R450 What Happens When One Man Gives His Heart to Jesus

God has an encouraging word for you and me today.

The Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message from Genesis 12 in just a moment… Take us to what he considers one of those fascinating passages in all Scripture as we study the word together today. It's a fascinating joy of hours to be available for you better find we love to pray with you and for you anytime at 866898668999673 or online@twonline.org is challenging why you're there on her website.

CDW online.org sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don is an absolute wonderful jump start your day.

That's the daily Encouraging Word email sign up online that TW online.org will be glad you did. Now today's message from Dr. Wilton.please take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Genesis chapter 12 the book of Genesis chapter 12 one of the most remarkable passages in God's word Genesis chapter 12 and verse one now the Lord said to Abram, leave your country, leave your people and leave your father's household and go to a land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, I will make your name great and you will be a blessing I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse. And the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. So Abraham departed just as the Lord had told him by the Lord righties rode up on our hearts. I want to speak to you this morning on what happens when just one man gives his life to Jesus Christ.

What happens when one person gets right with God. I was on the southern coast, the East Coast of Africa in a spectacular place the town in the area of the die was born in was spectacular. It's one of the top tourist attractions in the world, beaches, all unbelievably spectacular.

The fishing the spell the activity. I was born into a home where my mother and father had no time for the things of God.

I had godless fairness. Both of my parents will find people. My father turned dark and handsome and my mother was a wee little Scottish lass who could sing and was an amateur actress. My father was imminently gifted was a top spokesman represented spirited very high level was a champion angler rice, motorbikes and one just about all these rice is just like Jeff does all the newspaper clippings I have of my father and the trophies at present Boise was first he wanted everything he writes to almost but my father had no time to the house of God on Sunday mornings you'd never find them in church cut a long story short of preaching from the local Baptist Church kept inviting my father to go to church and combined with his experience of watching the Billy Graham film entitled old town USA. My father was dramatically converted when I was about six years of age, household completely trying and for the rest of my growing up years. I grew up in a home where my mother and father were not partly but completely surrendered to the lead ship of Jesus Christ in everything that they do. My father was called into the ministry and I have sat under his preaching and teaching. Most of my life I have been a blessed man when I was about the age of eight I got sent to boarding school and I don't know if any of you know much about British boarding schools and I don't have time to tell you much but I was 200 miles away from the age of eight. You want to read about British boarding schools, you have some time reading about them. That's where I went. I was lonely I was by myself. I have to learn to family myself. I was just a little boy and I was up in the mountains of Africa. I remember the age of nine or so.

I remember having an encounter with Jesus Christ dog became real to me folks even now as I look back, I'm convinced that it was at the age of eight, God told me into the gospel ministry. I didn't know it then eventually I went back off the five years I went back to a day school to acquire a school I spell behind Norman Hein found myself lost in the in the pack wrapped in, I found myself in a state of constant rebellion and removal. I began to disappoint my parents. I began to rebel against God, but they loved so much. I began to scan lab and do everything I possibly could to try and absinthe myself from church and from my father's preaching and teaching and from Sunday school and if I could get any way to get out of it. I do gradually, over the years, spiritually speaking, my life became null and void. It got so bad that I even flung the 11th grade outcry. I remember going to my father announcing to him that I was getting out of high school and I thank God for a dad who looked at me and said son as well as you in my home.

Even if you're 100 years old you going to graduate from high school mean father I had. I'm thankful today I went and repeated the 11th grade did the whole thing again. Then I began to excel and I thank God for that.

I was drafted into the military like everybody else was.

I remember the first time I bought into a tank.

