R901 The Greatest Vision Ever Seen

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on vision will head to Matthew chapter 17.

In just a few moments.

Dr. Wilton was reminded that as we talk about teach about and gain insight division, we would be happy to pray about God's vision for your life as well were here at 866-899-WORD 24 hours a day, 866899673 or connecting online TW online.org yesterday we celebrate yet another series of friends that have given their life to Jesus Christ just by connecting online constant remarkable work. You might consider getting involved prayerfully or financially discover more online at tewonline.org, we would love for you to consider becoming encourager ballot study the word Dr. Don Wilton offering. Today I'm going to invite you to take your Bible says turn with me to Matthew chapter 17 Matthews gospel and the 17th chapter, I want to speak to you today on the greatest vision ever seen the greatest vision ever seen and it has everything to do with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now before we read this passage, I'd like to say a few words by way of introduction, I think this is very important. I'm not going to preach to you from Matthew chapter 16 but I believe it's very important for us to understand something that took place as it's recorded for us in Matthew chapter 16 I just simply remind you, you can read about it yourself that this was the time when the Lord Jesus came to his disciples and he gathered them around and he said to them, gentlemen who do people out there saying that the Son of Man and now you can imagine the audiences that they gave and they were all accurate because it was rumored about concerning this one who called himself the Messiah, the son of God and saw the disciples looked at him and said damn well you know some people cite you this person. Some people say you that person and then the Lord Jesus looked into the heart of the disciples, and he said, but who do you say that the Son of Man and you see folks there all thousands of people who appear into the empty two but they are all a few people who understand who it is that came out of that and you will remember looked into the face of the Lord Jesus and he said to him, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, and what Peter was doing at that juncture is that Peter was affirming that he in fact believed everything that Jesus was teaching them and that Peter accepted Amy's own hot that this was indeed God's son. The coming Messiah and that he was in fact the person that he claimed to be.

And so Jesus moved on from that point in Matthew chapter 16 and he began to talk about his day and he sent to the disciples. He said okay. You acknowledge do I am folks watch this this morning.

Everybody watch me if I was to ask you this question. Who do you say that Jesus is and you were to say well I know that he's the Christ of the son of the living God. Watch what Jesus said next to the disciples, he said in that case. If any one of you wants to come off to me.

If anyone of you any man any woman any boy or any girl wants to be set free of your sin and wants to know that you know that you're going to heaven one day. If any person will come off to me must do two things. Number one, you must deny yourself, by the way, that means that you and become irrelevant. We've got to give up on our sewers and number two, you must take up the cross. Why take up the cross, Jesus now is pointing toward his cross. He's looking ahead to the Easter weekend if you please. Hasn't happened yet when he said that and he said if you want to come off to me and you want to follow me. You gotta deny yourself and you gotta take up the cross while the cross because it was on the cross that God executed. I watch this. Folks, this is incredible news. It was through the cross that God made life possible Jesus Christ through his death upon the cross made it possible for people like you and me to be forgiven of Allison Brown names to be written in God's book in heaven and for us to know that we know that one day when we die, or if Jesus were to come back. We would be taken by the angels into the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. And so Jesus said if anybody wants to come off the media must deny himself and take up the cross and follow me. Well, the disciples probably perhaps were looking at him and saying man I don't know about this. This is awfully difficult to understand oldest thing about dying and taking up the cross and denying oneself. Jesus said I'm going to take you and give you the greatest vision that you've ever seen.

And when I do what I'm about to do for you. I'm about to demonstrate for you what exactly is maimed and how it's going to happen and what it means for you.

Well it's read about Bible says in Matthew 17 off to six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James and Lynn up a high mountain by them. So there he was transfigured before the his face shone like the sun and these clothes became as white as the light just then there appeared before them, Moses and Elijah everybody look at me. Can you believe this is not a single person who would doubt that Moses and Elijah had been dead for a long time what you mean, Moses and Elijah, and not any Moses and Elijah, but they were talking with Jesus and in John's account. The Bible says they were discussing with Jesus. The events concerning his day.

They were talking to him about his cross.

