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October 7, 2021 12:00 am
Welcome to the index podcast with Charles Stanley for Thursday, October 7.
Every believer has the responsibility of telling people about salvation through thinking today, you'll learn some ways you can actively participate in God's plan of redemption. Every single believer should be excited about the possibilities of becoming involved in the most important thing in all the world. That's what I will talk about this message entitled, standing before God's open door. What do we find what do we see what that we feel standing before God's open door first written chapter 16 little background what's happening. Paul has just finished describing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its impact and not only that, but also what will happen to us in our bodies we die we are resurrected then to the 16th chapter. He begins with telling of some of his plans becomes that of the bursae.
Denise says, speaking of where he has been writing this epistle from he says that I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost for a wide door for ineffective service as open to me and there are many adversaries.
A wide door of effective services. Open debate and there are many adversaries. When I think about what Paul was saying about his own life is what he was the he was in this metropolitan city of Ephesus, and he was preaching the gospel in teaching the gospel. There and he saw the wonderful opportunity to make an impact on that city because it was a crossroads and people coming and going over the by ship or by land and as people were converted and established that church there and they begin to share the truth and it would spread throughout all Asia. This man had a vision.
But listen for reaching the world of his day, but when I think about how Paul was limited. He said this wide door of opportunity has opened to me with think about it for a moment how limited he was in lots of ways.
The apostle Paul either had to be there to speak himself personally of the gospel or he could not write some epistles, which he did and not very many. When you think about his life and what his goal was to evangelize the Mediterranean world of his day.
All he could train other people and have them establish churches and to have them propagate the gospel, but he was very limited. Lots of ways but think about who we are and where we are today.
How limited are we listen what is God's redemptive plan. He says that all men all men might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth of who God really is through his son Jesus Christ. Paul was limited. How limited are we unlimited think about this for moment we stand at the most crucial, critical, opportune moment of time to impact the whole world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. For example, we have television we have radio we have shortwave we have the printed page. We have the Internet and I was thinking this week that was a time when I sat down in front of a whole Royal typewriter and the only thing I had before me was a sheet of paper and what was in my mind, and a keyboard limited was limited to what was in front of me.
I can sit down before the same keyboard today and the entire world is at my fingertips. I can talk to people in every single country in the world I can send the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to every country in the world through my fingers and through my mind in the same piece of equipment and years and years ago was an ancient piece limited to that day, which we thought was fantastic but now look God has enabled man with all the technology that we have. He hasn't made it possible for the church of Jesus Christ to penetrate every single country in the world and listen. One of these days it will be every culture and every tribe and every tongue that many women out there today and have been for years and years and years living among those people who do not have a written language listening in order to be able to write down their language in order to be able to write the Gospels of Jesus Christ in their tongue so that they can have the truth of the gospel to themselves. When I think of the awesome impact that we can make upon the world technology. Listen, God has given man, the capacity and ability to invent and discover all kinds of things and he intends for the church to take advantage because his primary purpose for doing so was simply not increase man's finances or make progress in other ways. Listen to get his truth. The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to every single person possible on the face of this earth we have and also wide door of opportunity. Now ask yourself this question, God. How does this apply to me because you can sit there and you could say well that's what preachers do.
That's what mission is to know that's what God has called every single believer to do to share their faith to instruct others use a bottle of what to say. Then get busy and learn what to say you can. I think the time is over for giving excuses will you know I read the Bible, but I don't know the Bible than my friend begin to read it.
Listen seriously and ask God to teach you the truth, get into a Bible study where somebody is true to the word of God, not just a Bible study. True to the living word of God and begin to understand the truth and begin the share of the tree because the more you show the truth is, the more believable it becomes to use listen. Not only that but the stronger you become in your conviction, and the more enthusiasm you can have the more commitment you going to have the more desire you can have the more passion you can have more compassion for people even have once God's word gets inside of you, and you begin to realize that you can make an eternal difference in somebody else's life, it will transform your life is a because all of us on the obligation issues as well as get to question at this point in your life, what are you doing at this point in your life, what you doing to be involved in the redemption of mankind. There many places of service in your church many ways and means that you and I can be involved in so many ways to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ limited illustration after the first service the man who takes care of our sound like he walked in he said you know, this morning I thought about something is or how many Sunday mornings about coming in and change your battery in your Mike to be sure that you had enough time.
