to does God speak to what you going to find God will speak to you about you you you will begin to pull back the curtain about you because something dramatic goes on here and I want to speak to you about the Christians. ID. It's an amazing thing here. You see, I could turn to anyone of you right now and say to you, are you a believer are you a Christian. Are you going to heaven.

Has Jesus forgiven you for your sin is your name written in God's book and you could say yes I am I I am a Christian but how do you and how do I really know that now there is a point beyond which I cannot go because only God can save you salvation is the personal business of God as the author of salvation, but is going to show us that you can tell all of the fact of a person's documentation as to whether or not they all, the person who matches that documentation we give you another example. On Wednesday night. Satan invited me to go to the hangar with our young people I tell you I just cannot say enough that the time the effort that that team that blade understates leadership the crossfire band the time and and and everything that was putting the just outstanding and safe brought a message just unbelievably wonderful message of the young people there and the parents, and I was privileged to be then safe cost me to just say a few words of welcome and then at the end of his message. He had an invitation and and he asked me if I would come down with John Sorrels and the others Jordan Davis and others if I would come down there with the team and just be available to the young people, and of course I was so honored to do that and and a lot of young people respond by odd, we weren't counting on anything but I should imagine they were printing might even 50 young people who responded for varying reasons and I just happened to notice two young men who came down I didn't know them personally and and so eventually I went over and just sat down next to them and introduce myself and I said to those two young men.

I said to the first room. Would you like to give your heart to Jesus. He said yes so I sure would I say to the second one would you like to give your heart to Jesus.

He said yes so I sure wouldn't so you know I was just so privileged. On Wednesday not to lead to young man to the Lord Jesus Christ. I did what I know to do.

I did my best iPod tried to follow what I've been told what I've learned from the Scriptures. I can't save them, but I tried to share my faith and lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Now does the question of those two young men saved. I don't know yet and I may be sitting Roger in the service. If you are young man. I don't know where the you actually gave your heart to Jesus.

I know, but I am going to tell you that in the next several weeks and months all know because the work of salvation, of regeneration, the work of sanctification will let everybody know if you plan to treat and you say this is a an apple tree you know it's an apple tree when it grows up and it brings forth applicants that confirms the documentation now something interesting is going to happen here because for some reason is giving thanks to God for their saving grace as we study this we going to see that for some reason thought that the Thessalonian Christians were worthy of of a word of thanks and commendation and remembrance eat.

They were worthy of the highest spiritual price basically sold something in them that Paul had been to the church. Becky was part of the group. There were three of them call Silas and Timothy but now he's writing to their minis away from Thessalonica and he writes these incredible words of commendation and thanks and remembrance. And he same things you evidently he looked possibly documentation he wasn't looking at them as church members something ever dainty coals pulled to be able to confirm and affirm who they in fact were as believers, that how would you fit into that.

How to laugh it into that. You see, we limited in that we can only look on the outward appearance, God looks upon the heart and so identifies the Christian person in two ways. In chapter 1, first of all, by identifying who they all and second level. By identifying what they do. We look at the first fortress. Briefly this morning because the shortest possible PE begins. You and I want to read to you. Chapter 1 just verse one verse one identifies who they are.

He's talking to these people in Thessalonica if it if someone were to walk in to God's house to the and I came from another planet like New York City and I just arrived just like her to lay off. I just suddenly appeared in here and I said who are you, what would result looking about what we would say what I'm talking about a bull is talking about is you are is very important because God tells you the Christian mean the Christian something about who I am. Forgive the eruption will be back in just a moment with the rest of today's message on the Christian ID with Dr. Don Wilton but he want you to know we're here for you.

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That's is one of our great resources on our website, tewonline.org G, now back today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton and he looks at three things. First of all, he tells them to let me read to you first.

I hadn't done that had Silas and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. What's this Grace and peace to you.

Well is this?

He he he raises a flag in the identification of the genuine Christian person by pointing out telling them that they are three things number one by all the cold out ones. That's what marks the Christian by all the cold out ones he uses the word here church.

He says to the church, by the way, the Greek word, and I know many of you that wouldn't matter, but it's the word Clay Sierra and the word Lacey literally means the cold out ones and the cold out there means different say prorated to the chosen ones. Unlike others, now what all we the cold out ones.

Why did he say first of all did he say that they were the court out ones because they all loved by God what what what sets us apart you go down to verse four to 5E by the way, takes a deep breath. In verse four we are to be dealing with us next week. He says for we know that as the family of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, loved by God that he has chosen the cold out ones are loved by God, what an amazing thing.

But my personalized you want to know about my identification on love bug. I can't explain it to you why God would love me.

I don't know but he does. That's what Britt was trying to explain early run when we already are not good commander love somebody like Rick can't explain it, but she does well. It's the same cut here folks. When he says we all love but will the cold out ones because we are loved by God.

Second goal they are chosen by God.

