God’s Wonderful Purpose R1354

I can now stand up and give thanks and there's one thing that stands above all else. I give thanks to God for Jesus Christ who came into my life and who changed my life and gave me meaning and gave me purpose, whether on the fields of my athletic ability. Whether it was in the mountains and the room as if it was on surfboards it was out fishing God gave to me something far more than I could ever have given to him and that was that he stamped on my life. His wonderful purpose for me.

I could not say to you that I really believe that God has a purpose for me. He always had a purpose for me and God's got a purpose for you. Don't wake up too late to recognize the fact that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea that he came to this earth to bring purpose into the lives of all who would believe in his name. God has an encouraging word for you and me today, Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on God's wonderful purpose. What a wonderful day to study God's word and as we study the word together.

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Sometimes it's just what we need to hear someone praying with you and for you. 866-899-9673 or me this online,.org, and now today's message God's wonderful purpose with Dr. Don Wilton. I want to talk to you to die for just a few moments about something incredibly deep one speaking about God's purpose because God has a wonderful purpose for every single person and that purpose was expressed.

It found its significance right. When Jesus was born, so let's begin in the Bible and I want you to turn with me to Luke's gospel chapter 1 and verse 67 and if you don't have a copy of the Bible with you or you don't have one of your gadgets where you can look it up on an iPad or an iPhone or something and turn they with me to Luke chapter 1 because in Luke chapter 1 verse 67 Zechariah, praying, I before Jesus was even born son. I watch that's what does that mean Zechariah who was the husband of Elizabeth Boll, John the Baptist, who came to tell everybody about Jesus prayed a prayer all gave a benediction concerning the coming birth of the Lord Jesus. Even before he was actually born.

This is what he said about Jesus. Verse 67 and his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David as he spoke by the mouth of these holy prophets from all that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. Jesus had not yet been born the that he swore to our father Abraham called us, that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days and you child will be called the prophet of the most high, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways and to give knowledge of salvation to his people and the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy about God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Zechariah speaking about Christmas time. As we now call you know there's some things that I wish that I knew when I was growing up in Africa I grew up in Africa. By the way, for those of you that might not know that. But all those years ago, when I look back and I look back on my life and I remember all those wonderful days in Africa. I remember the Indian Ocean. The great white sharks. I remember the beaches in the mountains.

I remember the animals of Africa, the planes. I remember the wide open spaces. I remember riding horses in the kingdom of the suit to land which is now known as Lesotho and Swaziland. I remember the deserts of the Kalahari and the nominal visits of Southwest Africa known as Namibia today. I remember faces that go more and more by the years. I remember the rugby matches and the cricket matches. I remember the struggles I remember the questions I remember trying to find meaning and peace and joy in life. I wish if I could wind the clock back that I could no what I know now because once now like Derek Henry having received. I cannot stand up and give thanks and there's one thing that stands above all else. I give thanks to God for Jesus Christ who came into my life and who changed my life and gave me meaning and gave me purpose, whether on the fields of my athletic ability. Whether it was in the mountains and the room as if it was on surfboard exhibit was out fishing God gave to me some thing far more than I could ever have given to him and then was that he stamped on my life. His wonderful for me, I could not say to you that I really believe that God has a purpose for me. He always had a purpose for me and God's got a purpose for you. Don't wake up late to recognize the fact that when Jesus was here that came to bring into the lives of teachers on the emerging word will be back with the conclusion of today's message. God's wonderful purpose.

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It's The Encouraging Word.org. You can visit our message archives download Dr. Wilton sermons or sign up for our weekly podcast of favorite button on our website is the prayer request, but you can share a prayer request or personally. You have a praise report or a testimony. Let us know so we can rejoice with you as well. You can also sign up for our daily Bible guide and have devotion sent to your email every single day.

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Now back to today's message God's wonderful purpose with Dr. Don Wilton. So what was Zechariah saying in this incredible prophetic benediction. I'm just kind of isolated six elements of God's purpose I'm going to just give them to quickly what they why was Jesus born number one to redeem his people. That's what verse 68 tells us to redeem his people, by the way, that's a big word you know to redeem it comes from the word redemption.