The second piece of this mono picked up this batter and I thought to myself just how important is this that little old battery. How important is his how important it is no battery, no sound, no sound, no message recorded no message recorded no message proclaimed all over the world.
What is a little better. It is not worth much in the minds of man, but it is a simple thing. One simple battery makes a difference when asked a question, have you looked around your house. If you look at your life to ask yourself the question. Recently God, what can you do in my life. How can you use me if you have a plan for my life which you do you have a will for my life there doors of opportunity. God what am I doing with my life. Am I spending my life imitate something the longer you live, the more you know that like it shorter and shorter. And what are you going to do in life. You got to do with all your heart, you better do it every day you consider one of these days people who say one of these days I'm going do this. One of these days I'm Nandu that happens one these days get so they get sick and solo.
Whatever you will do. You better get busy at it.
If you want your life to count you better start getting accounting now because, listen there will come a time when you and I will come to the end of our life and we will do one thing. This is why most people know that they got God disappointed regular God disappointed because they look back. The likely thing. What about accomplished what have I done how much happiness and peace of. I enjoyed how much discontent and how much depression or how much discouragement how much anger how much business how much of this has conquered my life.
Most people are going about God disappointed and most of them are going to die afraid. Afraid to face an unknown future. They heard about God.
They heard about Jesus they've ignored him. They lived a life of sin and rebellion against God that had the world's approval of the world's wealth. But you know what what they have in head is God's peace God's salvation God's forgiveness and you and I have the message.
The transform people's lives. They can live their lives, having wasted or they may accomplish some things of the world will say that you, the most famous for this and famous breath and just listening to who they say that the greatest of this, the greatest of that. The most problem is the most prominent. I think Lord thank you that early in my life. Somebody told me that Jesus Christ was the most important person who'd ever live in the most important person in my life and no man can ever equal his impact upon my life when I think about this door. I can optimistically confident and assured that the God who sins is through the door of opportunity he sends you there because he has a personal interest in your life. He wants to accomplish something specific and personal in your life. Don't discredit yourself don't count yourself out. Don't discount yourself. It doesn't make any difference what your background is does make a difference what your language and nationality of color has nothing to do with it. God uses mightily. People all over this world, every language, every nation, God is using people in a mighty way to propagate the gospel stop criticizing the person you are and ask yourself the question God, what could you do with my life.
What God if I gave you my entire life. What could you do food with me the rest of my life little battery is a very very small thing, but you know what you put this batter in the right position, and it makes it possible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and every single country in the world.
It's not much but it is also let powerful in the right place submitted to the cause for which he was created and my friend the same thing can happen in your life you have no earthly idea what God can do in your life and through you until you submit yourself to him. Listen, you can give yourself to anything any more worthy than simply the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I look at all these people in the sports world.
They have to be consumed by what they're doing. I want to say something, that's fine. I have no no objection to that. But be sure that nothing consumes you more than the person of Jesus Christ in your life for the person for whom you were created in the gospel, for whom you are created to propagate when I think about this awesome door of opportunity. I think about the options for the options will only two options. First of all, I can accept the fact that God is created meal you can accept the fact that God is great you with a specific purpose in mind a plan for your life a direction for your life, something he wants you to achieve what we have created you something he wants you to achieve in life.
Someone is life. He wants you to make an impact in and you can walk through the door saying God use me here is my life heart, soul, mind and body. God take me, use me the way you see fit. But God deliver me from waste.
Deliver me from wasting my life deliver me from misapplying my talents and my gifts in my abilities and life. Or you can stand outside the door and justify your excuses for not walking through you can stand outside the door because you're afraid of criticism afraid of failure and afraid of rejection. You can stand outside the door because you doubt that God could use you.
You stand outside the door because your priorities are misplaced. You just so busy doing other things you have no time for God. You can stand outside the door. Excuse yourself justify the actions of your life and miss the awesome blessing of growing up and maturing as a godly person missing the awesome blessings that God has in store for you. As a result of your obedience and walking through these doors. Am I saying that all the doors of opportunity or is it no sum those are difficult, it was not easy for possible to take a beating after beating, it was not easy for him to be stone.
