R1531 Drawn Up Into Heaven

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based breaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on have drawn up into heaven. That's today's message from Dr. Don Wilton well-known author and evangelistic pastor just a few moments to give us not only inside on understanding heaven better what we have to look forward to, but also the confidence of knowing that we will be there as we study the word know that were available for you to pray with you about whatever's going on in your life right now. Would love to connect to online@theencouragingword.org. That's the encouraging word.org this phone number 866898668999673 would love to meet you right there that today's message with Dr. Don Wilton in your Bibles to the book of and Chapter 11 as you do so. There is something that God, for some reason, will not allow me to let go all I am compelled to share this and someone is the reason God loves you and I'm inviting you to listen very carefully pizza who was one of the followers of the Lord Jesus.

He trusted Jesus he followed him.

He knew him listen to him. One of the disciples, and he just like you and by was a summer was God's grace that saved Peter even did some things that he was really not proud of me belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was also a Jewish man and he had grown up as a Jewish person, following Jewish custom Jewish law. That's the way he was born into a Jewish family. Probably a wonderful family and the Jewish people have a particular understanding based upon the Old Testament on how it was that they would have access to God and this is what happened the next Chapter 11. Then I'm going to explain something to you today that is wonderfully important and if you listen and I'm praying for you today. Christ will set you free. I promise you, you will receive forgiveness of sin and you will be drawn up into heaven with all who believe in his name, regardless of your background, regardless of your nationality.

Regardless of your culture. Regardless of your religious observances your strict adherence to dietary regulations. The things that you do the efforts that you have my to have peace with God.

Peter had a vision and often the vision Peter found himself back among the people that he had grown up with and they didn't like the fact that he was associating himself with the Gentile people. The non-Jews because according to the Jews. They were very exclusive. They believed and according to the Old Testament, rightly so, that God's favor was limited only to them but something that happened to Peter. He met Jesus and Peter was grappling to understand these things because of these background I've met people many times in my life that make Jesus in the thing they battle with deeply is the fact that in the background. They have habits. I have patents of life. They even belong to certain religious groups so you know what I'm going to trust Jesus. But I'm not going to let go of the things that I grew up with. I will take Jesus because he I know that I believe that Jesus Christ has set me free. But in terms of these other things I don't want freedom.

I've even met people who I pray for very much because when they do meet Jesus, and Jesus sets them free.

There is a real genuine struggle with pleasing the parents or their cultural heritage or their religious background.

Build a church or denomination affiliation.

Even if that church does not hold to the all sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are churches today that believe Jesus yes. But Jesus plus something else that might be an observance might be the way in which you pray it might be that you believe in Jesus but you also need to do these rituals on the side and God's word tells us that Jesus is the one only Jesus and he sets us free from the Lord because he fulfilled the law.

So yes, Peter and I can only just imagine he goes back into his home background rubbing shoulders. Now with the people that he grew up with the frame of reference from whence he came and I began to criticize it. I said, look at you you betraying us your violating your background you destroying everything that you know you disgracing your parents and your due Jews don't do that. This is what Jesus said in next Chapter 11 in verse four, but Peter began and he explained it to them in order. This is what he said I was in the city of Joppa praying and in the Tron's I saw a vision something like a great sheet descending being left down from heaven by its full corners and it came down to me personally. Looking at it closely just said I observed animals and beasts of prey in reptiles and birds of the air, and I heard a voice speaking to me from heaven saying get up, Peter, kill and eat.

But I said by no means low for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth the voice onto the second time from heaven. What God has made clean.

Do not call common. This happened three times and then all was drawn back up again into heaven when a reader verse to you from the book of Leviticus and if you following along you can terminates in Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 23. This explains Peter. This explains the criticism. This explains the struggle that some of you are having. This explains the resistance. This is what the Bible says yes God speaking to Israel to the Jewish people and he says this. You shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I'm driving out before you, because they the Gentiles did all of these things and therefore I detested, but I've seen to you, you shall inherit the land and I will give it to you to possess a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the people. You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean and the unclean bird from the clean never heard the word kosher that you have a you shall not make yourself detestable by beast or Bob Byrd will buy anything with which the ground coals which I have set apart for you to hold unclean, you shall be holy, for me, for the Lord am holy and I have separated you from the people and you Israel. You shall be my Jesus spoke about this in John chapter 12 and when talking in John chapter 12 Jesus was presented with the agony of his day.

Remember, Jesus was a Jew and yes Jesus facing the agony of the cross and in John chapter 12 something amazing is given to us because we find the Lord Jesus saying my heart is troubled. All I know that this is my purpose but I'm troubled in the flesh. I'm facing the agony of the cross.