It's like a football team that all year goes through all kinds of injuries and struggles and and everything you could imagine. And finally they get to the championship game and they get there they of redemption and they would and it all comes together.

The word redemption.

They literally means to be saved from something to redeem something from nothing, and what Zechariah was saying he has let there be no mistake about this baby Jesus's primary purpose. The reason why Jesus is coming is because God so loves the world. That's the reason that he would give me his only son that who so ever believes in him will not die but will have eternal life because God didn't send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. There it is right there so purpose. Number one is to redeem his people to rescue them.

To save us from drowning.

By the way I did drop in Africa and I remember operation know what in the 60s. I wish I had time to tell you about operation know you know Noah was the guy that both.

All control animals to buy to God on God Seybold animals and the folks that were on the boat with no and he destroyed everything else will Operation Know It Took Pl. in Zambia and Zimbabwe in Rhodesia. Back in those days when the great Zambezi River and the Karima dam was both and when the Karima dam was built in the 60s broke out across the world because of the general off in the zappers on the line at the big five and all these incredible animals that you find in our part of the world overseas and so they began a rescue operation you can probably find movies that have been made and go to special showings of it. Even to this day, and I'll never forget as a teenager watching in all as they began to rescue these animals in the Karima district of southern Africa, they began to put up next to try and capture them and then they would tie them up and they would shoot tranquilizing to them and I can still remember them registering elephant and lineman hippopotamus. I and all the different animals that existed around us and they would dip these animals and they carried him to sleep land because the floodwaters were coming and had they not saved the wild game. People say even to this day that millions of prize animals would've perished in those floodwaters. That's what Zechariah is talking about, that there be no mistake Jesus had not come you and I would've had no means by which we could have been rescued from drowning, to redeem his people. Number two to raise up a horn of salvation. That's what he says in verse 69. By the way that would hold of salvation is a very common phrase in the Bible very often when they winning the battle. They would raise what was called the show fall. They would raise an animal horn from a huge ram and they would blow the trumpet and it was a sign or a symbol of strength. What I love about watching football games.

I love it when the head coach gets out there and the team is playing their hawk talk to him.

Things are not going so well. And all of a sudden you boys get over here. Some of them get little animated.

I know they know coaches like that here just a little fired up.

Every now and again. You know the coach gets them over there and all of a sudden that one leader in the pack that quarterback that running back that linebacker begins to stand up and he begins to take the lead and he readies everybody around and he raises up the horn of salvation. He blows the trumpet. By the way which one of you is that man I'll guarantee you right now.

Every one of you know exactly who those leaders are and just what God did for us in Christ Jesus, when he sent Jesus. Zechariah was telling us that Jesus came with the specific purpose to raise up the horn of our salvation to blow the trumpet concerning out rescue operation and when you read through the Old Testament.

One loft for another Israelites would find themselves facing an uncommon enemy imminent defeat and the whole of salvation would be raised up and they would rally together around God Jehovah number three to show mercy to our fathers. That's a wonderful phrase there in verse 72. By the way, the word to show mercy as a purpose for which Jesus came, literally means to mercy the word to show mercy means that that God in Christ Jesus was demonstrably going to demonstrate and show mercy, by the way, the word mercy means unmerited. That means that the purpose for which Jesus was born, was to show to us in a demonstrated way that he was going to love us even though we don't deserve it, even though we don't deserve. It's an incredible purpose. When I look back at my own life and I see the numbers of times that I have let God down and yet he has shown mercy to me and contextually Zechariah speaking to the Jewish people were saying. It is amazing how this Jesus who wants to come in fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament time during which all law of Moses became attainable. They could not keep it up.

They couldn't do it.

They couldn't keep the commandments. They couldn't stop themselves from sending Jesus came to demonstrate mercy to the father's the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Number four is full of wonderful purpose was to remember his government 20 tells us there in verse 72.

The second part of verse 72 he says to show mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. What's quite simple. God made a covenant with these people. He said you know what I'm going to be with you all way back in Genesis chapter 12 we began with Abram and he said I want you to get up from the Chaldeans, and I want you to go to the land of Canaan and he said yes but I'm going to do I'm going to be with you.