It was not easy sitting in a prison when he could've been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But he did you think today in heaven. He regrets one single stone one single smack of of the whip. Do you think he regrets it. That absolutely not, because this the blessings of God are and will be enjoyed for eternity. He says you and I have been bought with a price. The price is the blood of Jesus Christ his only begotten son.
The Bible says that you and I who believes are his purchase, possession, listen with his purchase possession. We belong to him. He owns us. He has a right to dictate. He has a right to government. He has a right to God. He is a right to take away the guilt he is Almighty God is a right to tell us what we did it without time, the images in our efforts in our gifts and talents and abilities, finances, and all the recipes. God we need to get our vision right and when our shortsightedness becomes elongated, we begin to see from God's perspective, we want to walk through those doors of opportunity. We want to be the persons God wants us to be. We don't want to waste their life. We want every single data count. We want to look for those ways that I like can count every day.
And here's the question God is open the door of opportunity for all of us. What you gonna do with your life this point on, you belong to God, what are you going to do with your life. You going to invest it in. What in the mind of Almighty God is the most important thing going on in the history of humanity. You see this thing is what your vocation is God can take your vocation and use you in the propagation of the gospel whether it is building a church building a parking lot. Parking automobiles or people to be able to come in, changing batteries, counting money, ushering teaching and instructing, singing, playing a musical instrument sharing your testimony your business. Sitting down with your children tonight before you go to bed and confessing to them that you have failed to instruct them in the ways of God. You left that to somebody else you want to ask him to forgive you for that and beginning tonight just with the simple things that you know say to them. Let me tell you what God has taught me in my life. You can get started today, making the impact in your life upon the lives of other people.
We just downed the two alternatives in the options. I will accept the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for my line out.
Accept the fact that the most important thing going on.
This world is the redemption of mankind, I will accept the fact that God has opened doors of opportunity for me every day I would accept the fact that I belong to a fellowship of people who committed to evangelizing the world.
I'm committed to the fact that I will find a place of service. I will begin to be sensitive to opportunities. I will invest my life every day in ways that will bring about the best good for the most people, especially their salvation there redemption their eternal life, alternate number one best one. The next you can stay on the bench. You can just sit it out and watch the game, but I will tell you. You gonna miss the thrill of one wonderful play after the other of people trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior. The game of life's all over and you are down to the and you look back with regrets that cannot be changed. You will be sorry my friend. If you've never trusted Jesus Christ you will be eternally sorrowful. We don't preach judgment to scare people. We simply preach the love of Christ.
That's the message of the gospel. God loves us. That's why he sent Jesus and that's why he sends us the speak the truth. If you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Let me explain how you do that you acknowledge that he is the living son of God testified to in the Scripture, you accept the truth that he went to the cross and died on the cross and paid your send that info. That's what we called and atoning death they paid for something. His death paid for your sin. And when you confess your sin, ask God to forgive you and to cleanse you and you say to him, I am receiving Jesus I'm accepting Jesus Christ as my personal site. I believe the testimony of Scripture and father.
I'm accepting you is my God, your son is my Savior in that moment your eternal destiny is changed, the spirit of God sealed you as a child of God so that you return the secure.
Now you stiffen the will of God. At that point and now you can invest your life so that that point on, your life begins to count.
And you began to be involved in the greatest work in the history of humanity, the redemption of mankind that is the best alternative and father how grateful we are.
You didn't write it in the sky you gave the responsibility to us and I pray the Holy Spirit of God the Holy Spirit speak to every single one of us. My heart is open God to hear that each one of us would be honest enough to ask this question at this point in my life.
Heavenly father. How do you want me to invest my life my talents my gifts my time. I testimony my treasure in a way that will greatly contribute to your redemption plan for all mankind. Lord, where you want to use me. How do you want to use me, Lord, make me sensitive to opportunities everyday.
Give your compassion for people and a passion for you that motivates me to want to tell other people the only truth to transform their life and change their eternal destiny, but we ask it in Jesus name, amen. Thank you for listening to part 211 standing before God's open door if you like to know more about child family are intense ministries entranced at OIG. This podcast is a presentation of intense ministries Atlanta, Georgia