But I'm here for reason and father I want you to know that all I want to do is to glorify your name. And so Jesus made this statement and I'm just quoting reading to your John chapter 12 in verse 32 very important Jesus save this and I that is the Lord Jesus when I am lifted up from the earth. I will draw all people to myself maybe read that again Jesus said Jesus said, he said I'm really troubled on engaged in a fleshly battle.

The agony of the cross, the violation of my human predicament. But Jesus is God, Lord God in heaven knows that my purpose on earth is about to be made known. I have yet to glorify you and the manner with which I'm going to glorify you is that through my day and agony upon the cross. I know that I am going to be raised up and lift up and Bob have the authority of God went up in my lifting up. I am drawing all people unto myself three things here before I tried to unpack something that is very important for us to remember one God made us from heaven, where were we made in heaven from heaven in the beginning God in the very beginning of time. God in heaven created all that is made he did so from his seat in heaven up in heaven. Second, God placed his creation on earth. You can read about them in Genesis chapter 1, the apostle John in his prologue put it like this. He said there was not anything made that was not my by God and just in case you wonder where Jesus was in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. When I watch this nonstick with me when the soul begin weighted.

We begin weighted the creatures of the earth, all animals, reptiles, birds, everything all of God's creation.

God made us all by his decree up in heaven. He placed his creation upon earth. Something happened soon interfered. So let's just pick on men and women right now my Lynn Primo when God made male and female in his image. He placed them the ultimate of his creation on earth. And when he did so male and female were totally utterly and completely unaware of their differences. Then sin came into their life. What happened to them.

All of a sudden they became separated in their uniqueness and in their differences. All of a sudden, they became aware of one another suddenly interrupted the uniqueness of the oneness of God's creation, God made created us mankind. The creatures every living thing in heaven placed us and all others on earth, sin interrupted, Jesus came, God's plan for the redemption of all people, even as I the son of man am lifted up as I am lifted up I Jesus I am the way, Jesus saved the truth and the life will will now come to God once again through me and I will draw every body back again up into heaven, so God controls us back into heaven created up in heaven placed on this earth drawn back up into heaven, I just followed Jesus for a minute. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Let's just talk about Jesus for a minute, Jesus first was up in heaven as creator second, Jesus came down from heaven as I dainty fire up in heaven.

He was creator, one with God. He came down from heaven to this earth identifying with his creation tempted in all points. Just as we are yet without sin. He went to the cross as receiver. He received our sin he took Allison Alderson of all of us for all time and eternity he received.

He took it upon himself. He came to the grave as eliminator is designed purpose was to die and be crucified, be buried in the grave in his divine purpose to do what to eliminate our sin to kill Allison's own graveyard bed. He rose from the grave as liberator. He liberated us he saved us free from the hold of the grave from the spring update, Paul wrote about it in first Corinthians 15. He said but thanks be to God who has given us the victory given through the Lord Jesus Christ. Somebody say amen. Therefore, I will spend I will be movable. I will be changeable. I will be absolutely certain, and I will work through the work of God fully with all my heart because I know that my labor for Jesus Christ is not invited to watch the sparks follow Jesus swallow Jesus don't follow your rule you regulation your culture, your background on your background on your peers on of those who have loved you follow Jesus. He was upping heaven as creator, he came down from heaven as I dainty fire. He went to the cross as receiver into the grave as eliminator.

He rose up as liberator and he ascended up as mediator because the Bible says that when he draws all men unto himself when Jesus ascended to be seated at the right hand of the father. He is now making intercession. He is the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

If you want to go to God through Jesus Christ, not through your preacher, not through your church, not through your regulation, not through your dietary regulations and this is the message that God was giving to his servant Peter. It was a tough one for him a very tough one. It's go back to the book of acts in Chapter 11.

Something happened here. The spotless Lamb of God came down from heaven he came to identify fully with all that sin brought to bear on the likes of you and I was buried with Rolodex and those without all of Batson because he conquered sin and death and the grave and he ascended back up into heaven, mediating on alcohol before a holy and a righteous God, and so God gave Peter a vision to an amazing vision really if we had time to really unpack the meaning of its amazing because he sold a sheet a sheet I don't read too much into this like something more than what God intends for us like and share with use in my own heart, the Lord Jesus began to just from a hawk with so many pictures I'll be perfectly honest with you, even at one point in time. As I was praying and thinking and meditating on to the sauce. Again I must be dreaming, and then the Lord was saying to me will let's what I gave Peter you must woken up said I must be dreaming. In fact he wants. Like how you do you know dreams all amazing thing.