I'm going to guard your heart. I'm going to protect you, and a watch over you. I'm in a curse those who curse you and I met to bless those who bless you, when you get into Genesis chapter 17. He gave them the sides of the company and then he said also to give you this land, and nobody's gonna take it away from God made a statement concerning standing on his promise by the way you ever broken a promise to a friend. Have you ever seen you going to do something and then you actually don't do it. We all struggle with at Dunkley and it's an amazing thing God seen the Lord Jesus Christ to remember his company number five Teresa Q us from enemies. Look at verse 74 to amazing verse here.

He says that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies. Listen to what happened to Samuel. I'm gonna read to you from second Samuel chapter 2 in verse 23 the Lord is my Rockies, my fortress, he's my deliverer he's my rock, in whom I take refuge, God is my shield, he's the horn of my salvation. He's my stronghold he's my refuge he's my Savior that watch this from violent man.

God saves me. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. That's what Zechariah was saying you want to talk about God's wonderful purpose.

God came to rescue those who belong to him from the enemies that folks let there be no mistake. You give your life to Christ, you gonna experience a pressure like you've never had before you going to discover enemies that you never had. Many people will leave you alone until you stand up for your faith in Jesus Christ. That's the line of distinction and God gives us a promise. God see I say Jesus Christ with the specific purpose of rescuing you from your enemies.

But there's one more God's wonderful purpose in sending Jesus Christ, according to the prophecy of Zechariah is to enable us to soon. Just think about two in enable us to serve. Do you know Jesus give your life to know when the Lord Jesus comes in your life.

He takes a people. He does things for sometimes the simple truth. God came down to earth doctor for me and you know what God is continuing not just pursuing in that historical event God is pursuing here right now during this broadcast to let you know that he loves you and is a plan for your life.

Wonderful talk and pray with you about how God can take you to the next step about how you grow in your faith, the roots of your faith, and then stretch your branches to produce Jesus Christ phone number is 866-899-WORD connect with us 24 hours a day. Happy to pray 866899673 or meet us on a TE W.org before get away. Perhaps the most important thought of her past, God has spoken you ready to give you I'd love to help pray this prayer with me saved Jesus into your thought. I know that I love grow our number again is 866-899-WORD word that's 866-899-9673 or connecting online as well at GW online that's TE W online.org open one more thing. Thank you so much for the friends that are joining us prayerfully and financially and becoming what we call encouragers hello my friends I want to speak to you personally today from my heart to you. I don't think there is a better more important time for us to respond to our world by standing up for righteousness. Now with this in mind I would like to invite you to become and encourage a ministry partner. You see, together we can impact lives, both now and for all time and all eternity.

The Encouraging Word is a view and listener supported ministry and to know that you are standing with me financially, enables me to move forward with confidence to do the work God has called me to do so, please call the number on your screen and just simply say I want to become and encourage. Thank you so much for helping me greetings you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ brother Don I'm a prisoner here in North Carolina and I been listening to your preaching on the radio broadcasts each morning for quite some time now. I really wanted to write you to let you know what a blessing you've been to me. Hearing you preach the word of God and how you love the Lord Jesus Christ has just truly touched my heart more than I could ever express. I'm 42 years old and I was brought up in church and have always had a deep love for Jesus Christ. I was saved a young age, but got on the wrong path that calls me such heartache and sorrow. I've been through pancreatic cancer and a lot of health issues but the Lord has blessed me to live and to be healed. I know my heart is called me for a purpose to serve him and I will be getting released in just a few more years in my dream is to get into the ministry for Jesus Christ and deliver him. The rest of my life when I hear you preach and teach it just touches my heart so deeply. And I want to be able to meet you in person one day and I look forward to hearing you on the radio each and every day. But here I am again what a day this is been, you know, one of the things I want to say to you is. Let's stay connected. You know we got so many means to be able to do that you can write to us, email us.

You got all the details right there in front of us.

We all wear a family together. We stay connected in so many ways and your life is very important to me. I see the end God shows me and I want to be able to pray with you and connect with you and be a vital part of your relationship. Your growth your needs in mind.

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