I've never seen one before they told me I was being trained as a tank. Come on Centurion molecules in Mark five Allman cause Elin's a little different kinds of antitank personnel that I was trained in an on and minds and demolition. I was glad to training mines in demolition because it correct me. The dynamite comes in small packages. I was just a little fella relative to some of my friends and and I knew that I was going to have to do extraordinary things to stand up straight. I remember Southwest Africa. I remember traveling up the skeleton Coast when no other people are allowed to go. I remember facing a Russian fleet off the Atlantic coastline. I remember being in Capri be struck by. I remember a partial plan. I remember the animals. I remember the pain and the Tiger. I remember him leaving camp at night to avoid the ball. I remember my friends who stood on some of those minds that we were trying to dissolve and I remember so well what became of them. I remember getting out of the Army with great joy seven day train trip back to the land of the living. I remember going to university in the first Sunday morning I woke up. I remember turning to some of my friends and say to them.

Gentlemen, I think we should go to church today had heart attacks.

You can't be serious. This is our first Sunday in cities. We just got out of the Army.

How can we not going to waste our time going church. It's kind of a game of golf.

Let's get around us. Another gentleman I grew up in a Baptist Church. I need an alibi. I needed something some excuse to not tell them I said the best looking girls in town go to the Baptist Church and so we went to church that Sunday morning. I wasn't foolish enough to sit down on the front back some of these folks and I'm not against the back row up there, but that's where I said, not because we didn't have enough room like you don't have but because I wasn't interested in being in church and from up there. I had an eagle's view of the entire sitting in front of me and there she was.

I saw her sitting down near the front row. I'll tell you what, folks, I have never felt like that. I stood up. My knees were shaking. I thought I was going through something horrific. I looked at her. I don't want to sign anything. I knew it anyway.

I wasn't interested in the choir. The preacher, or anything else in between.

And I looked down and there she was I down at the end of the service.

When the preacher said, not trying. I could see them go. Yes, we got one decision to diabetic wasn't like that. I came down the folks I talked to that pretty young girl and I leaned over on something and I said hi my names Dawn and she said so what I didn't know she was going to be my wife folks. I chased him around for an entire year I try to do everything in the book. I even started to go to church I came to the youth group. I mean I did everything I offered.

I volunteer.

I did everything you could.

I even nominated myself to be a deacon. I did, I was ready to serve in any capacity as long as I could get her attention.

She just love the Lord. She used to work around with this big all-black Bible harass me like you don't know I mean this was in public folks everybody to see Austin to go with me to watch cricket play cricket to go with me to the rugby match. I mean we did everything under the sun off the whole year. She finally came to her senses and realize what she was missing. She said I cannot continue to avoid an incredible concrete block on God open her eyes.

Underprivileged grocery because we started to date. You know, folks, I played the game.

I'd fallen head over heels in love with her and she fell head over heels in love with me. 1976. Both our fathers married us. My father was president of the convention in her father-in-law was a very fine cost of the church was packed.

It was a magnificent wedding you know that from the day we were married I began to drag my wife down spiritually it's guaranteed to have it's guaranteed.

You marry someone who is not living for the Lord will be like a noose around her neck like a moonstone that you dragged behind you all the time and I was one of the folks it wasn't too long off to that that we went to church on Easter Good Friday and the preacher preached and God got a hold of my life this old boy got on his face, together with my wife and I repented of my sin and I said Lord Jesus if I was saved when I was eight I want to thank you but everybody else is good joy. I don't have that everybody else seems to have a sense of purpose and and when other people hurt they seem to find encouragement I don't get that. I don't know where to turn to.

I'm lonely. I bought a beautiful wife and I'm highly educated and I've got a good job and I've gotten good money and motorbikes and and surfboards and we're out there on the waves and those kinds of things.

All I had an incredible childhood, but when I was married to a beautiful young lady living in a city with degrees my life was empty. Using broken television with the plug pulled out God got a hold of my life and right at that time I was being awarded an international scholarship to gun study to do a PhD at Oxford.

I had applied to the University of Edinburgh and had been accepted in Scotland. I had applied to the University of Sydney in Australia and the University of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, the University of Ohio in the United States of America and not been accepted to do a PhD and God said to me, Don Wilton not anything that you do not need to agree that you have not any place that you go to can ever be more important than serving me my life and I said yes Lord at that same time an American preacher from a place called Columbia Mississippi was sent by his church on a mission trip came to our church preached on stewardship spoke about people in America who gave of themselves. People who are unselfish and game of their very lives for the Lord and God began to speak to me in my heart and and that very night my wife and I said God is telling us to go to America. But how can we go we to preach. As kids we are over $20,000 to the government.