This is a dream God gave to him a vision. The four corners of the earth give a boat to Jerusalem cross you understand about the four corners of the earth. This is God showing P2 the great commission.

This is Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, young most parts of the world.

Yes, some people talk about the four Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke and John. But the fact of the matter is that in this dream, would God showed him encompassed every inch of his creation without exception, for there is neither Jew nor Greek, not available female. Now the bongo freeware or one in Christ, and Peter, having grown up according to the customs of the Jewish law. He understood clean animals represented the Jews unclean represented the Gentiles in the plane would not mix, and this dream happened three times is not amazing really just the number three again when Peter woke up he knew that this it happened three times. There is day one we see Jesus taking on himself the scourge of Olson upon the cross date to we see Jesus eliminating through his burial in the grave.

The very spring of day three barriers Jesus again conquering Savior risen from the grave. The Bible tells us that in Adam we all die, but in Christ role made alive. Peter went to great pains to say listen me tell you what happened to me. Those of you that are criticizing me about taking this gospel to people that we consider less than also to people who are not of the same and can tell you the real meaning of the great commission. Let me tell you what it means to going all the world to me tell you what it means to give our tithes and offerings so that people can share the love of Jesus Christ around this world. I had a vision and right there from the very heart of God himself came this sheet encompassing the entire world and God brought down from heaven.

Every living creature of every time both clean and unclean and I said Lord.

Look at my background and why you but I cannot violate these things that are so important to me and Jesus said so, don't you know that when I came to this… All people would be set free people would know forgiveness would receive will be taken up and drawn up just as I draw all men unto myself. What about Jesus sacrifice.

What about Jesus sacrifice in this vision. Just think about this is close to number one God sent Jesus down from heaven.

Think of this vision wanted me this picture coming down when Jesus came down from heaven this displayed God's creative intention that without him was not anything made that was made. But Jesus coming down from heaven also displayed God's divine intention not only his creative intention, but he's divine intention. What is God's divine intention. Not only that Jesus Christ is in all and through all. But that Jesus died for all, so God sent Jesus down from heaven, and having paid his sacrifice for our sin upon the cross bar drew Jesus back up into heaven. This is the vision this picture why why back up into heaven, will first of all because they receive the seat of God's authority.

You know who seated on the throne. God is my friend, God is God is God is higher than all and any he's sovereign.

These alpha omega he's king.

Why did Jesus. Why was he drawn up into heaven.

Why does he draw us up into heaven. Why did Peter see a vision at which all the creatures gathered together all born back up into heaven, off the three appearances.

Why back into heaven because there we see the seat of God's authority because there we gaze upon the magnificence of God's glory of Jesus glory, the son of the living God.

Why back up into heaven because there we find those saved for all eternity, all eternity right there in heaven. Why does Jesus. Why was he drawn up into heaven. Why was the sheet on up into heaven. Why did Jesus say, even as I am lifted up so I will draw all people under myself, as they receive the seat of God's glory. There we see we gaze on the magnificence of Jesus glory. There we find those saved your mom your dad your brother your son your daughter your friend your neighbor those people that are so deeply in our hearts. Then we find those who have been saved for all eternity and then we understand the full significance of eternal security now want you to listen to this. Jesus said, I'll draw all men up to myself up into the presence of God why my friend. Why will he draw us up because there we see the seat of God's authority there. We gaze on the magnificence of Jesus glory.

There we find all of those of us who are saved for all eternity.

It is their operating heaven drawing hopping the heaven that we understand the full significance of our eternal security. This Jesus came down to the server level the playing field who gave his life for us when we give our hearts to Amy holds us in the palm of his hand and no one will ever be able to pluck us out his hand. Somebody say amen you know Jesus that's a powerful question to close our Thursday edition The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton is your name in the Lamb's book of life, and I've shared this with many friends. There was a time in my life that I was not sure I really like I dealt with fear about that particular situation. Are you worried are you concerned that your name is not written in the book before we get away let's take one more moment with Dr. Don Wilton and talk about.

Perhaps the most important decision you or I could ever make. 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 the center 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 news. Great way to wrap up today's edition of The Encouraging Word the number. Dr. Wilton mentioned you could call is 866899 word. We would love to partner with you as you partner with us to see people come to Christ every single day. As you become an encouragement to the number again 866-899-9673 meters on the Encouraging Word.don't forget many people, even from the beginning of the program have already signed up and said, count me and Dave Encouraging Word email. You can sign up for that as well online@theencouragingword.org