Now that would chosen by God is described here in verse five. How are you chosen by God, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but rather with power and with the Holy Spirit and with deep and abiding conviction because Christ Jesus died for all people. And here is something I can't understand it and you can't understand I cannot explain it to you but God has saved you.

Somebody was to land here today and say who are you as I will. I'm loved by God, I'm chosen by God to be one of these children. He died for me and I accepted his invitation and I became part of his family, and number three because they all gathered by God. The word day.

I see it carries with it the concept of a gathering in assembly but it's not just any assembly, it's a gathered assembly. It's an assembly that gathers with the purpose of responding to the love of God says that you are at Michael's name the church and what he saying here is that he knew, knew that they would chosen by God because he sold the evidence of the transformation. The church is not just any other place. This is not a folks, we got a lot of good things men we got clubhouses and we've got Rotary international and Lions and we've got corporate meetings and rebut school boards uniting it. But that's not the church. Are you listening what what what is this thing the church is not a board meeting. This is not the superintendent's office at this is not Kodak international takes the church different is it what Dave defies us you well they were the cold out ones number two they all the connected ones. I love that I'm not any cold out but I'm connected. I was talking to some friends several weeks ago a friend I let me just refer a friend and the out of town and he is. He told me that his daughter had made this fine swashbuckling good looking fellow. In fact, he saved this filer reminded him of me when I was that non-Jews. But he was telling me about this young man that his daughter had made, and a course with two dads and me talking and having a good time in deciding which shotgun to get when we bring the hand grenades and and do I bring all my buddies with me. I said all I gotta do is click my fingers and I have about 10 of our buddies together. If we want to fix this. Philip once and for all. And so it went on and on and on. And then he looked at me and he said, let me tell you something Don. He is all free will, connected I don't think I need to explain it to anybody but that's not a reason to marry somebody, but I think he was trying to get us to put our hand grenades away all these awfully well-connected. Let me tell you something, folks, I want to make an announcement I belong to Jesus Christ and on all three will connect. Let me tell you pull talks about at your watch what he says. He says to the church of Thessalonica, who are in.

Did you see that little preposition. They English teachers, students, little preposition. It carries the word confused one with part of that's what it is your one with and he tells us who we are one with that word means that you properly connected well.

Who are you properly connected to God the father and watchlist. The Lord Jesus Christ. Well, I'm not going to give you a thorough explanation of the meaning will all of this but the reason why we are properly connected. My friends is because it has very deep significance to be properly connected means that you knew the combination of God is God the father, the head will create tool maker you have Jesus who is identify, sympathize and supply you have Christ do is initiate full and complete her about live because he supplies all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

If you are connected which you as a mark of your ID means that you have the combination of God is, but second you have the total habitation of all that God is in Jesus Christ by his spirit dwells. You he lives in you.

You are in. But all that God is, and number three. It means you have total participation in all that God is.

That's how you engage in your world as a productive full meaningful Christian courageously and completely living up to Alaska in Christ.

That is how you engage because you are properly connected. If you're not properly connected going to have the total combination and the total in the habit patient and you never going to be able to get yourself to a total participation in that God is that to the churches has pulled trying identify who we are, but all the cold out ones that are the connected ones number three they all the blessed ones. That's what he says grace and peace to you at simplistic but have a blessed one. So here comes this alien from another planet and lands enhances who are you, I can look at him, not just in my documentation and the fact that I'm a churchman more that on the barstool that I'm preaching and I can say listen, I can show you. I am one of the cold out ones I am one of the convicted ones and I am one of the blessed ones. Why am I blessed because the blessed ones have been drawn to God's grace and the blessed ones have received God's peace. Grace is what God drawings to you pieces what you receive. They are both basic. It begins with God's grace.

That's why he sees grace and peace be to you God's grace and you receive his peace all on blessed because I was gonna God's grace. From the moment of my salvation, because I'm a sinner. What grace, just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou would fix me me me to come to the grace of the Lamb of God are common when the process of sanctification, the blocking of my salvation produced peace. I'm not looking for anything God's given to me peace in my heart and pull here is putting it down on line. He's raising a flag so how do you fit into this.

Who are we, who are you. You see, my friends, God right now is speaking to you he's touching your heart he wants you to know him.

He wants you, not just to have documentation. I really believe in America today that there are more and more churches filling up with casualties of modern-day evangelism. People who are in the church by not the cold out ones they not connected and they not placed but I got documentation I belong to a church.

They sing the right songs, a member of the right thing. They give the right money. Paul is pulling the curtain and you say that what powerful teaching Dr. Don Wilton. Now, as he moves from the pulpit in the studio. I pray you 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 on 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 new.

You just gave your life to Jesus Christ or rededicated you like to the Lord.

I pray let us pray with you and encourage you. We have wonderful resources.

Dr. Wilton.

Once you have absently free to call us now at 866899 word in the numbers 866-899-9673 of these resources will help you develop that daily quiet time to grow in your faith would also be happy to help you find a local church just know we care for