We could never leave the country and my wife said about the money I said. She said if we sell everything we broaden folks in two weeks. I watched my precious wife sell every position that we had every wedding gift. I wonder how many ladies would stand up to say I'm willing to sell every gift and every wedding gift and every position I've ever had God lost me to do. I remember standing in that home that we had with nothing. They just walk folks God gave us exactly the right amount of money to pay back the government all alone. Plus we had enough of two one-way tickets to New York City and I had $1400 lift obits still stamp them all possible. I didn't know that in New York City $1400 is hardly enough to buy two big Macs. I didn't know that. I remember getting on the airplane. I remember the things that when we didn't know where want to win. I remember leaving in the middle of summer from those beaches and those served in the definition and role the things that we had grown up around and landing in New York City at Kennedy Airport in the middle of winter.

I remember having a heart attack when the bus driver drove down the wrong side of the road. I remember getting to a place called Columbia Mississippi.

I remember the churches we served, and I remember the studies that we did.

I remember I remember that little efficiency apartment where we had nothing and you will. I remember the days when we would wake up where we literally didn't have enough money to gun by doughnut over the road so I remember the knocks on the goal with people like you and me would you suddenly appeared front door little efficiency apartment and we'd open the door and they'd be standing. Someone needs sightless and are you Don Wilton someone told me about you. I just want to come on give me something and odd look in my hand and be $100 in my will they be $20. Just no reason didn't even know me from a bar of soap just did it because God put it in their hearts they people like that all over this church. What happens when just one person says yes to Jesus, forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message. What happens when one man gives his heart to Jesus in just a moment for Dr. Don Wilton to remind you we will adjust present this message to you instead. We believe that God has inspired us to share these messages to let you listen on the podcast to connect online and TW online.org and let that begin the conversation. Let us pray with you and for you as we move through life together. We believe very strongly. You need to be involved in the local church and every single day. We have people call us at the 8668 number and say can you help us find a Bible believing church in our area. It's a joy of two peoples in our organization.

Both Jim and Michelle work together on this. So if you're interested in finding a local church. Let us help you. 866-899-WORD is the phone number 866-899-9673 also the place we love to pray with you and for you anytime day or now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton.

As I began to preach and loss and in England in all of Africa. All of the United States of America and Canada, and Hawaii is God began to open goals and I remember one day preaching in a tiny little church in New Orleans: lesion for You Ave., Baptist Church and I remember Sunday morning preaching from the word of God, and there were about 35 people there and coming to the invitation and sign is there anybody here today who would give their lives to Jesus and nobody move, I remember coming to Sunday night and preaching the word of God and got down to the foot strands were just as I am, and nobody had moved, not even anybody had come down to the front office with the Bostrom was there was nothing. People just seem to be totally disinterested and all of a sudden the other back row.

A little boy of about eight or 970 stepped out. He started to walk down that when he got down to the front of got on my knees and I said to my son Rob said what can your daddy do for you to nine he said to me daddy, I want to give my heart to the Lord Jesus and I looked up and he's beautiful. Mother was standing next to me already.

With tears streaming down our cheeks and I'll never forget what Rob said. He said daddy he said I want to go to heaven to be with popcorn with bumper grinding and with Nana and he started to name the people who were important in his life and right there. My wife and I had the privilege of leading our oldest son, the Lord Jesus Christ you say to me what is my son missed out on today, turning 18 years of age in several months. What is he missed out on having given his heart to Jesus in the younger age utilities missed out on folks, nothing he's gained everything and I preached on Monday night and Tuesday night, and nobody responded and on Wednesday night of the loss clinic. Just when we were about to close. All of a sudden another little boy about eight years of age stepped out, began to come down that when I sit on the Lord, not my second son, not great loyalties too much like his daddy.