Watch this folks, Moses and Elijah grew a long time day were having a conversation with Jesus in the present about the future. I thought when people died they were gone when people died. It's over. Not according to the Scriptures. I'm about to share with you the most wonderful truth that comes from the word of God and the Bible says that Peter by the way, who was Peter. He was the one that you said you the Messiah. He's the one who had just expressed his belief in Jesus Christ. He said, Lord, it is good for us to be directly translated in modern-day terminology. Isn't this fun. I can't believe you would've brought us up the mountain together and we looking and talking with Moses and Elijah, and you if you wish.

I'll put up three shelters by the way, that would shelter they've got to go back to the book of Leviticus and the book of Deuteronomy in the book of Ecclesiastes. It's tied into the feast of the tabernacle and the Jews understood that and what they did at the time of the feast of the tabernacle is they would tabernacle school that represented the presence of the prophets like Moses and Elijah and all the others and they would, they would celebrate the presence of the glory of God and I would celebrate the glory of God by putting their faces into the ground and shaking like a reed because they'd coming to the presence of the only true God and has Peter and he turns to Jesus and he said oh there's Moses and Elijah tell you what I'm going to do.

I'm going to erect a tabernacle, just like we did in the Old Testament, one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for you and all Peter is talking his head off. He's just put Moses and Elijah are on the same label as Jesus and a voice comes out of heaven, and says excuse me pizza you just acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the son of the living God, and I put Moses and Elijah in front of you, and immediately you put Moses and Elijah on an equal footing with Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who is my beloved son, Jesus is the one that I'm well pleased with and it is only Jesus that you need to listen to what you think it by the way, he wasn't saying something disparaging toward Moses and Elijah what he was saying.

His friends Moses and Elijah with me. They were in my presence and you are going to be in my presence but don't you ever put any person at any time under any circumstances. On a high level then the Lord Jesus Christ. People have said to me often pasta. What's the definition of occult. That's quite easy folks occult is any religious group that places any person on a level higher than the Lord Jesus Christ. Someone comes and looks at your door during the week and safety. I'm so glad I bought a copy of the Bible for you and you try. Can you say good night say I believe the Bible, then I get out another one. Nice I will. This is another bottle you cite what you mean.

It's another Bible. Yes, God gave this to our profit and this Bible is the Bible is of equal worth and stature to the one that your reading believe that's I called and what Jesus was doing. He was pointing to the cross of Christ Jesus, and he was saying this is my beloved son, I am well pleased. And don't you ever day to put Moses or Elijah or anybody else on a pedestal, then the only one who had the fee and complete authority of Almighty God, to pay the penalty of sin.

Somebody say in that wonderful well I want you to see something here folks, while he was still speaking, the Bible Satan verse five, a bright cloud enveloped them in a voice from the cloud said this is my son, whom I love with him I am well pleased. Listen to him when the disciples heard this I fell facedown to the ground, terrified.

I would've been to Jesus came and he touched them get up.

He said don't be afraid. And when they looked up a sword. No one else accepting Jesus and as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus instructed them. This is what he said don't tell anyone what you've seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead boy that was a tough thing to do. The three preachers was not he put a gag order on can you imagine Peter. Peter was the original Incredible Hulk. He couldn't stop talking folks and Jesus save them. You don't tell anybody I want you to note a couple of things about this great vision folks teaches us a number of things first bull that Jesus had purpose in what he did.

Bible says by purposeful design. Jesus led these three up the mountainside. By the way, did you know that everything that God does for you and for me is done by his design and by his purpose factors earlier on the day I just was reading someone they said man I just can't believe I'm here folks.

Do you know that even being in church on Easter Sunday. That's God's purpose for you nobody's here by accident and the Bible says that God is working all things together for the good of those that love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. That wonderful sometimes you and I look at ourselves and we wonder what's going on and why it's going on. But Jesus had purpose in what he did and Jesus was doing something with a specific designed purpose in mind when he took these three preachers who were the original disciples took them up the mountain. He wanted to show something he wanted to demonstrate something this great vision teaches us not only that Jesus had purpose in what he did but that Jesus displayed power in what he became that worthy opponents folks is an interesting word.