No Lord I don't I don't want Greg to have to go through the things that I've gone through and he came down to the front and I got on my knees and I said to my son. What can your daddy do for you today and he said daddy I want to give my heart to Jesus.

Just like Robbie and I want to go to heaven just like Papa and I said okay son, I'll tell you what we will do will go home and will talk about it because mommy was at home sick. He looked up at me with tears just rolling down his cheeks of these young tender age and he said to me, but daddy you said I could give my heart to Jesus right now so cold that beloved posture, not safety. This is my son and he got down on these big all means there and stood up after Lana looked at me and said to me daddy, what are you waiting for, and right there, I was compelled by the grace of God with the greatest joy to leave my second son, Jesus Christ, and in 1990, the Lord honored our family and that we cannot even begin to describe because he blessed our family with the precious little Princess and she began to grow up in one day in 1993 gone in all of his grace cold this Richardson to be posture of the most wonderful people in the world.

The kind of people who that I'd heard about when I lived thousands of miles away.

Gone same to me Don Wilton I want you to go and be they shepherd and the leader I want you to stand up straight and preach the word of God. I want you to be uncompromising about the absolutes of God's word and one not connect Playskool, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and that our little girl was playing with other little girls your little girls and boys and the children were Florida came from frolicking around and having so much fun together and and as we left that wonderful time of fellowship together in more South Carolina. We got into the motorcar only with two hands on each of our shoulders as that little Princess looked me in the face and said daddy I want to give my heart to the Lord Jesus will my wife and I looked at each other and said well we can go home and talk about, she said, but daddy you said that I could give my heart to Jesus today and right there in that motorcar. My wife and I had the privilege of leading our daughter to trust Jesus Christ as her Savior listen to what happened to Abraham, the Lord said to Abraham, leave your country and your people and your father's house and go to a land that I will show you and I will make you into a great nation, and I will publish and all the peoples on earth will be placed through you. I want to ask you a question. What do you suppose happens when just one person says yes to Jesus Christ what you suppose happens when one grandfather says years when one mother what you suppose happens when one teenager says years to Jesus one child is nonserious and is ready to bless you guys ready to change us all if we allow that change to take place as my grandfather would say God is a gentleman. He doesn't force his way, but it could be that in the last few minutes as you been listening to Dr. Don Wilton proclaim the truth of Scripture.

You've heard more than our pastor. You've heard the word of God.

You've heard the voice of God calling to you to let you know that it's time to make a change time for course correction, and adjustment.

It starts with the most simple of the most clear the most honest decision to say yes to Jesus Christ. I pray you'd take a moment and hear the special word from our pastor Dr. Darr next are you ready to give your heart to flock to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer with me today.

Dear God, I know you love me very, very and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came God on the cross so that I might be forgiven if they I painted my face/like if you prayed that pray that we be the first one welcome to the family of God. This is one I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important for us so we can talk to Nick, to the right place you can begin this wonderful German you just prayed to receive Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of that.

Or maybe rededicated. Your life is Dr. the way resources that are all about the next steps resources will help you grow on a daily basis you're interested please give us a call. Would love to put those in your hands or phone number is 866898668999673 or you can email us at online@tewonline.org there's a lot of rudeness going on with the freshness in our website TW online.org if you haven't been lately.

Come visit us be a part of connecting with this online as well. The team TW online.org and while you're there, many of them asked how can we get involved prayerfully and financially support the ministry of Dr. Don Wilton and The Encouraging Word players lives with all the details on what we call encouragers need your support. Will you join us in our endeavor to reach we would love for you to become a monthly supporter and The Encouraging Word 866899 way to request information on how you can help support the work in the Encouraging Word today 669-9963.

The Encouraging Word is a viewer or listener supported ministry pains by listening.

Again, thank you, Liz, we would love to have you been encouraging to know that we feel call to encourage someone to pray with you anytime day or night. We here at 8668998668999673 or online@twonline.org that's TW online.org until next time. Take care and God