It literally means to change completely. Don't have any problem understanding the word figure you know all of us talk about what we look like and I'm not going to get into too much details right now but in the Greek text here.

If you have a clear understanding of what this means.

It truly means that God by his power made a display of his power by literally school being the Son of Man into that which he become after he was raised from the dead, which was to become. He will cause people even came to this earth. John chapter 17 that wonderful high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus prayed in verse six.

Restore to me the glory I had with the father from before the world existed. That's what God is demonstrating folks. He's demonstrating an incredible display of power and what God is saying he's saying I want you to know in no uncertain terms that I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that could be our stream and think and hear ye hear ye I want the world to know the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is the very fabric about Christ because you will never understand it, you must simply accept it because that's who God is.

That's what power is, folks. It is the power of our living God forgive the eruption. Dr. Wilton insists I do so to remind you that we are here for you.

We love to pray with you and for you at 8668.

That's 866-899-9673 or keyboard keyboard. If you'd rather email us at online@tewonline.org use our website that's TE W online.org war things will happen if you visit us you will see an opportunity to be able to sign up for the daily free devotional from Dr. Don comes out email of sonically every morning you will consider signing up for. It is a power for jump start my quiet time and I believe he would do the same for you, but you also discover how we've been praying together for our country, with Franklin Graham, Dr. Wilton and Dr. Graham of course transferred for many many years and now his son Franklin great friends with ministry and this time of situations in our country where the best thing we can do is pray you will discover an opportunity to plug into that prayer time right there on the website for TE W online.org. We've been praying now for about 20 so many days, but there's always an opportunity to pick up and join us or know this.

Even if you're just starting down the power of prayer becomes more available to us as we just expend time and energy into it is a remarkable tool God is given us. If you like to discoverable you find it on a website that EW online.org. Now back to today's message. The greatest vision ever seen with Dr. Don Wilton this great vision that these three gentlemen had this picture some amazing thing number three.

It demonstrated truth and who he raised you know he has Moses and Elijah. Have you ever wondered why God picked on Moses and Elijah would like to make a few suggestions to you because he was demonstrating truth. I believe that Moses and Elijah made an appearance, not folks, this is raw. The remarkable because they been dead a long long time, but he picked on them because to the Jewish mind. They represented the low Moses and the prophets Elijah you remember when Jesus told the story about the two man, the rich man and Lazarus lived the last one man died and went to hell. The other man died and went to heaven and the man who died and went to hell lift up his eyes, being in torments any soul who Abraham in person had a conversation with Saul Lazarus beside him and he said to Abraham, please, what you seen somebody back from the dead back there to my father's house right there to Chicago dated Dallas Wright data Phoenix Wright data Spartanburg) actual what you send someone back from the dead. Because I booked five brothers who were still alive and they won't believe that Jesus was raised from the dead same somebody back and then they'll believe Jesus said not first bowl.

God is already send someone back from the deity's name is Jesus.

And I wouldn't believe, but second of all, I have the law and I have the prophets that got Moses and I got Elijah below the word of God. The prophets the preachers the talents of the word of God.

If they don't believe the fact that Jesus rose from the dead couple together with what the word of God teaches and they even turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what the preachers assign concerning the word of the living God.

They will never believe even if someone else were to come back from the dated but they must perhaps another reason why he chose Moses and Elijah because they represented two categories of people who all in heaven and who will be in heaven. What happened Moses folks. He died Bible city was married, you know that in first Thessalonians chapter 49 fact in Matthew chapter 16 in the lost verse Jesus talks about. He said when you take up your cross, he said I want you to know when the Son of Man comes with the Angels. He said some of you are going to be with him and some of you who are not already with him but I'll still alive again to be caught up to be with what is that mean well. Moses was someone who died he represents everybody who dies physically including you and me if we died before Jesus comes back. I believe Moses represents all people who die physically.

What we see when we see Moses we see a real person, folks. His name is Moses. We hear them talk. We look at him. We call them by name. We recognizing these disciples did. Jesus was trying to send us a message. He was saying in Adam all die, but in Christ Jesus world made alive. First Corinthians chapter 15 and Moses as a representative of all those who battle where does that leave Elijah. We know the story about Elijah.

He was a prophet. The Bible says he was, together with the Lasher who took up the mantle of responsibility from him.

Elijah never died.

He was translated the Bible city was traveling along the next minute he was gone.

If you want to read about what it means to be caught up to the rapture of the church in first Thessalonians chapter full and Elijah.

My friends was God's representative of all those who are still alive and remain at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are going to be translated captured and taken taken out of the school to meet those who have already died.

The Moses group in the air. And so shall we forever be with the Lord Jesus was covering all bases and yes, he was standing in the middle the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Someone suggested to me in between. One of the services. He said, don't you think pasta that these people were talking about the death of Jesus where encouraging Jesus to go to the cross because they bury standing there was totally dependent on the willing obedience of the son to go to the cross and be rise on the third because that's the power of the resurrection Bible says because Christ is being raised from the dead. So to all those who are in Christ that we too will be raised from the dead, and yet Jesus demonstrated truth. He not only demonstrated truth, but not before he proved truth, he proved it's one thing to demonstrate truth, but it's an entirely other things approved truth by allowing you to see what you see.

He said, standing there was a larger and standing there was Moses, and in the middle was this one is the son of God radically unschooled by the power of God in Christ Jesus. Looking ahead to his death upon the cross. This is who God is and when these people these disciples looked at the Savior.

They knew and even with their mistakes even when Peter the apostle looked), he immediately elevated Elijah and Moses to the same level as Jesus, Jesus didn't condemn him.

Did you notice that he sent them for not. Why did he say fear not, folks. Why did he appease them here.

PS there my friends because that's the power of the resurrection. That's the good news of a day like this. That's what it means to know Jesus Christ. You have no fear of day folks, the Bible says when you receive Jesus into your heart and life. You receive eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish.

Have no fear, but will receive eternal life, and if you are not died before Jesus comes in the clouds we going straight to heaven to be with him. We got a look at one another and know one another and talk together, we gonna recognize one another. That's the authority of the resurrected Christ and if we still alive in this world keeps going downhill like it is in Jesus, determined to come back any comes in the clouds, just like we just taken out there just like Elijah. We got to be translated in mismatch.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

We got to be taken at the trumpet sound and we got to meet those who have already died and so shall we forever be with the Lord Jesus, and I want to invite you to come guess the reason why it's because he lives that I can face tomorrow. It's because he lives that will listen to them it's the Lord Jesus Christ. That's Easter Sunday.

That's the resurrection message. That's why Jesus was translated before them. That's why he turned to them and he said gentlemen don't say anything about this now because people won't understand what you going to see the demonstration of the power of God. When you turn up at the empty tomb and you gonna find out that I'm not there aphorism. Then he ascended to be seated at the right hand of the fall to exciting news, especially if you know you belong to Jesus Christ. If you know if the world came to an end if if all the sudden we were face-to-face with Jesus.

Do you know to belong to him that he would welcome you into heaven, I pray that you would take just a moment right now to make sure you know that you know that you know if a pastor would say here's Dr. Don Wilton are you ready would you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God on that Jesus loves me that he died on today. I and I can face. I welcome you to the family of brother and sister in Christ, it's getting strange to give. We are connected together for ever as believers in Christ, just believe that some of you been hearing Dr. Britton talk maybe even pray long. Right now you got questions we love to help you discover the answers in the Bible itself, God's Encouraging Word we are not just have a 24 hours a day to talk some pray at 8668998668999673 Dr. Don Wilton we would be honored to be one of your 2 AM friends walk with you the ways that God can strengthen your life by plugging Encouraging Word again. The numbers 866-899-6734 liters online. It online.org just yesterday will talk about this remarkable ministry to widows, it's a book that's available on our website. Here's lives with all the details south can be very dead and life altering.

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Quantities are available The Encouraging Word as a viewer and listeners and ministry for listening times gone for the day tomorrow. Another great message from God's word will be headed to John chapter 21 the greatest lesson ever learn. Hope you join us. Maybe bring a friend. Between now and then we can stay connected online. It EW online.org for this phone number 866-899-9673